- Combine different window treatments to create beautiful looks and flexible function.
Think filmy sheers over opaque honeycomb blinds or thick velvet drapes over lightly colored sheers.
Mix a translucent treatment with a more opaque one so that you can have gently filtered light or
complete privacy and light control, depending on your mood and needs.
- Measure carefully and accurately when ordering your window covering. If you are making a large investment,
consider getting professional measurements taken. This is most vital for window coverings, such as blinds and shades, which
will hang inside your window frames. However, even for hanging outside window frames, you'll want the right size for the look
you're trying to achieve. Also measure carefully while doing the actual hanging: nothing affects both your form and function
more than a lopsided or otherwise poorly hung window treatment.
- With soft treatments, consider panels that are two to four times the width of your window area. This will create an appealing full look.
- Give some thought to your hardware. Attractive finials, rods, and holdbacks do make a difference and should coordinate well
with your drapery style. For example, this means choosing more formal or substantial hardware designs to go with heavy velvet or
brocade drapes. Consider subtle matte metal options to coordinate with more casual panels, such as sailcloth or sheers.
- Consider bringing home color and fabric samples whenever practical. It's always wise to see how they look inside your home.
- Pick a window covering designated as room darkening for bedrooms with light sleepers.
Don't assume something will do the trick if it isn't specifically designed to keep out light.
- It’s great to mix style with sound environmental sense whenever possible. If you like an earthy,
natural, or rustic look, consider renewable bamboo for your window treatments.
Also choose window treatments that are good insulators; this will help
save energy for both heating and cooling.
- Keep in mind the room for which you are buying window treatments. Consider that room's overall style while shopping. Lacy rod top curtains
might add quaint charm in a guest room; fancifully patterned and colorful panels could be perfect in a children's room; formal and lush drapes may be the ideal
accent for a traditional dining room. The conservative choice is to match your window decor to your wall color, but that isn't the only way to go.
Consider your choices and have fun with them.
- While shopping, keep in mind the main purposes for window treatments: style, light and privacy control, and insulation. That way, you can
evaluate your choices effectively.
Always keep window cords away from children and pets, since they pose a strangulation hazard. You can purchase cord wind-ups and shorteners, which are child safety products, to wind them
up and out of the way. Never position a crib near a
blind with a cord.
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WINDOW STYLE SHOPPING TIPS
Window treatments add a stylish finishing touch to any room. They also serve several other important functions: providing privacy, controlling light,
and offering insulation, which can mean heating and cooling energy savings. They also offer protection for furniture, carpeting, and floors from fading
due to sunlight. Even if you have a fantastic view in a private location, you'll still find that style-wise, a window treatment beautifully frames your
outdoor scenery, adds warmth and color, and provides a cozier atmosphere at night. And for light sleepers, room darkening window coverings are an absolute
necessity.
Whether your style leans towards subtle or bold, country or contemporary, or just your own unique blend of tastes and needs, you'll find many options. Filmy sheers,
rich velvets, fanciful patterns, earthy wood, and more are available. From the most functional to
the most fabulous, drapes, curtains,
shades, and blinds
offer a vast array of choices to suit any budget. Whether you are starting from scratch or doing a window update, mix and match, experiment, and enjoy.
Hard treatments mainly refer to blinds, shades, and shutters, as opposed to soft treatments, which include drapes and curtains. Hard treatments and soft
treatments are often used together to provide just the right mix of form and function.
Be sure to consider whether you'd like to hang your hard treatments inside or outside your window frame so that you can take accurate measurements.
Inside hanging is a clean look and works well when combining hard and soft treatments, since the soft treatments will hang outside the window frame.
Hanging shades or blinds outside the window frame works best when trying to create a look similar to curtains, perhaps with a treatment such as woven wood
shades.
Many hard treatments, including window blinds and shades, are available in special room darkening versions.
Blinds
Blinds are generally window treatments that use slats to control your light and privacy level. They include horizontal blinds and vertical blinds.
Various materials can be used, including aluminum, vinyl, real wood, and imitation wood. Since blinds give you the option of opening slats at
different angles or pulling the blinds up or to the side completely, they provide great flexibility in controlling your atmosphere.
Horizontal Blinds: A popular choice, horizontal blinds are slatted blinds that pull up and down. When down, the slats can be angled in any position you choose;
when up, they stack neatly and compactly for a clean look. These are sometimes called Venetian blinds.
The least expensive horizontal window blind material is vinyl, which is a fairly practical choice available in a range of colors.
The downside of vinyl blinds is that the material is thin and slats can sag over time. Aluminum is a more upscale, though still economical, choice, which offers better
longevity and also come in a range of colors and finishes. Aluminum slats hold their shape well and are resistant to creasing. Vinyl or aluminum
blinds are good choices if they will mostly function behind curtains or drapes. These are also good choices for areas such as garages or basements
where function outweighs style.
Wood is a great material for horizontal blinds. Wood window blinds can be made of furniture-quality wood, such as pine, oak, and cherry, with various grains, staining,
or painting options. Wood blinds evoke a rustic, country, or classic style, depending on the grain and finish. Imitation or faux wood blinds are usually less
expensive and can be a better choice than real wood in areas with high heat and humidity, since high quality alternative wood products are resistant to
moisture and sunlight. Wood blinds are attractive enough to stand alone, though they can be nicely paired with coordinating soft treatments as well.
Keep in mind that wood is usually heavier than other materials, so it may not be ideal for large windows.
Bamboo window blinds are also a top choice. A highly renewable resource, bamboo blinds resemble the look of wood blinds. Bamboo window treatments are
attractive and earthy-looking options.
Horizontal blinds are generally available in different slat sizes, with most ranging from one to three inches wide. Budget-oriented mini blinds usually
have one, one and a half, or two inch slats. Custom or standard blind sizes are available.
Vertical Blinds: These blinds hang vertically in long pieces. The panels can be swiveled to different angles, or pulled completely to the side or
sides of the window. Consider whether you would like them to pull to the left, right, or to both sides from the middle. The use of a vertical blind window
covering is common for
sliding glass doors, since the side to side operation is very practical in this case. They are also a good choice for tall windows, such as floor to
ceiling ones.
Vertical blinds are usually made of aluminum, vinyl, fabric, wood, or imitation wood. Aluminum and
vinyl vertical window blinds are available in various colors,
textures, and finishes, with fabric adding an even greater range of hues, patterns, and decorating options. Wood and faux wood blinds offer an earthy
look and coordinate well with other wood window options; for instance, if you have wood horizontal blinds on windows and use vertical wood blinds for a
nearby sliding glass door.
Shutters: Shutters are usually made of vinyl or wood. Vinyl, which shouldn't warp, chip, or fade, is probably a better choice than wood if your
shutters will be exposed to high heat and humidity. Wood is the classic choice. Look for top grade hardwoods with solid construction, including dove-tail
joints. Both wood and vinyl shutters are available in varied colors and appearances.
Shutters offer versatile light and privacy control. Louvers, or slats, can be adjusted to meet your needs.
For a charming appearance with top practicality, shutters are a great product. Consider your space though; shutters open out and to the side, so if there is not
enough space on the side for the shutter to sit flush against your wall, or if furniture will be against shutters, you'll lose some ease of function.
Shades
Window shades are window coverings that work by pulling them up or down, usually with a cord. Choices include cellular shades, woven wood shades, roller
shades, and more. Motorized window shades are also available.
Cellular/Honeycomb Shades: These are made of layers of soft fabric. A pull string controls their height. Cellular shades, generally available
in single, double and triple honeycombs, act as good insulators. They come in a great variety of colors and in sheer to opaque fabrics. Whether
you choose to let in diffuse light with a sheer option or a room darkening opaque fabric, these provide a clean and subtle look that can be easily
coordinated with the rest of your decor.
Woven Wood/Bamboo Window Shades: These natural and attractive woven shades filter light into your room when pulled down, while protecting your privacy.
With interesting textures and a warm appearance, these are a flexible and stylish option.
Roman Shades: These shades use a cord woven through the fabric to raise the shade in folds. There are many variations of this basic style,
making this a flexible choice. Choose from different fabrics, colors, patterns, and fold styles to find just the right ones for you.
Roller Shades: A budget option, a roller window shade is usually made of vinyl. While not generally considered decorative, they work well to add functionality
under drapes or curtains and are available in room darkening options.
Drapes/Curtains
Drapes and curtains provide room for creativity with vast choices in fabrics, colors, patterns, textures, and design. Drapes act to frame a beautiful view and tie
together other elements of your decor. They provide a perfect finishing touch.
Hanging style and fabric will affect the appearance of your drapes. Explore options to capture looks varying from casual to elegance. Velvet will give a rich and
formal appearance; sailcloth will give a window curtain a casual feel. Consider how much material you'd like to use; measure the width of the window, and consider about two to four times that
amount for the fabric. Use more fabric for a fuller look. Consider length as well. You can extend your drapes beyond your window sill if desired, to give an elongated
look to your window area.
Always look at the tops of window curtains and drapes. There are rod pockets, tab tops,
tie top, ring tops, and more. Each gives a subtly different look.
Rod pockets create gathers and project a pretty country look; tie tops a casual look; tab tops or rings a more refined appearance.
There are drapes and curtains which use room darkening materials. There are also insulated curtains available.
Sheers
Sheers are beautiful window coverings that create a light and airy feel as they filter in sunlight. Sheer panels are available in a great many colors, textures, and
patterns in translucent materials. They can stand alone as window accents or be used with drapes or curtains over them. They can also be used over blinds or shades,
to add an additional element of style as well as more complete privacy and light control options.
Soft accents, such as valances and scarves, add another touch of style to your windows.
Window Valances
Valances, which comes in a large variety of fabrics and colors, can be gathered, pleated, or bundled above your drapes or curtains. Available in matching or coordinating
fabrics with your drapes, a window valance is a great option for further dressing up your window. They can match precisely, or you can perhaps use a solid color valance to
accent a patterned drape, or vice versa.
Window Scarves
Like a valance, scarves add another decorative touch to your window coverings. They are usually draped gracefully over the top of drapes or sheers, in fabrics
and colors to complement your window coverings.
Window hardware can provide just the right finishing touch to complement your window dressing. There’s also the practical matter of effectively holding up your
treatments for the long term. Think about placement, such as how high above the window you'd like to place your curtain rods, and choose something
attractive. There are decorative options available in most price ranges.
Curtain Rods
You'll have lots of choices when it comes to curtain rods. They are available in a variety of materials (including various metals and woods,) finishes, and styles.
There are ones that fit your window precisely, as well as adjustable options. There are double rods that are ideal for layering window treatments, as well as café
rods, which add a nice touch for kitchen or even bathroom window curtains. Consider how much weight a curtain rod can hold and purchase one appropriate to your needs. Velvet
curtains will need a heftier curtain rod than filmy sheers.
Finials
Often sold as part of a curtain rod, finals cap the rod at each end and are the most noticeable part of a rod. You'll see colorful glass, wood, and various metal
(such as nickel, chrome, pewter, and brass) finials. They come in different shapes, from balls to wrought iron works of art.
Holdbacks
These are an attractive way to hold your curtains open. It is usually best to have holdbacks that match your curtain rods, for a uniform and finished look. Holdbacks
can be simple and purely functional, or ornate and unique accents.
Curtain Rings
You may need curtain rings to hang your drapes. These may come with your curtains, or they may need to be purchased separately. Some curtain styles, such as tie-top
ones, can be used with or without curtain rings; decide based on your taste.
Note: Also see the Window Blinds Buying Guide and
the Curtains Buying Guide at Builderssquare.com for additional details on window
dressing.
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