Nasty old windows. When we’re doing a decorating or remodeling project, we tend to push them to the back of the line, treating them only after we’ve finished with everything else.
“People seem to wait until after placing the furniture and accessories to address windows. It’s like adding the punctuation at the end of a sentence,” says Betsy Moore, director of design for This End Up Furniture Co., which recently conducted a nationwide window treatment contest asking contestants to describe their biggest window treatment challenges.
“When the window treatments finally do materialize,” Moore says, “the look of the room changes dramatically.”
To make sure that dramatic change is positive, Moore suggests that the selection of window treatments and materials be integrated into the overall job so there are no little surprises to deal with at the tail end of the project.
Here are some suggestions:
– Sliding glass doors: Full-length treatments such as tab curtains, ring-top panels or pole tops can be closed easily to allow privacy and light control, while adding a decorative look that doesn’t impede use of the doors. Decorative wrought-iron rods or classic wooden poles add the finishing touch.
Vertical blinds are a popular choice for sliding glass doors because of their functionality. Use a fabric valance to help soften the blinds and draw them into the overall look of the room.
– French doors: To show off the view outside and allow the doors to function as they’re supposed to, balloon shades mounted on the door are a rather romantic, airy choice. Roman shades can have the same benefits while lending a more casual and tailored look.
Mini-blinds are another choice. To give them decorator flair, mount them underneath a simple valance and raise them out of sight or lower them as needed.
One more option–treat French doors like conventional windows with pole top or tab panels mounted above and outside of the door frame so doors can open and close and window treatments can be pulled together for privacy or light control.
– Bay windows: To integrate a bay window with the rest of the room while taking advantage of its interesting shape and features, consider using a treatment that shows off the center window. Examples include throw swags in one or more fabrics with decorative hardware or valances.
To define the bay window as a separate space, consider companion fabrics to those used elsewhere in the room and a complementary but different window treatment style.
One option is to hang window treatments on a pole mounted to the walls that frame the bay, creating the illusion of a separate room or nook.
– Picture or double windows: When puzzling over window treatments, double or side-by-side windows should be treated as a single decorating element. Makes life a whole lot easier.
– Kids’ windows: Simple valances can make a room look finished quickly and inexpensively. As the child grows and tastes change, the valance fabric can be changed easily to keep right in step.
– Privacy versus light and view: You can have it all. Sheer or lace panels beneath pole tops diffuse the light as well as the view. If the window is at street level, a cafe curtain with valance is a savvy choice. Vertical or mini-blinds also give plenty of privacy when you want it.
