Filed under: Your Home, Projects, Design, etc, Architecture
A primer on all of our favorite window treatment ideas and options -- from choosing fabrics and styles to customizing the ready-made.Windows That Wow
When deciding on living room window treatments, the first thing you need to ask yourself is what you want from the space around your window. Do you simply want a pretty frame (like stationary panels), or do you need serious light-filtering (as with a Roman shade)? Do you want layers of interest and textural contrast, or something modern and streamlined? Do you want lots of color to create a focal point, or a low-key blended-in look?
"Roman shades can work everywhere," says Mandy McClure, owner of Quality Custom Designs in South Georgia. McClure, who runs the business with her mother and aunt, sells her custom designs on Etsy. Roman shades are always among her most popular designs -- probably because they're so flexible. Dress them up with silk and beads, or choose a pretty cotton print. Roman shades raise and lower easily (McClure even makes kid-safe cordless ones), so they have full functionality. Backing them with blackout lining (an option McClure always recommends) really helps to filter the light and protect furniture from fading.
Relaxed Roman shades are different from regular Roman shades because they lay fixed in a slouchy, "relaxed" fold over the window. They aren't generally designed to be raised and lowered frequently, since it takes patience to continually adjust the gathers. "They're particularly good over wooden blinds," she says. Relaxed Romans are perfect for more casual living spaces.
"Of all the valances, I really love Kingstons, because they never look dated the way swags and balloon shades can," McClure says. Like Relaxed Romans, Kingstons (or other valances) look best when layered top of a functional treatment (like blinds or shutters). Kingstons can either be sophisticated, as in a longer treatment made from silk or decorator-weight fabric, or easy and casual, made from a regular-weight cotton. They're a little dressier than Relaxed Romans, though it all really hinges on fabric choices.
Panels have always been traditional favorites (though many panels are more for framing than for function.) When choosing fabric for your panels, remember to pay attention to the repeat: a print that's too large can feel overwhelming, but one that is too small won't pop. If you're going solid, an easy way to add visual interest is to add contrast stripes. You could even piece in some stripes to ready-made panels.
beautifully, and even the faux silk -- which is less expensive -- looks good," she says. Silk also looks great puddled on the floor. But with so many great quilting-weight fabrics out there now (from designers like Amy Butler, Michael Miller, and Joel Dewberry), it's hard to resist the pull of cottons. One thing to keep in mind: blackout lining helps any fabric (even a less-expensive cotton) hang much nicer.
Panels can frame a window (and be completely static), or be fully operational. Simple, streamlined panels with no frills hung flush with the window are ideal for a minimalist, modern space. Simple layers of sheer panels are another great way to get that more modern look.
There are no rules about how high to hang your window treatments, or how far away from the window to place them. In general, hang your panels higher if you want to add height to a window, and extend them further over on each side of the window if you want a space to look larger.
If you don't want to go the custom route, there are plenty of ready-made treatments available. Jennifer Neill, who runs the blog Hope Studios, will often start her search for the perfect drapery in the ready-made department. Panels not wide enough? No problem. "I often buy extra panels of something I like, cut them up the middle and sew them back together again," says Neill, who designs window treatments for her home and owns a framing shop in Pittsburgh. See her tutorial on how to customize here.
"Hot gluing trim to a ready-made is a great way to customize it," says Neill. It's also the perfect way to add length. You can layer trim, such as beaded trim over a wide ribbon, or a tassel trim on top of a textured coordinating trim. "If you put something like that on a ready-made, people will think that it's custom," she says.