Window Treatments: a Beginner’s Guide
September 13, 2018
Feeling a little overwhelmed with your choices of window blinds and shades?
Choosing a window treatment to suit your home and taste can be daunting at first— but don’t worry! We’re here to help.
First, let’s look at the purpose of window treatments and some of your options.
Blinds and shades serve several practical purposes. Among other things, they can:
- Soften or block sunlight entering your rooms
- Protect your rugs, carpets and upholstery from fading
- Provide varying levels of privacy, and reduce noise from outside
- Insulate your home and make it more energy efficient, keeping it cooler in summer and warmer in winter
These are all very important functions. But perhaps most important is how they work with light, and your own decor, to create the style and atmosphere you want in your home.
Shades and blinds can make rooms look more spacious, and turn direct sunlight into ambient tones. Depending on what you choose, they can make your rooms feel cozy or ethereal, modern or classic, cool or warm.
The most important thing to look for in your window treatments is that they suit your taste, and that they’re high quality. At Arlene’s our consultants can help you find the window treatments that are perfect for every room in your home.
Here are a few things to consider before choosing the ones that are right for you.
What’s Your Style?
When it comes to home decor and windows, your guide throughout is your own sense of style. Certain window treatments can give a room a classic look, such as plantation style wood blinds.
Roman blinds can be classic or contemporary, depending on the type— some look warm and luxurious, others natural and organic.
Sheers, roller shades and honeycomb blinds tend to lend a room a clean, contemporary look. They can be found in neutral shades that focus on function, or in colours that complement your furnishings, rugs, or art.
What’s your style? Classic or contemporary, country or eclectic?
Remember, you can vary your style in different rooms. Maybe you want sleek blackout shades in your media room to complement a modern feel, and woven wood shades in your dining room to a give warm, “heritage” impression that will complement that antique dining table. The choices are all yours, and we can help you find the window treatments that will match your vision for each room.
Whatever your style, be sure to seek out high-quality fabrics and window systems that will last— and that can be easily cleaned and maintained.
What Are Your Windows?
You don’t need to sacrifice function to get great style, but you do need to think about the size, type and placement of your windows.
In terms of size and type, not all windows are the same: they’re made to be used in different ways. Some windows don’t open at all, while others slide open, and others lift. Some are constructed in hinged casements that open with a crank.
Also, think about context—where your windows are, relative to the outdoors. Does that big window in the back of your house let in direct sunlight, or is it shaded by trees? Does it open onto your private backyard, or is there a public pathway or neighbour’s house directly across from it?
So many types of windows, and so many places they can be situated! The good news is that there are blind and shade solutions that suit all of them.
For large bay windows in your great room or living room that don’t have much light exposure— and don’t open onto public view— you may want to go with a drapery solution that stays open most of the time.
For large windows that do receive a lot of light throughout the day, or that open onto your neighbours’ homes or public spaces, explore your options for roller shades and honeycomb shades or another type of blind. For example, the Silhouette window shadings by Hunter Douglas feature soft adjustable fabric vanes, which appear to float between two sheer panels. They do a beautiful job of diffusing harsh sunlight and adjust easily.
Do you have single-hung or double-hung windows, in your kitchen or elsewhere? These are windows where the sash is in two parts, and either one (or both) of them can slide up and down to allow in a refreshing breeze. Cellular shades and sheer shades can work well with these, offering a clean and elegant look while raising fully out of the way to allow in fresh air.
Casement windows can be paired well with wood blinds or Roman shades, among many other styles of blinds, as they can be easily moved to operate the crank.
If you have sliding doors, the sometimes cluttered nature of their appearance—along with the amount of light they let in—can be reduced with vertical blinds. Here you have a choice of either slats or a more contemporary, urban look of sliding panels, like the Hunter Douglas Woven Textures series, which features elegant design-inspired fabrics, colors and textures.
Ask The Experts
With all the types of windows, and all the choices available to you— blinds, shades, sheers, films and draperies— there are a lot of questions to ask!
Whether you’re feeling confused, overwhelmed or just excited by the possibilities, we’re here to help. You can start by clicking here for a complimentary consultation, or you can give us a call or visit one of our Lower Mainland showrooms.
We’ll be delighted to help you find the right solutions wherever you need them—for one room, or your entire home.