Choosing Window Treatments Part 2
Nothing makes as much difference to the mood and feel of a room as the addition of well-planned fabric window coverings. I’ll post some pictures of rooms with and without fabric treatments on the website so you can see the difference — pictures coming… sorry I’ve been swamped.
You know you need the blackout feature to protect against sun-fade and heat loss and gain. You know you have room to hang drapery rods above the window frames. You know you are OK with a hand-draw system; you don’t need pull cords to open and close the treatments, and you have an idea of a realistic budget.
How do you choose from here?
First of all, realize that there are no rules, there are only guidelines, so couple the guidelines with a bit of common sense when you start making choices.
You must determine the basic style of your room if you don’t know by now. Is it Traditional? Mid-Century Modern? Contemporary? Shabby Chic? Modern Farmhouse? Pick the style which most closely resembles what you are saying in your décor. Go to the magazine rack at the grocery/news agent’s and look at the shelter magazines. Pick the style which is closest to yours.
Google ‘Your-Style window treatments’ and look for something from a reputable magazine or source. Pinterest doesn’t count as an authority on styles. ( Don’t get excited, if the board is from a well-known authority OK, but if it’s ‘Jane’s fav things’ it isn’t.) It will quickly become evident what will work with your STYLE and what won’t. For example. Swags over heavy drapery do not work in a Modern Farmhouse styled room which is clean, uncluttered with a soft touch. Blinds are well suited to Modern Farmhouse, coupled with simple side panels, or functioning drapery fabric hung on metal rods. If you must, you could use grommet panels. ( See my fix on the website for helping them open and close correctly.)
If you have a lot of antiques, you are probably leaning to the traditional style of window coverings – drapery with swags. Or pleated drapery hung on a beautiful wood rod with a track inset into the rod for ease of operation.
Is your room a mish-mash of styles? Choose something which doesn’t holler ‘look at me, look at me,’ probably a one-color fabric which closely matches the wall color and if you have a picture window, frame the view — let it be the star of the room.
Choose your function first, then find a style which provides that function and works with your style. And please remember, ‘Just because you have a window doesn’t mean you have to cover it.’
