Current trends in window treatments

 So what are the  current trends in window treatments?  The key words are simplicity and minimalism with an emphasis on crisp, clean lines. Gone are the days of heavy draped effects using jabots and swags, tab curtains or gathered valances.  

 Layering

While layering is  popular, the overall look remains clean and the palette is usually consistent for both treatments.  Blending colours rather than contrasting ones work best when you want to layer treatments. Any type of blind can be used under drapes for a layered look.

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Apartment Therapy

 This is an interesting look with drapes and two romans with the outer printed one stationary I suspect. I am not a lover of the partial rod because it creates a chopped look and I never choose dark rods with light drapes because the rod becomes the dominant feature as it is above. You can purchase rods with elbows that allow you to span the width of a bay window.


Pattern is hot
When you look through new fabrics you are bound to notice that textures and patterns abound. You can't go wrong with geometric patterns, trellis designs, large scale florals, bold colours, whimsical motifs etc.

Matters of Style

Banding
Vertical or horizontal banding is very popular.

Heidi Claire

Lisa Ferguson via Houzz

Wider drapes

 

Interior Design-Decoration Ideas

 Overall, drapes are  getting longer and wider to accommodate the trend to make windows appear larger in scale. Lush materials like velvet and silk add to this look.

Tone on tone
The window treatments in the room below are simple, harmonious with the walls, and allow the view and the room to shine.  When deciding the colour of your drapes you should first consider the look/feel you want in your space.  If you want restful choose solid colour with texture and keep to the colour tones in the room.

 Rosemarie V. DiSalvo

Longer, looser pleats (5-6 inches)
While on a recent trip to Europe I noticed that pleats are getting softer and longer to provide a more contemporary and less formal feel in a room.

Longer Pinch pleat

 You can't beat pinch pleated drapes.  They continue to be the industry standard for elegance. Pinch-pleated drapes characteristically retain their shape, maintaining a consistant appearance opened or closed an hang beautifully. 

Longer looser pencil pleat

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Inverted box pleat

Cleaner look in headings

 
The inverted pleat (back pleat), my personal favourite,  is a soft but tailored look for modern decor.  It has been replacing pinch pleat styles when a more clean contemporary feel is required. Lighter colours and tone on tone add  softness to home decor.

Lonny Magazine

Grommets have been around for several years and are definitely  still in vogue.  While some grommet drapes can look very informal, it is possible to have a more styled look too.  The banded grommets below are a great example.

 For grommets to look "lush" you need at least 7 or 8 folds at the top.  That means purchasing two sets of ready made panels or have custom fully closing ones. . If you plan to open and close grommet panels daily be warned that you will spend a lot of time fiddling to adjust them so they hang nicely. 

 Tineke Triggs via Houzz

Updated Sheers

Yes, sheers are still popular but they are a world away from the fussy, frilly and lacy ones that the word sheer brings to mind. The "new" sheers have subtle iridescence and are interwoven with unexpected materials, or have embossed or printed patterns or contemporary headings as in the room below..

Houzz 

-Marya Flurnoy via Houzz

This is an updated look for sheers.  The graphic nature of the valance brings the whole look a notch above the expected. 

Global Living

Printed or textured sheers look great with any decor.  

Roman Shades
Roman shades continue as a  favourite for contemporary homes.   Who can resist their clean lines and  the options for amazing patterns.  Because they are a flat construction the fabric needed is much less that full drapes.  This allows you to upscale your fabric choice and make a real statement.  I can't say enough about Roman shades because they are my personal favourite.  Their flat surfaces are almost picture like and work especially well in kitchens, eating areas and bathrooms.

House Beautiful

 Houzz

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Metal Blinds Return

Who thought we would see a resurgence in metal  blinds?  It's begun and is driven by the popularity of stainless appliances, other metals especially bronze in 2012 and  industrial style loft living.

 Kirch Blinds

Woven Wood Shades
The trend to more eco-friendly materials has prodded this design aesthetic along. most are made from sustainable materials including: grasses, sisal, reeds or  bamboo. 

Red River Interiors

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Where do I put my bed?

 Some  bedrooms are so small that you have no option other than placing the bed in front of a window. Even in large rooms sometimes putting the bed in front of the window is just the right placement for it.  So much for "design rules".  It's all in how you do it!  

In some rooms that are narrow you can dress the window across the wall ending up with wall to wall drapes providing a soft backdrop for the bed.  When the headboard is upholstered you have the option to layer various fabrics for a totally soft look.  This solution can also rectify a window that is off centre.

Vanessa De Vargas

houzz

 But sometimes a room is so small and the window is so off center you have to just accept it and line the bed up with  the window and bring balance in other ways.

Elements of Style

An attic room is often a challenge to decorate because of the slanted ceiling and often lack of usable wall space. There's nothing like a pelmet and drapes to provide a picture like canopy for a bed. This room works  well because everything is so symmetrical and the window draperies frame the bed perfectly.

Elements of Style

 If you need  proof that  you don't need expensive draperies to make this look  work - here it is.  The Roman shades do the trick and the strong verticals point at the bed and support the perfect symmetry of the placement .  This is not a place were two different night tables and lamps would work. 

 Decor Pad 

The gentle curve of this headboard softens the look of the bed against all the horizontal and vertical lines.  The vegetation outside serves as a gigantic landscape painting. If I were designing this room I would have played up the green angle  to make the inside an extension of the outside.   

Michael Merrill Design Studio, Inc

Sometimes a window can act as part of a canopy.  This flawless design does everything right. Notice the bedside tables don't match and they don't need to.  This layout is more about strong verticals than symmetry.

 

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5 Kids' window treatments with a twist

There are so many fantastic ideas for economical window treatments.    Here are 5 of my favouites from Better Homes and Gardens website that could be used for kid's rooms.

BHG

 Fun and Funky Buttons

You can buy jars of mismatched buttons for very reasonable prices and have a field day decorating drapes for kids'  rooms.  Glue them on rather than sewing them which is time consuming. This idea would not work in a young child's room for safety reasons.
buttons                                                         

 BHG

Geometric Borders

Follow the link under the photo for ideas on how to apply these fabric diamonds to a plain panel.  You could also make a diamond stencil from cardboard and paint the diamonds with fabric paint.

 BHG

Princess Sheers 

This is such a cute idea for a little girl's room to  add richness and softness to plain drapes. I like the application of the diamond belt buckle for that extra bit of glitz. .  Check the Better Homes and Gardens  link for directions.

 BHG

 Velvet Ribbons

Dress up any draperies with velvet ribbon applied using washable fabric glue.Nothing beats white for a fresh crisp look and lots of colour options. 

 BHG

 Name stencils

Purchase large letter stencils to decorate draperies.  The vertical application on one side is interesting and unexpected. Trace the letters with a pencil and paint inside the lines. Great for a boy's room.

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5 WindowTreatments for Patio Doors

"What can I do with my patio door?" Since I often hear this question  from clients I'm  concluding  that sliding patio doors provide many challenges in home decor. If you are the proud owner of a patio door let's explore your options in window treatments. 

Fully Closing Draperies

Mark English Architects, AIA

 When the door is on an end wall fully closing draperies floor to ceiling and wall to wall looks stunning. This layered treatment has  panels and  sheers with both sets of draperies movable (you can tell from the layered rod treatment).  If you wanted to get a similar look on other than an end wall , place your drapery rods 18 - 24 inches beyond the window surface  extending the visual width but also allowing the panels to sit on the wall rather than over the window. Another way to decrease the cost is to have the side panels stationery and have the sheers movable.

Sliding Panels 

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Sliding panels  are a good solution for patio doors in a more contemporary setting and are available in a variety of colours and textures to match your decor. The panels slide under each other when open and you are left with one panel width at the side.  The vertical panels can range from 11 to 24 inches; the more panels the less glass  is covered when  they are open. Sliding panels are available in a wide range of materials  providing  varying degrees of privacy and light control. 

Sheer verticals

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If you want to combine the traditional look of sheer draperies and the functionality of vertical blinds choose sheer verticals. The under structure is a vertical blind but the  sheer fabric that covers the vertical vanes brings this treatment to a new level. By simply rotating  the vanes you can go from light filtering to complete privacy.

 Sliding Shoji Screens

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This is an unusual solution for a patio door but it is  a functional one.  A shoji screen has a wooden gridded frame with translucent paper inserted between the grids. Check out Shoji Design Inc. for beautiful designs.

 Plantation Shutters 

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Bi-fold plantation shutters are hinged together and fold against each other, similar to a closet door. You can choose between panels that are free hanging or ones used with a track to guide and support them. Bi-fold panels can be configured to open to one side or to both sides of the window. 

 

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Dressing problem windows - 1

Not every window is perfectly sized  or perfectly placed, and when they aren't  it can be a challenge to decide on window treatments. This is the first of several posts on this topic.  If your window solution isn't here there's more to come.

Corner Windows 

Tracery Interiors

While corner windows are fantastic for views they often cause problems depending on how they meet in the corner.  This setting allows enough space for panels  to hang on the sides and in the centre, but they do not appear to be fully closing.  
 

Linda Donnelly

Roman shades are a good alternative in corner windows if there is enough room for the shades to meet in the corner. An inside mount would alleviate that problem.

Houzz

If privacy isn't an issue you can keep is simple with a mock roman valance that runs the width of the two windows.

Two different style windows in same room

 Amoroso Design

When you  have two different style windows in a room one solution is to put a roman shade on the smallest one.  You can use the same fabric to coordinate the look.

Mark Newman Design

If you have a layered treatment on the large window you can use the interior solution (blind, roman shade etc. ) on the smaller window. 

 High, small  basement windows

 Canadian House and Home

 When a window is set high in a wall it is difficult to know what to do with it.  My approach is to blend it into the wall rather than make it an accent.  That means keeping what you add as a treatment close in colour and value to the walls.  One of the simplest solutions is to use small tension rods and make a fitted curtain from translucent material .  In that way they can stay in place and still create some privacy.  Another option is faux wood blinds or sheer weave roller blinds that stay down.

Lu Tapp

 Shutters always work well in a basement because they can be easily opened and closed on a hinge which allows you to fold them back on the wall when you want optimum light. 

Kimberly DesJardins

Placing a bed below a basement window and then framing both with side panels  pulls a design together. Keeping the window treatment and the bed the same colour adds to the cohesiveness.

Privacy Issues

Elle Decor

Window film  is a practical solution when privacy is an issue in window treatments.  Some have patterns others are matte. When you buy large sheets of matte film it can be cut to create various geometric designs which add a little creativity to the solution.  This pattern is by Emma Jeffs.

Cary Bernstein Architect

One of my favourite window treatments for bathrooms and kitchens  is a roller shade.  They have a clean, no nonsense look, are easy to raise up and down and come in a wide variety of  patterns, textures and colours. If you want to see the view in the daytime they roll up completely under the cassette/valance.   

Claudia Martin, ASID

Top down bottom up cellular shades are very versatile and solve many decorating problems.  They can be dropped from the top or pulled up from the bottom. You can have privacy and light at the same time.   Check out Levelor.  

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Take one roller shade and...

Do you want a WOW treatment for your window? Here are easy window treatments that won't set you back a week's pay, but are sure to be noticed.  All you need is a simple roller shade and a little time.  Perhaps these ideas will inspire new creations in your hands.

Take one roller shade and ...

....paint it.

Better Homes and Gardens

A simple, large scale design and a vibrant colour create quite an impact.  All you need is a white roller shade, a pencil and acrylic paint.  When you've finished painting and everything is fully dried, use hot glue to attach a strip of contrasting ribbon at the bottom as a finishing detail. The addition of the ring pull adds a  detail that certainly works to add interest.

Home Workshop

Here's another take  in stripes using the same process. All you need is a ruler and painter's tape and some left over acrylic paint. 

My Home Ideas 

I think the simple designs work best int this treatment.  White and green always look so fresh no matter what the application.

...use origami paper on  it

Better Homes and Gardens

 This is an updated idea based on the quilt.  Origami paper squares are attached to a roller shade with craft spray adhesive.  Spray both the back of the paper and the shade for best results. To get a perfect grid  you should start by marking the vertical centre of the blind and applying the squares from that line out to the edges. Start at the bottom and work to the top.  If you have space left over at the edges and you don't want to cut a square, consider using a plain paper as a border. A coordinated ribbon can be glued at the bottom.  When everything is dry, apply  2-3 coat of acrylic matt medium over the top of the paper (available at art supply stores) to allow you to  gently sponge off any dust or stains.  A quicker solution would be to ....

 ... use wallpaper on it

Curbly

I like the busy pattern with the simple side panels.  This gives a very put together look with very little effort or expense.

 ....use contact paper on it

 Apartment Therapy

Now how easy can it get?  The sky's  the limit to what types of designs you could make from contact paper. Think about all the motifs you could use in a child's room. 

.... stencil it

Martha Stewart

The effects you can achieve by stenciling are as varied as the stencils you can buy or better still make yourself.  Check out  how to stencil a shade  on the link above.

...create a cut out design on it

Martha Stewart

This simple but elegant look is easy to achieve and works best on a coloured shade. Again, you can depend on Martha to show you how.

...use fabric on it 

 Photo: Sara French

This bold, contemporary design in my daughter's guest bedroom is a far cry from  the original shade which had  a scalloped edge below the weight bar complete with a decorative fringe . The scalloped edge was cut off at the weight bar to square it off, and then fabric was attached with spray adhesive.  The shade was rewound to roll over thus hiding the mechanism for a  more polished look.

This is a similar look with a more traditional pattern.

Little Bean Workshop provides a good description of how to apply fabric to a roller shade. Check it out here.

...add ribbon to it

 via Little House in the City

I love the crispness of this application, but you could get different looks by changing the pattern and colours of the ribbon.


...use vinyl appliques on it

photo: Vera Greene

Vinyl appliques (Roomates Deco) offer interesting design options for shades. This  open weave  in an outside mount  covering the window trim allows for a seamless continuation of the wall design.  My talented sister, who can create stunning looks from very little,  suggests leaving the design at the bottom  of the blind  for easy  rolling. 

I almost feel pressed to come up with a nifty design for my own home, but all windows treatments are currently up to date. Do you have any ideas about embellishing a simple roller shade  to add to the list?

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