It has been about a year since I wrote about window treatments. I am bringing this up again, because we feel it is an important element to add to your home. There was a period that window treatments were not as important, and customers thought they wanted to leave their windows bare. There are times that I will suggest leaving them off. For instance, if there is no one behind the home and you have a grand view of the outside, you might not want anything to impede your thoughts or view. However, most clients don’t understand that panels of fabric can frame a window and bring the outside into the room. It is like a picture frame that frames someone you love. Window panels are really a beautiful addition. The fabric warms the space. Fabrics on windows finish off your ensemble. We usually fashion panels along-side the windows and sometimes use roman shades. As a retail store and design center, we have everything at our beck and call, including samples of fabrics, trims of all colors, and hardware books that offer about anything you want and in any finish. The trend now is to use French returns on small metal poles. It is a cleaner look without finials. Sometimes we do use acrylic poles, normally with gold finishes on the rings and brackets. This is a modern classic look. Many times, we add trim down the sides of linens. Trims can be geometric neutral, geometric colorful, or embroidery designs, which are very popular. We generally add the trim at the hem line, but sometimes the trim is wide enough to take it to the edge. We typically use trim on solid fabrics. Prints are also back in style, and there are some beautiful modern prints that make spectacular curtains. As a matter of fact, we can’t wait to see our new fabrics come in from the manufacturers, which is like candy to a child. Colors and patterns are in our blood.
Putting a window treatment together can be stressful for most. Therefore, we suggest you get professional help. We custom make window treatments with the proper lining, proper pleat, and to the proper length. We have our own installer and he is a jewel. Installation is an important detail and some people think they can hang the curtains themselves, until they try it.
I don’t suggest that you select different prints for every room. Mix solids in the group. Prints are wonderful, but with grace. For my home, my guest room has solid linen panels with a geometric trim down the sides. For my dining room, I have blue and white print panels. For my upstairs guest room, which was my daughter’s room, there is a pair of linen embroidery shear panels. I have not updated her bedroom in ten years, but the time is coming. It is not on the priority list for now. Most of the time, because it has a king bed, guests like to use that room. The good thing about our house is that it has four additional beds other than the master. We have room for all our family to visit and love the fact that we can entertain everyone at our home during the holidays.
Let’s get your to-do list back out this year and start on the room that you have been putting off by adding window treatments. You will not regret it. Window treatments are back in!
