“WHAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN
CHOOSING WINDOW TREATMENTS”
One of the very first things we have to think about when we move in to our new home are the window coverings.
When it comes to window treatments I am a no nonsense kind of gal.
Basically I would have nothing on my windows if I did not need privacy at night, and some light control from the hot sun during the day. I like an open window policy.
For
some I know this would be like living in a fish bowl, but for me it is
light, bright and airy, all of the things that I require in my home.
However we have to be practical don’t we?
So this is me being practical……..
Our
new home’s walls are covered in windows. I have three walls in my great
room, two walls are covered in a bank of three windows each, and the
other wall has a fireplace, and an entertainment niche.
There
is basically no wall space in there to speak of. I love the idea of all
the windows, however it leads me down the path of the dreaded window
treatment decision, (insert scary music here ♪♫♪)
Here
is a picture of what our windows will look like in the kitchen and
great room at the new house. You will have to visualize white walls and
wood floors………
“Just look at all of that light! It is going to be great!!!” She says, until she realizes she has to cover the windows with some kind of window treatment!
The way our lot sits we will get afternoon sun on the back three windows at a slight angle.
It is actually the same exposure we had in our previous home so I do have an advantage of knowing what my needs are.
In our previous home we had a large slider with 2 in. white wood blinds….
My
daily routine was to open up the blinds, and the slider and they stayed
up, and open until about 2:30 –3:00 during the hot summer months, and
then I would close them to keep the sun off of the hardwood floors, and
also to keep the room cooler.
You will notice my hubby built a cornice board above the two blinds.
I could pull the blinds up into the cornice and they would disappear. Insert: Happy girl!
Now I have the light, bright, airy, nice big wide open window that I crave!!!
So this brings me to function and design. When thinking along these lines, think of your needs first…..
MY NEEDS:
- Open windows for air and light.
- Covered windows for privacy at night and sun protection.
- Slightly open or tilted to let in some light but able to direct the sun upward away from hardwood flooring. ( I might do this for 2 hours of each day.)
- Inside casing treatment in order for window framework to show.
Of
course each room has it’s own needs as far as privacy. Such as a
bedroom, or bathroom will need the option for complete privacy
throughout the day, and night. I will talk about that later.
Today we are discussing the main living area of the home.
Next you need to think about the overall feel and look you want your home to have…
STYLE/LOOK:
- Nantucket, classic, casual, coastal vibe.
- Open, airy, light filled rooms.
The windows will have molding added to them to beef up the windows a bit.
Something similar to this:
Since we are going to trim out the windows I will be needing an inside casing treatment.
Now that I have my needs, style, and application narrowed down, it is time to look at some options.
Option #1: Plantation shutters…
Upside:
The beauty of plantation shutters is, just that, they are beautiful. They let in light when tilted open and they look really nice.
Downside for me personally:
See the frame around the actual shutter, well that pretty frame/rails will cut into the light coming in.
Basically
you will lose a certain portion of your window surface. It will vary
somewhat according to which company or style of shutter you purchase.
On
an average you can figure about 3in. per side , so you will lose
approximately 6in. top and bottom and another 6in. for the sides.
If your windows are large enough and you do not mind losing some of the light that will filter into your room, this is a wonderful option.
Since
my needs are to be able to have wide open windows in the Great room
plantation shutters would not be the best option for my wants.
As far as the style, look and feel go, they would look beautiful.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD!
Next shall we look at:
OPTION #2, 2IN. BLINDS…..
Upside:
More economical and budget friendly.
Can be up or down and tilted to direct the light.
Downside:
Stack-up!! (this is an important word to remember)
Knowing how much a window treatment stacks-up, or stacks-back if it is a curtain is a very important consideration.
You
will need to allow room for your stack-ups, or stack-backs,if you
choose draperies, and remember when doing an inside mount treatment that
will mean the stack-up will always cover your window permanently when
it is drawn up.
Here is a very helpful chart to figure out what the stack-up would be for wood blinds….
You
can see that for most windows it ranges from about 6in. to 10in. the
other thing to consider, do you like the look of stacked up wood blinds?
I
personally do not like the look of a stacked up blind, so when I use
them I usually have a cornice made to hide the stacked up blind so it
disappears as I did in my last home.
Since we plan on having some nice molding around our windows these will not work in my Great room area.
Next Option!
Roman Shades:
There
is a lot to consider when choosing a roman shade, first what type of
material do you want to use, and what color family will you need to
accent your room.
I
will not go into the many, many options that are out there, but today I
do want to talk about the mechanics, and the look that a roman shade
will give you.
The
other thing to consider is the stack-up as I spoke about with the wood
blinds. Here is a helpful chart for the stack –up of roman shade.
As
you can see most stack ups for either type of fold will be 7-9 in. You
also have to consider, do you like the look of a stacked up roman
shade.
Personally I do, they look finished and neat and tidy.
UPSIDE:
With
a roman shade I will get an open airy look, privacy, and light control
when needed, and it is a perfect look for a Nantucket/Coastal look when
done in a textural fabric such as linen, or a type of bamboo, or
matchstick blind.
DOWNSIDE:
Keep
in mind they are either up or down. Since I only needed the tilting
option for about 2 hours a day, I am willing to compromise on this one
need for the overall look and functionality of a roman shade for my
room.
DECISION FOR MY GREAT ROOM:
Until
I am actually living in the home, nothing is ever certain, but as of
right now, I am leaning towards Roman shades in a lighter value color
than my hardwood floor, but something with texture and warmth.
Soon
I will do a post on what I am leaning towards with pictures to show you
the direction I will most likely be going. I definitely have a plan in
mind.
UPDATE ON OUR NEW BUILD HOME!
This was on Tuesday!!
This was on Friday!
We
now have framing! Look at my pretty lamp post! That pretty lamp post is
one of the reasons we chose this lot, I love it's charm.
So
now we own some dirt, metal thingys, cement and wood! To say we were
excited when we turned the corner and saw this is an understatement.
