What is the latest in window coverings & blinds? (shutters, open floor plan, drapes)
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We are purchasing a new home and the windows are nicely finished with white painted woodwork and I need to have window coverings installed. What is the latest style? What should I stay away from because it will look dated? I don't want shutters (BTDT) but I was thinking of roman shades or sillouettes. Also, should I stick with white or do beige or something woven? There is so much out there and I have no idea what direction to go in. I want something tasteful and rich looking, but not formal. I like the look of "casual elegance" if that makes sense. Also, should I keep it the same throughout the house or switch it up in the Den, kitchen, bedrooms, etc.? It is an open floorplan.
Woven woods, roman shades and silhouettes are all popular right now. Silhouettes being more elegant and still have good light control. I see them most often formal areas such as living and dining rooms. Even thought you have an open floor plan that doesn't mean you have to stick with the same treatments. Using diffferent treatments help to give rooms there own idenity. But on the same token if the windows are very close to each other then I would use same treatments. Hobbled roman shades have a rich look about them. Wovens a little more casual. Bedrooms can be completly different then the rest of the house.
Do you have children or pets ? Do you need something to block out light in a nursey, bedroom or media room?
Solar shades are becoming more and more popular. We have one on our patio door. I LOVE it. It cuts down on the sun without blocking the view. You can find them in a variety of colors/patterns, etc. I am still partial to 2" wood blinds in most applications though. We leave ours down but open the slats. It cuts the glare from outside but since the gaps are wide enough, you can still see well outside.
With an open floor plan, I think it's important to be consistent with finishes. Personally, I think blinds are rather dated, in any form. Even though some blinds can be insanely expensive, I think it's a rather cheap and unimaginative way of blocking the sun.
I am an advocate of drapes 99% of the time. JC Penney sells perfectly awesome drapes as a pair and they don't break the bank. Of course, custom is always better, but everyone wants or can make that kind of investment.
With an open floor plan, I think it's important to be consistent with finishes. Personally, I think blinds are rather dated, in any form. Even though some blinds can be insanely expensive, I think it's a rather cheap and unimaginative way of blocking the sun.
I am an advocate of drapes 99% of the time. JC Penney sells perfectly awesome drapes as a pair and they don't break the bank. Of course, custom is always better, but everyone wants or can make that kind of investment.
By the way, here is the full view of that room:
image from Cote de Texas, Joni Webb
this is our style for windows. hmm that flooring looks great hmmm
With an open floor plan, I think it's important to be consistent with finishes. Personally, I think blinds are rather dated, in any form. Even though some blinds can be insanely expensive, I think it's a rather cheap and unimaginative way of blocking the sun.
I am an advocate of drapes 99% of the time. JC Penney sells perfectly awesome drapes as a pair and they don't break the bank. Of course, custom is always better, but everyone wants or can make that kind of investment.
By the way, here is the full view of that room:
image from Cote de Texas, Joni Webb
To me the drapes make that room too busy. I think it would look better without them, but I am not a fan of drapes at all.
Thanks for all the great suggestions! I forgot to add that this home has beautiful views that I don't want to block, but I also want a little privacy. I am looking at the Provenance Woven shades from Hunter Douglas and I really like them. They have several options, some you can see through and others that block out the light. I think in some rooms they could stand alone, and in others I could add drapes (like the formal dining room). Does anyone know how affordable these woven shades are? (or aren't?)
To me the drapes make that room too busy. I think it would look better without them, but I am not a fan of drapes at all.
How in the world could plain white drapes make a room look busy?
If they were a ditsy print, I could see that.....
The drapes soften the room, there would be too much vertical hard surface otherwise.
We had Hunter Douglas custom made lined woven wood shades in the kitchen in our last house - I can't remember exactly how much they were but believe it was around $1100 for two simple windows.
When we decorated our master in our new house, we went to Lowes and bought dark woven wood blinds off the shelf. They also sell a heavy canvas lining that is easy to attach - honestly I think they are just as nice looking (and the lining is much nicer) than the Hunter Douglas. They fit the windows perfectly and were a fraction of the cost.
I had originally thought I needed drapes in our master, but when I placed the furniture and art, drapes would have been too busy and simply overkill.
I do like drapes in some rooms but not every room....there are so many factors that you need to consider when you are purchasing window coverings - furniture placement is one as is the type of flooring/rugs that will be used in a room. Another is art and wall space and the size of a room, privacy issues, cleaning issues, the amount of sun that reaches those windows, room use, views, window configuration, architecture, etc. When moldings, windows, architecture and/ or views are dramatic and interesting in a room, you might want to have minimal or no window coverings.
If you wait until a room is furnished to determine window covering needs, you are much less likely to make costly mistakes. I like to consider the wood to fabric ratio in a room - sometimes, as Kshe95girl has pointed out, a room needs fabric to soften the amount of wood and other hard surfaces. Other times, a room might have an abundance of fabric and might need the texture of woven woods on the windows.
It seems that the poster wants to cover the windows before determining how the rooms are to be decorated or used.
The room pictured above is very large with lots of windows/French doors - I think the window coverings in that room are perfect and gorgeous. I don't, however, believe that you can, sight unseen say that most rooms need drapes because I know that just isn't true.
Each room needs to be individually considered when determing window coverings.
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