Choosing window treatments can strike fear into the heart of homeowners. You want privacy and style, and the options can overwhelm.
First, you have to pick the kind of treatment: valences, shades, blinds, fancy drapes, or simple panels. Then, the fabric: silk, linen, polished cotton, print or solid. Paralyzed by indecision, some may hang blinds for privacy and put off dressing the window for months on end.
So here’s a look at top trends for 2011, along with tips from the experts.
Top 3 window treatment trends
1. Going cordless. Susan Shultz, editor of Window Fashion Vision magazine, says the most newsworthy trend relates to a 2010 warning about the dangers of cords from the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.
The group joined similar international organizations in calling for an end to the dangling cords that have caused deaths among children – 120 fatalities since 1999 in the U.S. alone. “This means some of the most popular window treatments over the past 5 to 10 years—Roman shades, in particular—will have to be re-engineered in order to comply,” Shultz says.
Not only are cords dangerous, they can get tangled and look messy, too. Manufacturers are starting to hide cords in the construction shades and are developing motorized window coverings. “Motorization is becoming commonplace, and cordless is the new standard,” says Joan Kaufman, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
2. Connection to nature. Earthy fabrics and materials have made a big surge, notes Kaufman and several other designers. “The trend is for more earthy and less formal fabrics,” says Carol Huso, an Allied Member of ASID. She points to linen and linen blends and to Roman shades made of woven wood.
3. Controlled light. Rather than just blocking out light, new technology and materials allow homeowners to play with and use light. The woven wood shades, mentioned above, let in enough light to create a dappled effect, but give privacy, as well. Huso says a new product offers a woven wood Roman shade that has a roller shade behind it.
Before you buy any window treatments
Lori Dennis, ASID and host of the upcoming HGTV show The Real Designing Women, says to ask yourself these questions before you select window treatments:
Do you want the window treatment to stand out as a design focal point, or blend in with the walls and become more functional?
Do you want to buy “off the rack” or pay for a custom design? You have more control if you customize your treatments, but budget for it.
Is the style timeless? “Make sure the style and treatment will stand the test of time,” Dennis says. She uses Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as her own personal style gauge. “Would Jackie O. have done it in her interior?” she asks herself.
How will solar rays affect my treatment? For instance, don’t use a delicate silk on a west wall. “Not the best idea,” Dennis says.
Does the treatment match the architectural style? Ultra-modern designs can seem jarring in a traditional style home, for instance. “I opt for classic, traditional treatments done in simple fabrics that fit in today’s lifestyles,” Dennis says.
To the floor
Many designers recommend that drapes touch the floor rather than getting cut off midway down the wall at a window sill. Why? “Quite simply, floor-length draperies help a room look taller,” Shultz says. “In a room with low ceilings, you’re much better off installing the treatment as close to the ceiling line as you can and letting it go to the floor. Sill-length draperies cut into the space make the room look shorter and the window look wider.”
Choosing Window Treatments
By Jennifer Chappell Smith
Choosing window treatments can strike fear into the heart of homeowners. You want privacy and style, and the options can overwhelm.
First, you have to pick the kind of treatment: valences, shades, blinds, fancy drapes, or simple panels. Then, the fabric: silk, linen, polished cotton, print or solid. Paralyzed by indecision, some may hang blinds for privacy and put off dressing the window for months on end.
So here’s a look at top trends for 2011, along with tips from the experts.
Top 3 window treatment trends
1. Going cordless. Susan Shultz, editor of Window Fashion Vision magazine, says the most newsworthy trend relates to a 2010 warning about the dangers of cords from the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.
The group joined similar international organizations in calling for an end to the dangling cords that have caused deaths among children – 120 fatalities since 1999 in the U.S. alone. “This means some of the most popular window treatments over the past 5 to 10 years—Roman shades, in particular—will have to be re-engineered in order to comply,” Shultz says.
Not only are cords dangerous, they can get tangled and look messy, too. Manufacturers are starting to hide cords in the construction shades and are developing motorized window coverings. “Motorization is becoming commonplace, and cordless is the new standard,” says Joan Kaufman, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
2. Connection to nature. Earthy fabrics and materials have made a big surge, notes Kaufman and several other designers. “The trend is for more earthy and less formal fabrics,” says Carol Huso, an Allied Member of ASID. She points to linen and linen blends and to Roman shades made of woven wood.
3. Controlled light. Rather than just blocking out light, new technology and materials allow homeowners to play with and use light. The woven wood shades, mentioned above, let in enough light to create a dappled effect, but give privacy, as well. Huso says a new product offers a woven wood Roman shade that has a roller shade behind it.
Before you buy any window treatments
Lori Dennis, ASID and host of the upcoming HGTV show The Real Designing Women, says to ask yourself these questions before you select window treatments:
To the floor
Many designers recommend that drapes touch the floor rather than getting cut off midway down the wall at a window sill. Why? “Quite simply, floor-length draperies help a room look taller,” Shultz says. “In a room with low ceilings, you’re much better off installing the treatment as close to the ceiling line as you can and letting it go to the floor. Sill-length draperies cut into the space make the room look shorter and the window look wider.”