Choosing Window Treatments
If you’ve ever decorated your own home and looked at the various window treatments available, you’ve no doubt come across a multitude of options, including curtains, drapes, shutter and blinds. Here’s some help in understanding exactly what the different options are…
The various options are usually categorised as either “hard treatments” or “soft treatments”. Hard treatments commonly refer to blinds such as vertical blinds, Venetian blinds, wooden blinds, roller blinds, as well as shutters.
Soft treatments typically refer to window treatments that are “softer” to the touch as well as the eye, with more paid to the material, like drapes, curtains and valances. Nevertheless, the rules for each aren’t set in stone and some window treatments may fall someplace in between.
Venetian and Vertical Blinds
These blinds have adjustable vanes or louvres, that can be inclined open or closed to manage the amount of privacy and light. These vanes may be constructed from wood, faux wood, material, plastic or aluminium.
Along with having adjustable vanes, blinds may also be raised from top to bottom.
With their adjustable slats, Venetian and vertical blinds are the obvious alternative for rooms where privacy and sunlight control are very important.
Roller and Roman Blinds
These are made with material, sometimes with a drapery fabric, like Roman blinds. They are then able to be lifted and lowered to manage the daylight in the area, but minus the adaptable vanes of vertical or Venetian blinds.
Roller blinds are manufactured from vinyl or fabric and are attached to spring rollers that allow them to be pulled shut or rolled open.
Roman blinds are textile blinds that fold neatly to the top when drawn open. Classic Roman blinds offer overlapping folds when the blind is lowered, whereas contemporary (or “flat-panel”) Roman blinds have no folds when drawn.
Roller blinds and Roman blinds are ideal for highlighting the transition between your home’s outside and indoor spaces. There are also a variety of blinds that adopt both insulating and block out properties, making them great for energy efficiency plus absolute room-darkening.
These blinds are able to either expose or block the window’s view, but without changeable louvres, there’s no “in-between” with regards to managing privacy and light.
Swags, Curtains, and Drapes
These expressions refer to delicate or sheer materials that may be employed in a multitude of methods. Swags, or scarves, may be draped over the top of a window frame, dressing up the window. Curtains and drapes can be used together with blinds or by themselves. Fabric for curtaining is available in a large range of designs, textures, and colours.
The fabric used for swags, curtains, and drapes will enhance the appearance of any window, or even highlight a boring area.
Pick out sheer drapes in rooms where you need privacy, but sunlight is restricted, as they will allow the most amount of illumination in when drawn.
Cornices and Valances
Cornices and valances are mounted over unsightly attachments for window blinds and curtain rails to add elegance as well as continuity to your window.
They can also be expertly placed above the window alcove to make the ceiling appear taller.
Shutters
Shutters are more architecturally complex than curtains or blinds. They don’t possess any cords, and the louvre blades cannot be pulled up to the top, like blinds.
Rather, the vanes are mounted on a panel that swings open on hinges, much like a door.
The vanes themselves rotate open and closed to regulate privacy and illumination settings. Shutters are generally made from wood, polymer wood blends, material, glass, or metal.
Many people go for shutters for the extreme privacy that they afford, as well as their ability to completely shade an area from sun.
Shutters can add a country or even a sophisticated touch to any area, as a result of their architectural beauty.
Again, shutters can be used in conjunction with other window treatments to enhance the window’s appeal from inside.