Interior Design Window Treatments

Decide on which window treatments you wish to use based again on.... wait for it:

Function, mood and harmony.

Function wise, window treatments can make the windows more attractive, provide privacy, light control, temperature control, sound control and can stop your upholstery and floor coverings fading.

The mood of the window treatments must be harmonious with the mood of the rest of the room. Which style of window treatment you use depends on what you have done with the rest of the room.

The window treatments should be harmonious in quality, proportion and scale.

There are many window treatment options available and there are many advantages and disadvantages of each kind.

Colored glass window treatment designs can be expensive and need to be installed by professionals but as you can see from the above picture they can be beautiful. The choice of window affects the mood and style of the room. Wooden casement windows for example have a more casual, rural style whereas aluminum windows are modern in style. Colored glass windows can have a modern look or olden days look depending on how they are designed. The picture above shows a modern design, stained glass windows like you would find in a church are a more traditional (and religious) design.

Old churches make fantastic renovation projects. The windows, the stonework, the heritage and the old timberwork are fantastic.

Oh, and don't forget you can also have glass windows tinted for added privacy and light control.

Roller shades are inexpensive and fantastic window treatments for blocking out light but are stark and uninteresting. They are usually made out of a plastic like material that is easy to clean but can develop a static charge that attracts dust.

Roll up blinds are also inexpensive window treatments and are usually made up of narrow slats of wood (usually bamboo). These blinds cannot be used for total light control but do provide privacy and look good as they permit a small amount of daylight to shimmer into the room in a warm and glowing way.

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Pull up blinds have a more sophisticated look. They look similar to roll up blinds but rise up in pleats. They look especially good when combined with draperies.

Venetian blinds allow you to control the angle of the slats to provide pinpoint control of light and privacy as well as being able to raise and lower them. Venetian window treatments can be made out of wood or metal depending on what mood you are after and also look wonderful combined with draperies. They do have a tendency to suffer from mechanical failure so don't buy the really cheap ones.

Vertical blinds are a recent variation of venetian blinds and are strictly contemporary in style and mood. They are made out of fabric, metal or plastic and give a feeling of dramatic height to a window treatment. They are usually used alone and not combined with other window treatments.

Roman blinds when lowered look like a single panel of fabric. When pulled up they fold into soft pleats. They have all the function of roller shades but are a far more elegant window treatment. These blinds are almost always custom made from your choice of fabric. You can use these blinds for any mood or style by your choice of fabric.

Austrian blinds are a formal window treatment made out of a sheer translucent fabric that gives a voluptuous, luxurious look. They billow into elegant curves and have a grand look about them. They are often used with draperies.

These shutter options below are mounted on the interior sides of the windows. Decorative wooden shutters can also be mounted outside and in that case are usually a weatherproof design.

Louvered shutters are the most common type of shutters. They are usually made of wood and can be fixed or moveable to allow you to control the amount of light and air they admit. They also come in a wide variety of widths and can be painted or lacquered to suit different moods.

Fabric shutters are made of an open wooden frame onto which fabric is shirred. They give a country cottage effect. These are custom made and typically expensive.

The following screens can be used as window treatments and also as decorative walls.

Shoji screens are wooden frames inset with translucent rice paper panels and they slide on tracks top and bottom. They are Japanese in origin but also look great in western designs.

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Lattice screens produce a casual garden effect. They are made out of wood arranged in a criss–crossed diagonal pattern. These are often used outside as well as inside.

Pierced screens can be used to produce a Persian or Indian effect. They are made of wood with intricate designs cut out of them.

Curtains with or without valances are the most common window treatments used. Curtains are made out of fabric and are unlined whereas draperies are lined curtains. Valances are made of fabric or wood and are arranged at the top of curtain treatments to stylishly hide the top of the curtains and give a more tailored look. There is a curtain window treatment for every mood and style.

Of course this just covers the interior styles of window treatments. Outside you can have wooden shutters and an amazing array of fixed or adjustable awnings made out of weatherproof fabric, wood or metal. Awnings are good for privacy, light control, for keeping out the rain and for just looking good. There are also a range of metal roller security shutters available.

You can literally find hundreds of options per type of window treatment, the best way to see what's around is to go window shopping to see what appeals to you and what will suit your design.

Now let's continue with a look at flooring treatments.

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How Window Treatments are used in Successful Interior Design

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