Window treatments---draperies, shades, shutters and blinds---can be the focal point of a room and help establish its character or they can have a less assertive personality that enhances other design elements in the space. Combining function and aesthetics, they can be lavish or they can be simple. But with hundreds of styles, fabrics and trims from which to choose, selecting the best window treatment for a particular room may not be so simple. "Every room, whether it has small or large windows, needs window treatments, primarily to soften the window so it's not all trim. Trim can look very hard and stark," says Terrianne Tremayne, interior designer with Tracee Dore Interiors. At what point in the design of a room do window treatments come into the picture? Talk to designers and you'll realize that's a question that doesn't have one easy answer. "Often it's important to determine the window treatment early on in the design process because the fabric that's used could be the driving force behind the entire room. Essentially, what happens at the window may help set the tone for the space. Or because each situation is different, we may need to pull together everything else, such as walls, flooring, furniture and lighting, before concentrating on the windows. In most cases they all go hand-in-hand. Melding all the components is what makes design so much fun," says Shane Pearson, co-owner of Dwellings. Tremayne agrees that window treatments should be integrated into a project from the very beginning. I pull out fabric samples for furniture, flooring and window treatments to see how they all work as one. Of course, a person's budget may not allow the purchase of everything at one time. If there are basic blinds at the window, we may decide on the style and fabric of the window treatment but delay on the purchase and installation," she says. "Silks and linens are very chic for panels because they drape nicely," says Tremayne. "The fabrics are beautiful in look and feel and create an elegant window that's sophisticated without being overdone. They seem to be quite happy letting other things in the room take center stage." One faux pax that many people make is going skimpy at the windows. If you buy ready made window treatments, they may not be wide enough for your windows. Not only will they not enhance the window but they will draw negative attention it. And if the rod is hung too high above the window, draperies will look too short, making the window look as if its wearing hand-me-downs. Once you're ready to think about window treatments, Pam Battson, assistant manager of Calico Corners, and Tremayne agree that you should think color. "Thank goodness people are getting away from the beige syndrome and aren't afraid to put color at the windows. We've been doing some great colors such as lime green, orange with brown, and lots of yellows, oranges and reds," says Battson. According to Tremayne, who says that the fear of color can lead to disappointingly drab and boring rooms, the amount of color and the colors themselves should be dependent on the style of the room and what's in the room. She suggests that if the space has a great deal of texture, color and pattern, the best window treatment could be a solid silk or a neutral linen, allowing the other design components to shine. "But if there's a great window that can handle an additional color, you could even think about a large scale pattern. Large scale is very popular now," she says. Although he's not opposed to color, Shane Pearson advises that using neutral window treatments and introducing color and pattern through pillows and other accessories may be easier and more cost effective. "Once you do a pattern on the window you're locked in and have to design around it," he cautions. "Keeping in mind the scale of the room is paramount. Always have a focal point; don't try to have too many focal points. Once the focal point is determined, balance everything out around it. One school of thought is if the furniture is heavy, dark or vibrant, that the windows need to be toned down. However, I think a room is better balanced if there's color on the window or even a heavier, larger rod to provide balance," says Battson. Remember those voluminous, over-the-top draperies from a couple of years ago? Although they haven't completely faded away into obscurity, Pearson says that simplicity is today's preferred style. He believes less is more, explaining that straight panels not embellished with a great deal of trim are showing up more than the dressier draperies that have been popular for several years. Pam Battson's clients also are veering away from a very formal look with tassels, beads, fringe, braid and crystals. "There's a definite trend toward pared down window treatments. For example, grommet draperies are taking the place of swags and jabots," she observes. While rod pockets generally may be associated with a casual look, Battson fashions them from several kinds of silk, including solid and hand embroidered. She likes to keep them sophisticated and simple, usually with no header or ruffle. Also popular with her clients are inverted pinch pleats. Unlike the traditional pinch pleat, for the inverted style the pinch pleat is pulled back to reveal the detailing of the pleat, but the face of the panel is flush. Inverted box pleats are often used in contemporary settings because of their clean lines. Flat on the face, the pleats have been pulled out for detailing. Designers agree that window treatments must fit the scale of the room and that they have their own set of magic tricks. They can fool the eye into perceiving that a space is more spacious than its actual square footage or, conversely, their style, color and texture can create a more intimate feel in a large room. Pearson suggests that one way to enlarge the feel of a small room is to use a neutral solid fabric on the window instead of a print that could close in the space. For the same situation, Battson suggests extending the rod out eight inches or more and placing the edge of the drapery at the edge of the window. This "sack back" treatment will give the illusion that the window is larger than its size. If the objective is to make a large room cozier, she advises using a fabric that has some texture and accompanying it with large scale hardware. She says that patterns and deeper colors can almost magically bring a room down to size. When Terrianne Tremayne considers using window treatments to make a small room appear larger, she pays careful attention to mounting the hardware. To make a ceiling appear taller, hardware should be mounted midway between the ceiling and the trim, or even slightly closer to the ceiling. Pearson frequently encounters large windows, sometimes two stories, that need distinctive window treatments. "Panels may be perfect, especially if the cost of fabric and labor is an issue. Other ideas I'd consider would be tie backs or possibly rosettes at the top," he says. Many new homes feature Palladian windows that are impressive but hard to dress. One technique Battson employs to address the challenge is to install two short rods on either side of the window. She says the rods don't necessarily have to go all the way across the window, adding that for many two story windows she installs the rod only on the first story. "If light is a concern, which it usually is, we use decorative traverse rods, enabling the entire drapery to be closed. Or, a soft valance over the midsection of the window will add color and softness without disturbing any of the light or the view," she says. One intriguing idea for arched windows is to construct shutters that fit the arch top and complement shutter panels on the lower part of the window. Confronted with large, arched windows, Tremayne might use panels on pegs with medallions or might pull the draperies over and drape them to the side. "It's possible to cover up a portion of a large window and still have it look pretty grand," she says. One of the most common challenges Battson faces is what to do with corner windows. She says the simplest way to deal with them is to place a rod on each window, with the rods meeting in the corner. The panels can be pushed aside for maximum view or closed for privacy and light control. "There are several options for bay windows. Roman shades are ideal because they can be mounted inside the window and pulled up. Another idea is to use decorative hardware with corner hinges that can be connected to a drapery rod. Board mounted window treatments also address the design challenge of bay windows," says Battson. Don't forget that fabric shades can be visually appealing and can be highly functional, even motorized. Shade styles are available to complement any décor. Although there are dozens of variations of each, there are three main styles of fabric shades. Austrian shades, drawn up by vertical shirring, impart an opulent, formal feel. Balloon shades have a scalloped hem that draws up from the bottom in loose gathers. Roman shades are drawn up from the bottom in folds. Perplexed about what window treatments to use on doors? Tremayne has a ready answer: mock or working Roman shades. She says they're not obtrusive, yet provide texture. Blinds have never really gone out of style, but it shouldn't come as a surprise that mini blinds match previously graced windows all around town are fading away now that a wide array of textured natural blinds have become available in a wide range of prices. Blinds offer a versatility that's appealing to many people. Most styles may be mounted inside the window space or mounted outside the window along the face of the wall. Outside mounts offer the options of pull up-down, a café mount that's installed midway down the window pane, or even ceiling mounts. Some nifty blinds have a cordless take-up control that eliminates hanging and tangled cords. To create window treatments that exude a unique character, consider these ideas: * Add banding (long strips of fabric or flat trim) onto the edges of the drapery. * Use a different fabric on the leading edge, the edges of the fabric where they overlap in the center. * Dress up simple panels by using a different color fabric on the bottom portion or at the top border. * Double hung draperies, two sets of draperies that function separately, provide added color and texture to a window. A sheer fabric is usually placed under an opaque fabric. * If you don't subscribe to the "less is more theory", puddling the draperies may give just the right touch of formality. * Shades behind draperies that are generally kept open provide texture yet help block sunlight. * Valances can be used as a single window treatment or they can soften the look of shades or blinds. * Give a plain window some personality by using a cornice, a framed window treatment that can be used by itself or as an accent to draperies, blinds or shades. Like a valance, a cornice is great for concealing hardware or the top of drapery or hard window treatment. Cornices can be stained, hand painted or upholstered.
