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DESIGN SOLUTIONS
One Job, Multiple Challenges
Creative ways to treat odd-shaped windows and window groups.
by Sharon L. Anderson
CHALLENGE:
I am challenged by a group of windows in a client’s older home. The great room and the master bedroom have windows that are posing a real problem for my design team. I do hope you have a solution, as your answers seem to really hit the right note!
Here’s the scenario: The first window is a sloping window that measures four feet high by four feet wide. The window is located about two feet from the floor and the ceiling is eight feet in height. It is a confined area that really needs to be opened up to look larger.
The second group of windows is located in a tight corner. There are two windows that start three feet from the floor. Each window is located four inches from the corner of the wall and they measure four feet high by about four feet wide.
As for the style the clients are requiring, a basic traditional look is important, as they will have many different styles in the room in the future as they plan to travel extensively and bring back many objects.
SOLUTION:Thanks for the kind words! I so enjoy assisting my fellow professionals anytime!
You really have two classic design challenges here. Allow me to answer them separately.
Solution 1: The first window, the one that is sloping in a confined area, can be designed in a way that will maximize the wall and window treatment look.
Angle-top windows will look great if you can conceal the top angle with an over treatment that is designed straight across above the window. This actually will make the window look larger.
A shutter or a wood blind would be an excellent solution as would a fabric top treatment. They would add width to the window shape and also conceal the sloping affect on the top. It will literally hide the odd shape of the window and blend with the wall.
I would keep the design simple. A complicated or busy treatment in addition to the shutter or blind would have the opposite effect. Doing so would only focus attention on the window and its odd shape.
Solution 2: Tight corners are always a challenge. When two or more windows are located that closly together, the best solution is always the simplest. Again, a constricted area such as this is best treated if you choose a simple treatment. In this case, a roller shade, blind or soft shade would be an ideal solution.
If you are creating a top treatment, it may be to your advantage to design a valance treatment that starts on the outside portion of each window and is treated like one valance treatment across both windows. This will give the illusion of one horizontal line and will enhance the smaller space by adding width to the area. Horizontal lines will always create width, while vertical lines will create height.
Also, be considerate when choosing the pattern on the valance treatment. A smaller scale pattern, tone on tone, or solid textile would be the best choice in this situation.
Editor’s note: This is a continuing series of articles written by Sharon L. Anderson that will answer some of the many questions we receive at Draperies & Window Coverings as well as questions Anderson has encountered in her own business. If you have a question you would like Anderson to address, please send it to:
Design Solutions
c/o Draperies & Window Coverings
1724 E. Grand Ave.
Lindenhurst, IL 60046
Fax: (847) 356-9013
E-mail: SharonAnderson_1@msn.com
Sharon L. Anderson has more than 20 years experience in the residential and commercial areas of interior design. She is currently a faculty member at two Southern California colleges. Anderson has been featured in numerous books and publications. |
