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CHALLENGE: My client’s husband
has just installed a beautiful bay window in their kitchen. The problem
is, the home is situated on a hill in a cul-de-sac and the nearby homes
can see right into the kitchen.
The client and I have been discussing what kinds of window coverings to
use here. We have thought about vertical blinds with a center opening
and sheers with decorative shades and scalloped edges underneath.
Are there any other suggestions you can add?
SOLUTION: The issue here is privacy,
and there are many solutions—vertical blinds or shades are just a
few of the possibilities.
Have you considered a soft shade or a window shadings product such as
Silhouette® from Hunter Douglas? They offer privacy and the look is
exquisite!
These would be one suggestion as an undertreatment or used alone. If used
as an undertreatment, you also might dress them up with a valance as an
overtreatment.
Another suggestion would be to install wood blinds or shutters in the
bay window area. They also offer privacy and are very energy efficient.
They even help with sound issues!
Remember to use color wisely in designing these window treatments. Normally,
a bay window begs for attention. If that’s not the intention and
the goal is to have the bay window blend with the rest of the room, select
a treatment in the same or similar color as the walls. Or, at least, be
sure to use a soft hue! Good luck.
CHALLENGE: My clients currently live
in a 30-year-old home with box valances across all the windows. I’m
not sure what kind of draperies would look best with these valances. I
would really like to design treatments with an iron rod across the window
and drapery panels with loops or rings, but I don’t think it will
look that great.
Do you have any ideas on updating a 70s’ style home?
SOLUTION: There are many options available
for updating this home depending on the style of furniture and mood you
and your client want to create in this room.
In any case, it sounds as if there are many windows in the area in question.
I would start the process by looking at photographs or window treatment
ideas that appeal to your client. There are many options for working with
the existing box valances depending on the type of fabric and finishing
touches you create for the window treatment.
Simple valances created using a Continental® rod from Kirsch, which
would include a deep pocket at the top of the valance, are fairly versatile.
Depending on the style in this room, they could lean toward a dressy country
feel or even a contemporary look—again, depending on the type of
fabric chosen.
Another solution would be a simple cornice that has softer lines than
the box valance. You could create a soft, upholstered look that also would
be fairly versatile in style.
One of my favorite resources is the Encyclopedia of Window Fashions, by
Charles T. Randall, Randall International. It is available at most home
improvement stores and fabric stores. It offers an array of visuals for
valance ideas. Check it out!
Also, be sure to flip through the great window treatment ideas in this
magazine. In the back of the magazine, supplier information is listed.
Your local drapery workroom also will offer additional visuals and ideas.
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: DesignSol@dwcdesignet.com
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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. |
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