Design Solutions

Window Treatment Clinic

Handling questions from consumers often requires providing basic product and design knowledge.

by Sharon L. Anderson

CHALLENGE: I am moving to a new house with a two-story family room that faces west. As much as I know, it will be beautiful, but it will be very impractical. If I put wood blinds up high will I still be able to open and close them? SOLUTION: As the room faces west, a window treatment that will control the harmful rays of the sun will be an excellent solution. The windows located on the second story may be treated with one of several types of coverings that can be operated by a motorized system with a remote control. Along with wood blinds, additional solutions are available. They depend on the style of your room. Soft treatments, such as sheers or draperies also may be a solutions with the inclusion of motorized traverse rods and a remote control unit. Protecting soft window treatments from the sun can be achieved by lining them with a blackout lining. CHALLENGE: We recently added a great room to our home located adjacent to our kitchen area. One wall has a door, another wall has a picture box window and three smaller windows. The dining and living room have eight windows, which can be viewed from the great room. There are cathedral ceilings in this area and the decor style is country. The interior walls are ivory in color. We do not have a big budget to work with. Do you have any suggestions for window treatments? SOLUTION: It sounds like you have many wonderful windows in this home! With the location of all the windows within the immediate viewing area, window treatments providing continuity to the space are important. To keep with the country style in your home, the complement of wood blinds, shutters, soft shades, mini-blinds or a well-designed soft window treatment are all possibilities. By establishing consistency in style and color with the under treatment, you will be able to vary the style of the overtreatments slightly from the dining room to the living area. Again, continuity is the key. For variation in new styles, check with an interior designer in your area. Drapery showrooms will offer additional ideas, along with viewing books and magazines. Simple, yet elegant designs are easy to achieve, maybe giving your country look an additional appeal. CHALLENGE: I could use an opinion on window treatments for my living and dining room. They actually are one large room, semi-divided by a wide arched wall. Last year I had blinds put up to protect the furniture, but I haven't a clue about what type of curtains or draperies to put up. I do not like anything too fussy. Where do I start? SOLUTION: First you need to decide what style you prefer. Take a look around your room and determine the style of the furniture and overall feel of the room. To identify the style, try looking at photographs of rooms with your type of furniture. This will assist you in knowing what style category your room fits into. Once you have determined this, the window treatment style should compliment the room's surroundings. One suggestion I would make knowing an arched wall is between the two rooms would be have a custom window treatment made with an arched top. A simple, yet elegant design would complement the arched wall. An arched top drapery with a one- to two-inch head would add personality to the space. Another suggestion would be swags and cascades. This is another elegant look that would complement the arched wall. Again, view different photographs to gather your ideas. Choosing a professional interior designer and a professional showroom that specializes in window treatments is always the best place to start. Sharon L. Anderson has more than 20 years experience as a professional interior designer in both commercial and residential design. She has taught at numerous colleges throughout California and currently is an educator at Moorpark college in southern California. She is a published author and frequent public speaker.

More Articles by Sharon L. Anderson  More Design Solutions 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 666 Dundee Rd., Ste. 807 Northbrook, IL 60062-2769 Fax: (847) 498-0231 E-mail: DesignSol@dwcdesignet.com