Muted color palettes, packed with pattern and history, are ideal for spaces that have subdued tones and enjoy layers of texture. If your home is a maximalist’s dream, big blooms and vibrant designs can complement existing pieces or offer appealing layers to other patterns.
For those who have big decorating plans, contemplate whether your chosen window treatment would fit in with this vision of your dream home scheme. Would the color palette coordinate? Does the pattern elevate the other design elements?
Window treatments also suit different periods of houses. Contemporary homes suit roman shades, while traditional properties benefit from the richness and luxury of the soft finish to more prominent character features.
Fabric can also play a big part in the finishing touches of your room. Sheer and lighter fabrics bring more light into a room, while soft, matt fabrics add depth and warmth.
Window Types
HISTORICAL WINDOWS
Historical properties are known for their beautiful soffits and elegant windows. They often have wooden panels woven into their window reveals, finished with an intricate molding. Headers such as pinch pleats in curtains suit this style of window sill.
Additionally, large-scale windows offer another architectural accent feature to compliment a room. With such scale and grandeur, generously full drapes of our thicker, heavier fabrics such as damask or weave, add impact and additional depth to the room.
BAY WINDOWS
Beautiful bay windows offer a more careful and considered approach to enhance the natural splendour of the architectural design. One of the best options for this unique style is to have a bent track fitted around each section of the bay, especially if there is a window seat.
A blind could also be fitted instead of the drape, but with either option, take special care when measuring the more challenging area.
SLOPED WINDOWS
Part of the charm of older properties is their character, but uneven floors, windows and ceilings can prove a challenge when trying to fit blinds and curtains.
One of the ways to balance out the uneven edge is to align the curtain rod with the horizontal line that visually looks right - even if it technically isn’t level.
LARGE WINDOWS
Natural light beaming through tall or wide windows is wonderful during the daytime, but to create a cozy atmosphere in the evening, drapes are a popular option. Allow your drapes to dust the floor if you have tall and narrow windows and fit the rod closer to the top of the window to allow generous overhang either side of the reveal.
For wide windows, make a statement by layering up your window treatments with a roman shade behind your drapery. This can alter the illusion of the windows, offering a more aesthetically pleasing proportion.
SMALL WINDOWS
Quaint windows are best suited to simple, sophisticated treatments such as roman shades. Fitted either inside or outside of the reveal, shades don’t overpower narrow or small windows, but can often make them appear larger by being fitted much higher than the top of the window.
If you have particularly narrow windows, drapes could be the best choice. Hanging either side of your narrow space, our rich heritage drapes increase the perceived width of the window.
SHAPED WINDOWS
There’s nothing we love more than quirky window shapes. From round to triangular, sloped and arched, sometimes the best thing to do with these pieces of art is to let the architecture speak for itself. Display it proudly without drapes and shades, and save your favorite fabrics for dressing another window.
Space-Saving Solutions
Finally, if there’s limited space around your windows, sometimes the best window treatment is blinds or a single drape. With both options, it reduces the amount of space enriching the room from two hanging drapes.
Alternatively, you could have lightweight drapes that have reduced fullness and also serve as a space saver. Sheer, linen and silk drapes are all sumptuous, light-weight solutions that take up barely any hanging room when they are open.
If you need any further guidance on how to choose a window treatment, our team is on hand to help. With a plethora of heritage designs to discover, peruse our drapery fabric and shade fabric which are both available via our made to measure service.
