Decorating Basics
by Sheran James
Raising the Curtain on Window Treatments:
How to select the right window dressing
Do you use your windows to bring the outside in? Or would you rather keep what's outside out?
Your answer is pivotal in selecting the right window treatment for your room.
BRING THE OUTSIDE IN
How about leaving the windows bare?
If they overlook a cityscape, blue sky or trees, the view might be decoration enough.
Try it: Next time you remove your curtains to have them cleaned or to repaint, test how it feels living without them. You may treasure the extra light.
If you feel that your windows need a little decorative something, here are some options:
- Paint the moldings around windows in a fun, uplifting color.
- Replace dull or flimsy window moldings with wider or more decorative ones.
- Add a cornice.
- Drape a swag of fabric over the top.
- Hang pictures or plates or other objects above the window. You can extend the arrangement to surrounding walls.
- Add a shelf above your window.
- Install a tie-shade or roller blind on top as a colorful accent. If its purpose is purely decorative and you intend never to roll it down, you can use a short remnant of fabric.
- To protect your room from the sun or a neighbor's view, use a sheer, lace panel or a sun-filtering shade. Of course, such fabrics become transparent when the lights are on. For total privacy, use an opaque fabric -- or see below.
KEEP THE OUTSIDE OUT
To block an unattractive view or prevent anyone peering in, use opaque shades, adjustable blinds, shutters or curtains. The choice is largely aesthetic, but you can first base it on the window's style, scale and condition, then the room's scale and style.
- Shades, blinds and shutters are geometrical and can draw attention to unshapely windows. Curtains are more forgiving.
- You can use a combination of treatments if you have an elegant, well-placed window.
- Keep it simple if your window is small; an elaborate treatment will overwhelm a small window.
- As a rule, short curtains are casual and "cottagey"; long ones are more formal. Also consider window size (long drapes will dwarf a very small window) and fixtures in front of it (a deep projection in front of a window could make long curtains impractical).
MEASURING FOR WINDOW TREATMENTS
When figuring out the width of your window treatment, first establish if you're working with inside measurements (IM, or IB for Inside Brackets) or outside measurements (OM or OB).
- Use inside measurements for treatments that go inside the window frame. Measure across the narrowest point of the frame, because an old window may be uneven. To use an inside treatment, your frame needs to be at least 1.5 inches deep.
- Use outside measurements for any treatment intended to cover the window frame (the brackets or curtain rod goes on the outside of your frame). Measure to the point where the brackets start or the curtain rod ends -- before the finials. A suggested width is 1.75 inches past each side of the window.
- Measure each window separately and at different points in their widths and lengths. Even if your windows all look the same, there may be slight deviations.
- If you're using pleated or gathered curtains, buy ample fabric. For a full-looking curtain, you will need two to three and one-half times the width of your window in fabric. The thinner the fabric, the more width you'll need. Fabrics generally are no more than 54 inches wide, so most curtain panels consist of two or more widths of fabric seamed together.
- If you choose a pattern with a large repeat -- that is, a pattern with a noticeable start and end to it -- buy extra fabric to cover what gets wasted in aligning the pattern at the seams. Patterns also need to be aligned from panel to panel.
Note: Before doing anything decorative or structural, make sure you have the necessary permits, permissions, and knowledge and understanding of your structure's suitability.
Author's note: Sheran James is a designer/writer whose recent book is "Room Redux: The Home Decorating Workbook" (Chronicle Books).
For more great ideas, see Homestore.com's Remodel & Maintain and Decorate areas!
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