It’s time to set fear aside and dress your windows
for success!
We all have secrets that we hide away from public view, that
are embarrassing and contradict who we have become in the world, and I, like
anyone else, am not immune to such hidden indiscretion. But, after much contemplation and personal
reflection, in the interest of promoting beautiful design, I am willing to
share my long-kept skeleton in the cupboard.
Are you ready? Try your best not
to think less of me, but…I once tacked a bed sheet to the wall to cover a
window. It was flannel, it was plaid,
and it looked absolutely awful.
I know you are shocked and appalled, but let me explain. I was just out of college, young, naïve, and
poor. My 9 housemates and I (it’s a long
story) lived in a dilapidated house that used to be a convent (longer story) in
a very shady part of a big city, and had way too many windows to cover, so
before I had a chance to even unpack, I got some thumbtacks and nailed that
thing up over my bedroom window without thinking and moved on to my next
settling-in task.
Luckily, years have gone by and times have changed, and I no
longer use such drastic methods to create window coverings, but sometimes, when
you move past the flannel bedding stage, curtains, shades, and the like become
really confusing and intimidating when we are trying to not only turn a house
into a home, but to infuse our own personal style into a space. Much of this has to do with the fact that they
aren’t just decorative, but usually serve a functional purpose as well. Also, unless you have a disposable income of
some sort and can order custom window coverings, your store-bought choices can
seem really limited when you attempt to decorate windows. With these things in
mind, here are a few items I consider whenever I attempt to dress my windows
for success:
Be Practical: It
would be great if this wasn’t even a factor, but reality is that you really
need to consider what you need in a particular space and how your family lives
before you pick out something for your windows.
For example, plantation shutters are classic and beautiful, but if you
are going to have to stick a window air conditioner in a bedroom window for the
summer, those lovely shutters are not going to be able to close over the unit,
and you will be waking up with the sun each morning as it streams in to greet
you. Also, simple drapery panels that
hang on either side of your window are very elegant, but if you need a hint of
privacy at times, be sure they are not merely decorative and can be easily stretched
across the entire window when needed, and that you like both looks. Another thing to consider is fabric–do you
have a few someones in your abode under the age of 6, or a few furry friends
that live with you? It might not be a
good idea to pick those gorgeous silk floor-length drapes for your dining room…unless
you know how to easily spot -wash little pb and j fingerprints out of delicate
fabric or a way to deter dogs and cats from rubbing up against whatever’s
available.
Layer, Layer, Layer:
So how do you get the look you want and the function you need? By layering your treatments to serve the
needs on your list. I tend to put my
bare-bones function items down as my first layer–room darkening shades for
bedrooms, blinds, micro or wood for more main rooms of the house that need to
be made private in the evening because of the rather busy street we live on,
that sort of thing–then get more design-oriented and pretty with each layer on
top of that. I find that the more
layered your window treatments are, the more formal and complex your treatment
is, so I try to keep that in mind as well.
For example, my dining room and living room windows each have 3 layers
of different fabrics and materials on them, while the back porch and kitchen,
much more casual rooms that don’t have the same type of privacy issues the
other rooms do, are just one layer each.
Think Outside of the Drapery Department: Window treatment style has come a long way,
and creativity is key. It used to be
that as far as the home design world was concerned, there were maybe 5 accepted
styles of curtain and drapery design, and each seemed either overly fussy, or simply
boring. A simple online search now reveals that creative people are using anything
and everything to create window treatments for their homes, and like anything
else, there is a sense of accomplishment and an innate nod to personal style
that are the rewards of such endeavors.
Personally, I’ve used belt buckles, oversized thumbtacks, leftover
buttons, teacups, oversized faux pearl beads, pom-poms, wine corks, plumbing
pipe, workshop hooks, and who knows what else in the pursuit of the perfect
window covering, and you would be amazed what fun and successful results you
end up with when you incorporate unconventional items and materials in your
projects. The way I tend to approach
this type of thing is by looking through magazines, catalogs, etc., getting a
good feel for what I want my window to look like (shape, style, that sort of
thing), then take a look around my house, the garage, the local home
improvement store, etc. for items that reflect the inevitably more expensive
vision I have seen elsewhere. This helps
you to look at materials in a new light, and you would be surprised how your
mind starts to work!
Don’t be Afraid to Start From Scratch: I know we always seem to come back to this
fear of sewing machines that many suffer from, but most window treatments are
some version of a simple pillowcase, and that might not even involve any
stitches–fabric glue and iron-on tapes have come such a long way that anyone,
no matter what their skill set might be, can give it a go. Venture into the fabric department with your
magazine photos in hand and see what patterns and materials inspire you. Then take the plunge and make a purchase,
speak to someone at the store who might be able to give you some tips, or find
a friend who will come over and help you figure out how to make your vision a
reality.
So, flannel sheets begone!
Best of luck with your window treatments…have fun…and be afraid no more!
J
