Now that we've completed our big window replacement project of 2024, I can now share that it brought up the behemoth subject of window treatments and the BHS struggle as to keep or replace ours. We decided to keep most of our original window treatments after the new windows were installed and update only a couple and as I waded through those decisions, I was already writing this blog post in my head, since there is a never-ending rabbit hole of information about what you could do for your own home, if you're looking to update your window treatments.
Scroll through for a rundown of the details to consider before investing in window treatments for your home!
Top Tips for Choosing the Perfect Window Treatments
Bamboo window shade
Window Treatments Are an Investment
If there's anything that will give a client sticker shock, it's window treatments. Most of us couldn't say exactly how many windows are part of our home, but it becomes glaringly clear once window treatment estimates come back!
Consider this: Each window may get a shade or blind, possibly custom drapes with lining, and some layered with multiple options for a certain look (like shades and custom drapes). Multiply that by the number of windows in your home. The numbers can rack up so fast!
I always tell clients that these treatments are an investment that they won't have to do again while they're living in that house unless they choose to. It's worth getting the high-quality options, possibly in more neutral colors so they can work in a plethora of design styles over the years. Why? Better quality materials and workmanship lasts and when you invest in quality from the beginning, you only swallow that tough pill once. And because window treatments are such an investment, it absolutely should be a line item in the project budget from the very beginning!
Assess Your Needs & Wants
In order to move the process along, ask yourself these questions about each space that needs window treatments:
Do you need privacy in this space?
Do you need light blockage in this space? Sun protection?
How do you walk around your house? Do you want privacy in certain areas or anywhere a neighbor could see in?
How many layers do you want on each window?
If you're doing drapery, how much light penetration do you want through the fabric?
These are the tip of the iceberg, but answering these questions for yourself and your family ahead of time will help tremendously with window treatment consultations!
Cordless natural grass shades with custom drapery and hardware
Scale & Proportion
If you are trying to cover a long window or sliding door layered treatments as shown above, it is critical that you don't skimp on drapery width, even if you choose for them to non-operational and they will stay pulled back. It's easy to cut on fabric here since you won't be using them for privacy or light blockage, but the proportions of the space will immediately feel off, and I can confidently guarantee that you will regret not filling out the drapery width.
Drapery Considerations
In bedrooms, I'm a fan of draperies, even if they are stationary side panels. Triple French pleat is my go-to because of their fullness when hung, but there are many other options for drapery headers and pleat style as well. But I digress...
With inside mounted shades as shown above, there will always be a thin line of light leakage on the outside of the windows, so using stationary panels on either side will help to block that light leakage if you're looking for a blackout situation in your bedroom!
Also, if you're thinking drapery for a long expanse, remember that this choice means you would be customizing very long rods for those to hang on. Would your workroom have to splice the rod to be able to ship it effectively? And are you ok with how that would ultimately look?
For installation, would you need to hire an interior crane or scaffolding to reach the heights of your space? Some of these of Texas-size double height spaces around these parts are often a beast for window treatment installation!
DIY Draperies
If you are trying to work through DIY draperies, remember that these fabrics can be quite heavy, so there will be a settling of fabric because of gravity, which means the length that you order may be too long - causing puddling of fabric on the floor.
If you are installing these yourself, remember to hang the draperies on the rods and hang them elsewhere to let the fabric settle before drilling into your walls with your rod's final height. Halfway between the ceiling height and the top of the window is a good rule of thumb to keep in mind for a drapery rod.
Cafe curtains
In terms of header style, if you're buying them off the shelf at retail sources, please avoid a rod pocket drape. These have little loops on top and the rod is pushed through - the drapes don't lay very well and well, they always look cheap if I'm being honest. You can use drapery rings with hidden clips on them, and even that small change elevates the look somewhat but honestly, I'm a fan of using drapery pins with pretty rings on the best rod you can afford. (Be sure and match the finish of your rings and rods.)
Motorized sun shades
Motorized shades, or shades with cordless pulls are great for a variety of rooms. I typically include at least a privacy liner with shades for my clients, but you can also do blackout lining if you need that in a bedroom or media room as well!
It's a small luxury that I love to be able to open shades from bed with the push of a button, possibly for multiple rooms in the house at one time! We opted for motorized shades in our bedroom topped with gorgeous custom drapery panels and I couldn't be happier. In one of our son's bedrooms we opted for plantation shutters topped with a more modern double pinch pleat drapes with matte black rings and rod. In a couple of other windows like our new primary bathroom and breakfast area, we updated older window treatments to more stylish and, more importantly, more functional cordless natural grass shades.
Designer bamboo shades layered with custom triple pleat drapery panels and custom french return rods
Did you learn something new about window treatments? There's a lot more we can cover, but these are the basics that can get you started with these decisions for your spaces. Feel free to send us questions here and we may go even deeper on another round here on the blog!
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