Window Treatments

Carly Henkel
Feb 2, 2019
5 min read

Window treatments are a great way to add a feeling of completeness and functionality to a home. There are many different window treatments that one can choose from but knowing which one will accomplish your goal for your home is important. What is the functional purpose of them? To completely black out a room or to let some light in? How can they add interest to a space? I hope this blog will help you to select the best type of window treatments for your home as well as learn new tips and tricks to enhance the design!

Roman Shades

Roman Shades when closed are smooth and flat but when opened stack up evenly and are used to block out the sun. They come in many styles and folds such as plain fold, swag, soft fold, relaxed (European), tie, and flat fold.

Photo: Ethan Allen Photo: JLL Design Photo: Room for Tuesday

Mount: These shades can be mounted in the inside of the window frame or the outside of the window. Personally, I prefer the interior mount giving your room interest but keeps everything clean cut and allows the window frame to contribute to the character of the room.

These shades are great for all styles and are mostly made of fabric so I would not recommend these for spaces that may allow stains to get on them. If you would like them in a kitchen choose a darker color or pattern to hide any stains that may appear.

How to measure: (Inside of window) Measure exact width & height of opening

*Need to have 3/4" interior depth to mount Roman Shades or any other window treatments that will be mounted into the interior of the window.

(Overlapping window) This type of mounting will allow the shade to cover the entire window, including the frame. To measure this, measure the height and width of area you would like covered by the shade, this should overlap window opening and trim by at least 2" in both width and height.

Cellular Shades

Cellular Shades are very energy efficient, during the cold seasons the honeycomb shaped shade keeps cold out and during warm seasons help keep the home cool.

Cellular shades can have cords or be cordless. These shades come in multiple colors and can allow some light in or be completely blacked out. Another great feature of these shades are, they can open from the top or bottom, great for bedrooms, allowing a lot of natural light in while providing great privacy.

Mount: These Shades can be mounted the same as Roman Shades (see above)

Privacy Blinds

Privacy Blinds are opaque or non-transparent blinds. These come in various materials and looks such as faux wood blinds, aluminum blinds, vintage wood blinds and more. These blinds are both functional and affordable. These blinds are meant to let some light in but mostly provide the privacy that is needed.

Vertical blinds can also be used but are usually less sturdy and not as private as horizontal blinds.

Mount: These blinds are all mounted in the inside of the window frame and can be measured as so.

Drapes & Curtains

Drapes are heavier, more formal, and are usually mounted from floor to ceiling. Curtains unlike drapes are usually lined to block out light and are used to seal in heat. Drapes and curtains can add a lot of interest and character to a room.

Mounting Hardware: Many times people want to hang the curtain rod at the width of the window casing and right above the top of the window casing causing the room to feel smaller. To make your room feel taller and larger, hang the rod just below the ceiling molding to create that illusion.

The width of the rod should be 6-8" beyond the casing on each side. This allows the window treatment to fill more of the wall and gives emphasis on the architectural feature of the window casing. Having the drapes/curtains not right on top of the window allows more natural light to come in and makes the room feel airy.

Photo: Morgan Levy Design: Shelby Girard

Lengths: There are different lengths/looks to choose from when picking curtains or drapes. Determine what the goal of the window treatments are and which length will accomplish that goal.

-Still Length: Touches bottom of windowsill

-Apron Length: Falls 4-6" below the frame

-Floor Length: Dusts the floor

-Pooling/ Puddling Length: Add 3" or more to the floor length to have the pooling effect. (I would not recommend this length for drapes/ curtains that will be opened and shut a lot, they will pick up any dirt on the floor) This effect is also used for more elegant spaces.

How to know what size panels to buy: For the length of the panel measure from where your rod will be sitting right below the ceiling molding to the desired length. For the width it is good to do 20-24" wider than the window's width.

Trick to accomplish additive fullness:

In general, multiply the width of each panel by 1.5-2"

-Sheers: Triple width of panels for a luxe look and for light control

-Lace: Add 12-24" to the width to allow the lace pattern to be readable

-Pinch-Pleated drapes: only add 12" to width

*Consider different heading styles on curtains/drapes that matches the style of the room

Valance/Cornice

Valances/Cornices are used for style and to add character/interest to a room. There are many styles of these ranging from relaxed to more elegant. For the most part they are foam or wood wrapped in fabric or just fabric. A more rustic approach is to just have a stained wood valance.

Measure: Measure the width of window casing and multiplying by 1-1/2". The length should be 1/4 the window height plus 1" for a basic valance.

Matchstick Shades

Matchstick Shades are made from natural materials that produce organic textures such as bamboo, woven wood, natural reed wood and much more.

Because these are made with natural materials there will be light gaps even when closed. These kind of shades have a variety of styles and multiple tones of wood. The price can range from low to very high depending on the size and material used.

Plantation Shutters

Plantation Shutters are great because they are extremely customizable. They range in sizes and have many ways of opening (bi-fold, hinged, stationary and more), can be double hung- (open at bottom and top separately), and can have different louvre sizes. The larger the louvre size the clearer the visual out the window will be when opened. Another option is to have them as cafe shutters that only cover the bottom half of the window.

Plantation Shutters are commonly white but can be different colors as well as different wood tones. They are easy to clean and are cordless. These shutters are a more expensive option but add value to your home.

Photo: HGTV Photo: Southern Hospitality Photo: The Inspired Room

Measure: To measure traditional Plantation Shutters measure the depth, width and height of the inside of the window frame

Layered Window Treatments*

Layering Different Window Treatments can be both visually pleasing and functional.

Trick: By using a double rod & placing a black out or patterned curtain on the front rod and a sheer or lace curtain on the back rod it can add dimension and interest to any window

The combination of valances and curtains are being seen less in today's trends but still adds elegance to a room.

The combination of curtains and shades are most popular. Providing style and functionality to a room. This is also a great opportunity to have a solid color paired with a pattern to add interest.