There are a few elements in home design that make a house feel more like a home. At Skyline Window Coverings, we believe that the way you dress your windows can completely transform the atmosphere. Colors, textures, dimensions…all of those characteristics come into play when adding window treatments to your windows. Are you wondering about the window covering options available? Our designers are walking you through it. Find your favorites. Feel inspired. And then, let’s get started on your own transformation!
Soft Treatments: Fabrics
The first category of window covering options is soft treatments–often known as window coverings that are crafted with fabrics and soft materials. This is the outfit of the window, from window shades to custom drapery. The colors, fabric selections and style elements of these window treatments all come together to create the right look. Soft treatments is such a big category–we recently put together a piece about the 9 different types of window treatments to help you understand all of the options available.
Fabrics
Soft treatments include a number of fabric choices–and the ones you prefer can narrow your selections so you’re only looking at collections that fit your preference.
- Sheer Fabrics: Available for both horizontal and vertical shades, sheers allow you to see through them, while diffusing the light entering your home.
- Patterns, Prints and Solids: Fabrics are used to cover the window, while blocking the light and coordinating with the design of your home.
- Woven Fabrics: These materials can be cloth, wood, bamboo and other natural fibers that are woven together. The varying weaves and color-ways create dimension and style, especially as the light interacts with the woven patterns.
Fabric Opacity
It’s important to understand the opacity of the fabrics, as well. The opacity is how much light can come through the fabric VS how much light is blocked. This can be referred to in simple terms, such as light filtering and room darkening. Or, you can choose fabrics that offer a range of opacities, using a number system, with 0% being a sheer view-through and 100% which results in light blocking.
Operating Features
The way your soft treatments operate will be another choice to make. Do you prefer them to roll or stack? Would you like to have the fabrics lined, unlined or utilize a dual shades system of operation? Do you want to create an insulating barrier at the window? There are so many options for window covering solutions as you investigate the best choices for your home.
Hard Treatments: Wood & Other Materials
The other category of window coverings is hard treatments. These are created with structured materials, such as wood, metal, vinyl and composites. These have often been called the furniture of the window. The components of hard treatments can be manipulated to change the lighting and privacy, but they are stable in place, like shutters and blinds.
The Materials
When it comes to hard treatments, the materials you choose are vital to the finished look, durability and longevity of the product. We offer real wood shutters and blinds, vinyl shutters, metal blinds and composite materials for shutters and blinds that are crafted with both natural and synthetic elements for strength and durability.
Material Sizing
Shutters and blinds feature moving parts that can adjust the light and privacy. Shutters have louvers. Window blinds have slats. These elements adjust to reveal the view in the open position, closing to block the light. Both louvers and slats can direct light into the home, away from the eyes while also protecting interior privacy.
Exclusive Finishes
The finish of hard treatments will impact the longevity of the product usage. This tends to be a company-wide protective finish, and you should inquire about the warranties and guarantees against warping, yellowing and cracking that can happen in a finish does not contain the right ingredients to withstand the elements. Hunter Douglas window treatments are treated with exclusive finishes designed for long-lastin durability.
Operating Features
With manual control, blind slats can be adjusted with a wand that hangs along the front of the blinds. Automatic blinds control the tilt of the slats. Shutter louvers should be manually adjusted by hand. Some shutters feature a tilt bar, but by adjusting the louvers themselves, it keeps the integrity of the shutter design protected against harsh use. The Palm Beach collection of vinyl shutters is available for motorized shutter adjustments.
The Layered Effect
The window covering options for dressing your windows is full of endless possibilities. One popular choice is to layer window shades, blinds or shutters with custom drapes. The drapery frames the window while coordinating with the base layer of window treatments. The entire look creates a beautiful scene at the window. Not sure where to start? Find inspiration in our recent blog about Pairing Shades with Drapery.
Can You Mix & Match?
This is a frequently asked question when it comes to window coverings in a home. Homeowners are curious about how to pair the coverings of doors and windows when they are together in the same space. Other times, questions about putting different window coverings within certain rooms of the home are more about the function of the space and which features serve the family best. Our answer? Whether you mix or match, coordination is key and ideal function will bring comfort. Our job is to guide you to the window coverings that work well together, fabrics that coordinate and help everything come together in a beautiful finish. When you work with the designers at Skyline Window Coverings, that end satisfaction is our goal, and we work with you to make it happen. Are you ready to dress your windows? Get in touch for a free consultation.
