Fun with Window Fashions

Adding Personal Style to Your Home With Hundreds of Windows Fashions

Decorating your windows is one of the easiest and fun ways to add design to your home. You don't have to spend a fortune, and you can experiment with colors, fabrics, and other materials.

If you want to update your home's appearance, but do not have the time or budget to redecorate completely, consider starting with your window treatments. Whether you prefer curtains, shades, blinds, drapes, or combinations thereof, designing with window fashions can instantly pull a room together.

Whether you are just starting out or have an idea of what you would like to do, take the time to browse through window fashions in books and on the Internet.

You will find many ideas that you might not have thought of otherwise. Additionally, you can see how to work with different colors, fabrics, textures, and materials.

Types of Window Treatments

There are many different approaches to window fashions. While many people first think of curtains, there are ways to use fabrics that go beyond a simple drape. Do some research into the many ways to create a valance or swag, for example.

Framing your window with fabric can be fun, and you can use fabrics and different styles to create certain effects. If you have small windows, for example, set your drapes to the outside of the windows to give the illusion of size. This can work well for both width and height.

In addition to using window fashions to pull the decorating theme of a room together, also consider the importance of sizing your window treatments to the size or style of a room. Homes with high ceilings do well with window treatments that are "tall," sometimes hung higher than the actual dimensions of the window.

If you are decorating windows in a small room, also use the principal of designing upwards (using height) to give the illusion of more space. This goes for the opposite effect as well. If you have a large room and want to make it feel more intimate, consider taking your window fashions outward, creating more width. This will give the illusion that your windows are closer together, which in turn will make everything in the room feel like it is coming together.

Aim for using materials that match the feel and functionality of the room. A light, airy kitchen needs lightweight curtains or shades. Bold colors can work, but a heavy, velvet drape is not the best option for this type of room. A formal living room lends itself much better to a velvet drape, however.

If you want to create a space used for different purposes, or if you want to have multiple options with light and privacy, consider layering your window fashions. For curtains, this could mean using a heavier drape with a lighter, sheer fabric inner drape. One or both can be opened during daylight hours, with the sheer curtain adding a bit more privacy, while still allowing light to enter the room. This combination effect also works well with blinds and window shades. Fabrics can be added in a layered fashion, or as a frame around the window to create a finished look.

Materials

The beauty of interior design is that it is flexible. With a little imagination, almost any type of material can be used to create a unique expression of the people who live in a home. When looking at your design ideas, stay open to the idea of using a variety of materials. These can include fabrics, ribbons, papers, and elements from the outdoors, such as vines, dried flowers, and wood, just to name a few. Even elements such as animal horns can be interwoven to create a western look without overdoing it.

When you browse through design books or websites, you will quickly see how you can incorporate a broad range of materials to create a unique design. If you are unsure about your design skills, or worried about creating something too overpowering, use the "less is more" approach. A few dried flowers hung over a window (or from a curtain rod as a valance) may add just the right effect, whereas hanging them around the entire frame of a window would be too much. Start with less. You can always add more.

Use manufacturers' guidelines

Another simple and easy way to approach window fashions is to use suggestions provided by different manufacturers. Many companies provide pictures of how their products can be used to create elegant and stylish looks. Hunter Douglas window fashions, for example, come in many options. Product pictures provide great design tips, as do other publications provided by the company. A variety of brochures is available to help you choose the best window options for your home and taste, design your own window fashions, and how to best use light.

Springs window fashions is another company with a number of window decorating options, including shades, blinds, and more. With tools such as publications and virtual decorators online, you can choose your favorite styles, see styling variations and even mix and match options using a computer to see what you like best. Spring window fashions come in many different colors and choices to meet a multitude of tastes.

It's your home

When choosing window fashions, take the time to find something you really like and that you think you can be comfortable with for a while. Even though the cost is less than redecorating an entire room, it is still an investment. Further, it's an investment in your comfort. Home is a place where you should feel the most comfortable, and appropriate window fashions for your home can go a long way toward creating that comfort.

In addition to style, keep functionality and purpose in mind as you shop. If you are someone who likes a lot of light, look for window fashions that will allow the most light possible while still providing the amount of privacy you desire and that will compliment your style. If you like the maximum amount of privacy, or want a window treatment that will keep sunlight out during hot months and provide insulation during winter months, look for a window treatment that will serve both purposes.

Window fashions serve multiple purposes. They add design and personal expression to your home, and they serve a practical purpose in using (or blocking) natural light, adding insulation, creating privacy, and adding comfort.