Windows are meant to bring natural light and a view to the outdoors to your home, but with thoughtful window covering options they can also provide function and beauty. Dressing your windows can completely transform your home. With many choices of window treatments, you can add color, texture and dimension inside your home to enhance your decor. There are many ways to design your window ensemble. Invite the professionals at At Home Blinds & Decor to help you make the best choices for your home.
Soft Treatments VS Hard Treatments
There are two main categories of window covering options: Soft and hard treatments. Soft treatments are crafted using fabrics and soft materials. Hard treatments use wood, metal & vinyl components. Both could have a place in your home, but let’s begin by learning about each option. Soft treatments are the outfit of the window. There are so many possibilities we wrote an article about it. To get a better idea of what’s available from window shades to drapes, make your way to the 9 different types of window treatments article. We love the texture of woven woods, a beautiful addition to this dining space.
Soft Treatments: Fabrics
Soft treatments include a number of fabric choices–here’s a description of what’s out there along with the level of privacy they may offer. This will help narrow down your selection.
- Patterns, Prints and Solids: Fabrics are used to cover the window, while blocking the light and coordinating with the design of your home.
- Sheer Fabrics: Available for both horizontal and vertical shades, sheers allow you to see through them, while diffusing the light entering 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.
Opacity
When choosing soft treatments for your home, pay close attention to their opacities. Do you prefer light filtering or light blocking? There’s a difference. We offer a rating system to determine how much light comes through the fabric VS how much is blocked. Starting at 0% designates a sheer view-through fabric where 100% refers to light blocking. We have sheer, blocking and everything in between.
Operating Features
Another choice you’ll have is the operating system for your soft treatments. Do you prefer a shade that rolls or stacks? Will you add a layer of insulation by lining the fabrics? How about a dual shade system where you can have the benefits of both sheer shades and light blocking capabilities? Our professionals can help you decide which window covering solution is best for your space.
Hard Treatments
Now, let’s go over 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 for good reason. 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: Wood & More
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 man-made elements for strength and durability.
Operating Features
Blinds & shutters feature moving parts that can adjust the light and privacy. Blinds adjust with a wand that hangs along the front of the blinds or you can opt for automated blinds that control the slats. Shutters have louvers that can be manually manipulated, some feature a tilt bar for support that helps keep the integrity of the shutter intact with frequent use. For shutters, the Palm Beach collection offers motorization for your convenience.
Exclusive Finishes
Pro Tip: 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 if a finish does not contain the right ingredients to withstand the elements. Hunter Douglas window treatments are treated with exclusive finishes designed for long-lasting durability.
The Layered Effect
The good news is that when designing a window ensemble, you don’t have to decide between soft or hard treatments. You can use both by layering your treatments for the ultimate finished look. One popular design is pairing window shades, blinds or wood shutters with custom drapes. The drapes are used to frame out the windows while coordinating with the base layer you’ve chosen. If this sounds like a lot to consider, we understand. Our blog article about pairing shades with drapery can inspire your project and help you get started.
Let’s Mix & Match
Oftentimes, clients struggle with covering doors and windows within the same space. Sometimes the questions surround providing functional window treatments to improve the atmosphere for their family. No matter your dilemma, we can suggest ways to mix and match our coverings to bring you the best results. Coordination is key in the process of designing your own custom look and satisfaction is our goal. Give us the opportunity to help you dress your windows for success! Get in touch with At Home Blinds & Decor for a FREE consultation today.
