I focus my business on the window treatment aspect of interior design because I love that part of the business and also because I see a renewed surge of interest in covering windows. Several years ago, the trend was to leave windows bare but in the last few years there has been a new interest in making a more enveloping, sophisticated, finished-off look in homes. As a result, homeowners are considering window coverings but have no idea what to think of or imagine for their windows or where to start. I occasionally hear the question, “Why do I need draperies? I don’t want all that fabric on my windows.”
To which I respond, Yes, you do. Here’s why:
Draperies provide a finished look on your windows
I can’t count how many times (actually it’s like every time) we have gotten the drapery panels installed for a client and they exclaim, “What a difference! They’re gorgeous! I had no idea they would change the look of the room this much!”
Leaving the windows bare just makes your house look like, well, a house and not a home. Finishing off the windows with fabric makes the house look like someone lives in it, not a builder’s model. It helps to make your house, your home.
You need color and pattern in the room
This is my favorite place to add interest from the design aspect. Richly patterned and colored fabric (even if it’s neutral colors) adds needed dimension to the room and complements other furnishings so well. It’s truly a design-problem-solver.
You want a little extra insulation
Boy, is this a big one. So many people in our region have very large or oversized windows and traversing draperies or even just side panels at the windows can eliminate drafts from them like nothing else can. Why do you think they are so popular in large country houses in England? Draperies can even keep your house cooler in summer, when closed against the sun. And they make a very big difference in cutting down on echoes in the room, if it’s large, has no carpet and the ceilings are high. So, insulation against drafts and unwanted sounds bouncing around, win-win.
Draperies balance out a space
Recently we installed lovely floor-to-ceiling draperies in a client’s dining area. When the husband saw them later he remarked on how they balanced out the large antique china cabinet on the opposite wall. He didn’t know that it was an issue until he saw them up. Draperies can also make a space look surprisingly larger when they are the right length, width, and pattern.
These are just some of the reasons. But also, do them because you have fallen in love with a particular fabric. Do them because you love a little drama. And think of this: “I don’t want to wear that long, gorgeous, stunning, head-turning, every-mouth-in-the-room-drops-open dress to the Prom. Nope, not me” said no girl EVER. Don’t be that girl. Do the draperies. Make their mouths drop open. And if you just can’t figure out what sort of window treatments to put on the windows, don’t struggle. Call us today. We’re here for you.
