Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Window Treatments (but were too confused to ask)

So you want new window treatments. But what’s the difference between shades and blinds, and how should you choose one over the other? Shutters? Curtains? So many options can get confusing.

Help is here. In this article, you will find a quick guide to help you get started with some of the key terminology used in the window treatment industry, along with how each term plays a role in the style and look of your home.

Window treatments: The Hard and Soft of It

Window treatments are often classified as "hard treatments" or "soft treatments". Hard treatments generally refer to mini-blinds, vertical blinds, horizontal blinds, cellular shades, wood blinds, roller shades, and shutters. Soft treatments tend to refer to window treatments that are "softer" to the touch and the eye, with more of a focus on the fabric, like draperies, curtains, and valances. However, the rules for each are not hard and fast and some window treatments may fall somewhere in between.

Blinds

Blinds are window treatments that have adjustable slats, which can be angled open or closed to control the amount of view-through. These slats can be made from wood, faux wood, fabric, plastic, metal, or aluminum. In addition to adjustable slats, blinds also have the ability to be raised from top to bottom or side to side, depending on whether they are vertical or horizontal in orientation. With their adjustable slats, window blinds are the natural choice for rooms where privacy and light control are of the utmost importance.

Shades

Shades are made with fabric, sometimes with pleats, as in cellular or pleated shades, and sometimes with a drapery fabric, as in a Roman shade. They can be raised and lowered to control the light in the room, but without the adjustable slats of blinds. There are a variety of shades available, and some of the most popular include:

Cellular shades:

These are unique fabric shades constructed from honeycomb-shaped cells that insulate windows with pockets of trapped air. These honeycomb cells improve energy efficiency, but are only visible from the side, giving the shade a clean, crisp look of cascading pleats.

Roller shades:

These shades are made of vinyl or fabric and are attached to spring rollers, which allow them to be pulled shut or rolled open.

Roman shades:

These are fabric shades that fold neatly to the top when drawn open. A classic, or "teardrop-style" Roman shade offers overlapping folds when the shade is lowered, while a contemporary, or "flat-panel" Roman shade has no folds when lowered.

Shades are ideal for highlighting the transition between your home’s exterior and interior spaces. There are also a number of shade options that enable shades to take on insulating and blackout properties, making them ideal for energy efficiency and complete room-darkening. They differe from blinds because they can either expose or cover the window’s view, but without adjustable slats, there is no "in-between" in terms of controlling privacy and light.

Sheer Window Shading

While not all window treatments fall into the shade or blind categories (think shutters, which we’ll cover later), some window treatments do both, like sheer blinds. Sheer blinds use either horizontal or vertical fabric vanes, and sandwich them between two layers of soft, knitted sheers. This provides them with the adjustable light and privacy control of blinds, and the soft feel of a shade. Sheer blinds give you privacy control, while allowing light to filter into your home. So choose these blinds for rooms that can benefit from maximizing the natural sunlight.

Swags, Curtains, and Draperies

These terms refer to soft or sheer fabrics that can be used in a variety of ways. Swags, or scarves, can be draped over the top of a window frame, dressing up the window. They can be used in conjunction with a window shade or blind, or by themselves. Curtains and drapes are fabrics that are available in a wide assortment of patterns, textures, and colors, and they can also be used standalone or in combination with a hard window treatment. The fabrics in swags, curtains, and draperies will soften the look of any window, or offer it an accent that it may not otherwise have. Choose sheer draperies in rooms where you want privacy, but sunlight is limited, as they will let the most amount of light in when closed.

Shutters

Shutters are more architecturally-complex than shades or blinds. They do not have any strings, and the louver blades cannot be pulled up to the top, as in blinds. Instead, the louvers sit on a panel that swings open on hinges, much like a door. The louvers themselves rotate open and closed to control privacy and light settings. Shutters can be made of wood, polymer wood blends, fabric, glass, or metal. Many people choose shutters for the maximum privacy that they afford, as well as their ability to shade a room from the rays of the sun completely. Shutters can also add a rustic or an elegant touch to any room, due to their architectural beauty. Shutter louvers are typically wider than blind slats, providing better view-through, as well.

Cornices or valances

From wood to silk flower garland, cornices and valances are placed over unsightly window treatment hardware to add beauty and continuity to your window. Not only do cornices and valances hide hardware, they can also be expertly placed above the window casing to make the ceiling look taller.

Now that we've covered some of the basic window treatment types, you've got the fundamentals covered. Next up: 6 Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing Window Treatments. Check it out on Buzzle, or visit www.blindcrafter.com/kristinasdesignstudio.cfm.