Pam's Window Treatments

Hi Christine,

We have 4 sets of double French doors they are 5'0" x 6'8". I need suggestions for blinds/treatments,  whatever. I do want to be able to have the light come in as much as possible during the day. I'm not concerned with the transoms that are so high up but in the evenings I feel like we are in a fishbowl because this is where we spend the majority of our time.

Thanks!

- Pam

Hi Pam,

(FYI= Pam is a friend of mine.  we were friends when we both were single, and I was working in LA. - I spotted this question on Facebook- which is just lucky- because I spend so little time on Facebook.  )

First, I want to say that little face in the second photo is adorable. 

I would do two things with your windows.

1.  Drapes- four sets in-between each set of French doors.

2.  Blind or shade- outside mounted on the doors themselves.

From the peak at your home, I do not see much in the way of fabric, softness, pattern and color.  I see brown leather and brown leather.  I could be wrong, but in my experience, when I see a bunch of brown leather, I see a home where people are afraid to commit to a color palette, maybe concerned about making a mistake, maybe not knowing what to do, maybe wanting everything to be amazingly durable for children, but not making really fabulous design decisions. 

Your window treatments are a great place to start.  With all of that brown leather, use brown in your decorating.  Don't pretend like it is a pair of denim jeans that your shirt doesn't have to match.  You don't have to use a lot of brown, but at least a little.

Go with patterned drapes:

(these are from Pottery Barn)

I would do a fabric Roman shade on the doors.

What I wanted to find, but couldn't, was a photo of a shade like this:

but with yellow instead of red...

Then, for some unsolicited advice...  to really have that room look amazing- let's wallpaper!

This paper is from one of my favorite books, Silhouettes by York.

OK- then I added a rug and some pillows...

You have a beautiful home- this will give you the punch.

I also want to make a comment about the transom windows.  The placement of the sconces prohibit really including them in the draperies at all, which makes me not want to include them in the shades either.  However, the rays of light that come in from the higher angles are actually the most damagining to your furnishings.  You don't want those gorgeous kitchen cabinets to fade.  If your windows did not come with UV protection, you should have a film put on them.  It will reduce glare and protect your things, everything from your floors to your fabrics, from the sun's harmful rays. 

The photo above is from Vista Window Film, a good reputable company.  The last thing you want is peeling window treatment.  ;-) (do I sound like a commercial?  I am not sophisticated enough to have figured out how to have Vista pay me for this...)

XOXO,

Christine

For a great lesson in how to use color in your interior design- register for my webinar- this eveing- 6pm Pacific Time.

Decorology meets DWC

Today's question came off of Decorology.  The gal that does Decorology is a web designer and is currently in the process of re-doing my site.  It is really going to look fantastic.

Anyway- back to her- this photo and request came from her site:

Help! I need to pick out a color for curtains in my new living room!

So, I moved into my apartment about a month ago - and there is still SO MUCH work to do. Coming up on the list is to make new curtain panels for the patio doors in my living room. My inclination is to go with white and airy - because that is probably my favorite look. However, I also feel like maybe I should explore some other possibilities.

Since I know many of you are super creative and have a great eye - I'm hoping I'll get some fab suggestions! Also, I'm not adverse to pattern if you have any ideas pattern-wise!

Can't wait to hear what you guys come up with!

Photoshopped "white" curtains...

Ashley,

First of all I want to say how super amazed I am at the photoshop job.  That is pretty cool!  I wish I could do that.  I had two semesters of photoshop in college- but it didn't stick.   However- the solid white curtains are not so cool.   Why?

1.  There is a disconnect between the rug, furnishings and curtains.  Nothing is bringing them together.  You need a unifier.

2.  You need more pattern in the room.  The strong pattern in the rug is off balance when it is the only pattern around. 

3.  You need more color in the room.  Add color in the curtains, and also some throw pillows.  There needs to be repetition of color here and there.

The good news?  You can be done by this afternoon.  I selected everything form West Elm. 

You can still have your drapes light and airy- but add pattern and color.

I would add to these a black canvas tape on the edge.  Keep in mind that when I say "color" beige is a color.  ;-)  Your window treatments should also be layered.  Add some black woven blinds to be the first layer.

Another exercise you can do is visually draw a horizontal line across the room.  Do you have balance?  Balance with color?  Balance with pattern?  Notice how in the room shot above, (and I know there are many angles we don't see)- there is a lack of balance.  All of the color and pattern are on the bottom of your horizontal line.  Another good reason to use patterned drapes.  The black woven shades will also bring more visual weight into the upper portion of the room, improving your currently bottom heavy lack of balance. 

Now- bring in more of your rug colors in some throw pillows.

Use one of these.  See the one on the right that is cut off that has the red and black in it?  I thought that would go great with your rug. 

You have white walls and that white needs to be brought into your room more.  (Except not in solid white drapes.  ;-)

Add a white pillow to the mix.

There you go-  Add a couple other random pillows- we don't need to go for matching, but there needs to be some matching for a unification.  See what I mean- an hour or less of shopping and you are done. 

The Base Layer

I just spent the first half of the day (after early morning tutoring and getting four kids off to school) at the Hunter Douglas Premiers 2011.  I have been freshly informed about all things Hunter Douglas and ready to take any questions you may have.

One of my favorite products this morning was the Designer Screen shades line.  Not only is Hunter Douglas a leader in the industry for mechanisms, they now offer PowerRise (you can lift the shade with a remote control) on their roller shades.  (As well as a hardwired option.)  A perfect solution for some of the super high windows that are found so frequently here in California. 

The designer in me as well as the mother in me is a big fan of all things cordless- which is also an option in designer screen shades.  I feel like they are getting better and better at having very current fabrics and styles.  When I first got out of college- in the late 1990's- there were still a lot of 1980's pastels- but not any more- they have one great color after the next. 

They are a perfect solution for layering window treatments.  They add a level of textural interest and functionality- that can be covered with drapery panels and Roman shades.

OK- now I am starting to sound like a commercial- I just wanted to let you know that I can field questions if anyone is in the market for blinds or shades.  :)

Abby's Big Barrier of Boring Beige

I would like to start by saying that I have been having computer problems- they are really ticking me off- so after reading this post- I know I came across strong- and please don't cry or hate me- I am just mad at my computer- and taking it out on Abby's family room.

Abby sent me pictures of her home- but I was unable to find actual questions in her e-mails- so - I thought I'd just run with it.

First of all- the furniture is far from ideal for the space- you have two large sofas and a love seat all in a non-specific style, and a color that is hard to find a name for. It seems so non-committal to me. Like you either don't know what style you like, or you are too timid to go there- or perhaps you and your husband have such different styles that each of you moved to the middle - which ended up being the middle of nowhere. But the result is a room full of nothing. There is also such a large amount of furniture that it is forcing you to push everything against the wall. If you have fewer than nine children- you don't need that much seating. I see a zebra chair that tells me there is a stylish girl there peeking ever so timidly out behind a big barrier of boring beige. So- anyway- if replacing the furniture is in the budget- let me know- but I won't address that in this post. One more word about furniture arrangement- case pieces almost never look good on an angle. Find a wall that is the right scale and move your curio. In addition to the angle being a problem- itis also next to your TV stand. Case piece next to case piece is a rhythm killer.

Secondly, your paint colors are horrible. I know that might sound strong. But they don't look good with each other- or with your furniture. The red wall and red chair do not go well. This is not the right style of room for an "accent wall." As regular readers of my blog know- the use of the "accent wall" is much easier in a more contemporary setting rather than in such a traditional room. HGTV are doing it's watchers a great disservice with all of the "accent walls" they are using. I would go much lighter and more neutral in your paint color. Check out the paint color I suggested for Jen in this post- and see how it looks with your items. Put your new paint on all of your walls.

Third- create more variety in wall decor. Look around the room. If there is not a window, there is a "picture" on every wall. You need variety. Check out this post that I did for Rebbecca- it goes into wall decor variety in more detail. There are SO MANY more things you can put on your walls other than just pictures. Try to do something different on each wall. Think outside the box. Anyone have some unique suggestions for Abby's wall decor?

Fourth- add drapes. Your window treatments are not done without a fabric treatment. Use that as a way to solidify your color pallet for the room. I see red, I see beige, I see black and white, and a rug that I can't really tell what colors are in there. Your room is disconnected. I selected a fabric for you (at the top of the post) from Robert Allen. Invite more pattern. Use your window treatments to give yourself a color pallet. I can't really tell what type of blinds you currently have- but they remind me of your sofas. No color- no texture- no style. I would replace them with dark woven woods- the color of your coffee table.

Fifth- add a focal point. Of course the focal point is the fireplace- but your fireplace has some issues. The trim above it makes it impossible to hang anything there. I would remove it. This is your focal point. The furniture faces it, the rhythm of the room should be all directing and pointing to this great focal point. Your surround is too small- the mantle is too skinny.... Perhaps start with simply removing the trim- and hanging something great over it.

It's pretty dangerous responding to a question without being able to read the question... I hope I was more helpful than hurtful...

Consitency, Commitment, and Considering

Hello Christine,

I found your blog while looking for window treatment ideas. I am sending you a picture of my windows to see if you have any ideas. I love dupioni silk - all I know:) Seriously - I need help with how many panels to hang on the 3 windows. Any ideas appreciated!

Thanks Laura

Hi Laura,

I love window treatment questions- thanks for writing in. I want you to keep a few things in mind with yours.

1. Consistency of Formality.

That sounds like such an official term- consistency of formality. That is my way of saying that white wood blinds are too informal for Duioni Silk. I would combine silk with a nice woven shade, Roman shades, or perhaps shutters- something more formal- but there is such a low level of formality to a two inch wood blind- I would not pair it with silk. Keep the wood blinds and use a less formal fabric, or pair the silk with a more formal shade.

2. Tell me Laura- if someone asked you what color your room is- how would you answer? It can be shades of neutral- you don't have to have rainbow colors- but I am only seeing one shade- dark brown- and I spied a little red on a pillow. You need more of a commitment to a color pallet. Adding drapes is a good place to solidify this. Consider a pattern that will bring in the different colors you want to use. Even if these colors are shades of neutral that vary from the light in your walls to the dark in your furniture- great- but let's pull them together. It looks to me like you are afraid of commitment. Not entirely- I do see a husband in there on the sofa- but afraid of color commitment.

3. You will notice that the photos I included in this post have rows of windows close together. The question becomes- "Do I add panels between each window- or just on the sides? How many? How high?" To which I answer- there is more than one good way to dress the windows. If you have a horrible view- an ugly neighbor's RV- a swamp- something you don't really want to see- add panels between each window. Make it more about the window treatments and less about the view. Most of the time- that is more panels than I would do when the windows are so very close together- add eight more inches between windows- and my advice changes- but I would use either two or four panels. Four panels would be hung like you see below. Nice and high- on the ends of the collections of windows.

Two panels would be hung more like you see in the photo below. More of a tie back - framing the windows one on the far left and another on the far right.

So there you go- remember

1. Consistency of formality
2. Commit to a color pallet
3. Consider two or four panels-

(hang them high. When they are hung lower- they are really more for just the window they are next to- we want these treatments to say- "I am framing all of the windows.")