Greetings,
Welcome back to Matters of Style, a periodic newsletter from To a T Interiors. This edition is all about window treatments-- profiling recent work with clients and sharing insights into buying custom window treatments. You can view lots of before/after pictures and see what a difference window treatments make in dressing a window and completing a room. Happy Decorating!
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Enhance a Room with Window Treatments
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If you believe jewelry completes the outfit, then window treatments (WTs) are the jewels in a finished room. They add warmth, texture and color to windows. By raising the eye upward, they make a room feel larger as evidenced by the before and after pictures of this breakfast nook.
This notched cornice covers the header of pleated shades when they are not in use, and accentuates the shape of the pretty bay window. The fabric pulls colors from the adjoining living and dining rooms.
It is always a pleasure to see a vision come to fruition as in this office vignette.
The silhouette shades were installed and the desk was ordered when I worked with this client on panels to frame the window. 
We picked an open weave, light filtering fabric that has loads of texture. The fabric comes in a wide array of colors, so it was easy to find just the right shade to complement the fabric, paint and carpet colors already in the room. The rod is metallic and the Burnt Silver finish picks up the gold and silver tones in the room's accessories.
 
This brand new guest bedroom was outfitted with new furniture, bedding, lighting and art. But it wasn't complete without these stationary panels, tied back at the window frame. The rod is also metallic, to match the bronze tones of the lamps. We chose a complementary fabric for a box-pleat valance in the adjacent guest bath.
Another client inherited the valances pictured below in her dining room and office when she moved in and lived with them for many years until deciding it was time for a change.
 
We found fabrics to complement the existing furnishings and opted for a more tailored design at each window. The results are reflective of the trend toward a more streamlined look for top treatments in today's window fashions.
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Insights on Buying Custom WTs
| This continues a series of articles on updating our 17-year old "new" home. The former owner had installed shutters and pleated shades that looked great and were still perfectly functional in many rooms. But there were decorative valances in several rooms that worked with her furnishings but were dated in their color/style and shades that needed updating. Here are some suggestions that I utilized to prioritize and save money when designing custom WTs for our home.
I advise clients to always address the practical aspects of window coverings first, namely solving for privacy and light control. Hard window treatments such as blinds and shades are the mainstay for ensuring privacy and controlling sun light. I recommend investing in hard treatments first and in doing so, consider if they can be the ultimate solution for your windows. 
This before picture is of our master bedroom just after moving in. I had the pleated shades removed when we painted and decided not to put them back up as they did not offer enough light control for the morning sun, nor were they visually interesting.
 Rather than choosing blinds with a top treatment, I opted for lined roman shades in a fabric that blends with the paint color but has visual interest with a subtle tone-on-tone stripe. A top-down, bottom-up feature allows the shades to be lifted in either direction for maximum privacy and light control.
Below left is the eat-in area after we completed the kitchen renovation. The cellular shades (which came with the house) are in great shape, serve to keep out the afternoon sun but are a bit ho-hum. I wanted a top treatment to add color and texture since everything in the kitchen is a hard surface. I found an embroidered fabric that complemented the color palette and worked with a custom fabricator on the size and shape.
The pleated shades sit underneath, ready to be lowered when the afternoon sun is bothersome.
 
We went with a relaxed roman shade at the kitchen sink. The original plan was to do a soft roman valance at the bay window too. Upon receiving the labor and yardage quote, I worked with the fabricator to reduce the cost. She recommended the cornice for the bay window which saved approximately 25% in fabric and labor costs. Each style complements its window and the difference in styles is a happy compromise.
Have you experienced the challenge of dressing an unusually sized window? I fell in love with this guest bedroom window when we bought our house. The first picture is the seller's valance that she took with her. The second picture is the window sans valance at move-in, there are roller shades at each window for privacy/light control.
 
The valance running the length of the window visually elongated the room, which is 18', 10" x 12'. Shutters were my preference but they would not work on the middle 3 windows that have crank openers at the base (shutters are also quite expensive). So, I opted for shutters on the ends, which serve to frame the window and shorten its appearance. But what to do with the center, to cover the unsightly roller shades (that are, again, perfectly functional). Perhaps a custom cornice in the center? I cut out butcher paper and taped it up to get an idea of how it could look. Then found fabric that picks up on the wall color and after the workroom did their magic, voila, here is the finished product.
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As always, if you need help making your home the inviting, comfortable space you envision, call To a T Interiors. We can help you select the perfect paint color, style your windows or redesign your living spaces to enhance the beauty and function for the whole family.
Susan
301-467-3563
www.toatinteriors.com
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Q & A Corner
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| Q. Custom window treatments are outside my budget, are ready-made drapes an option?
A. There are many options for buying ready-made panels today, with loads of color and fabric choices. Panels look good on a variety of windows. If you can, buy double panels for each side and join them for a fuller, hence more custom, look. Check out this post by Kelly Bernier to see this point demonstrated.
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Free Design Advice
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Do you need help selecting paint colors? I'll be offering complimentary design and paint advice from 10am-1pm on July 26th at Custom Color Paints. They feature Benjamin Moore paint and are located at 6943 Market Street in Wilmington. Walk-ins are welcome or you can call me and reserve a specific time. I'll be back from 12-3pm on 8/16 if the July date doesn't work for you.
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Technical Note
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