Sheer curtains, honeycomb blinds, plantation shutters: window dressings you’ll love
Interiors expert Wendy Moore uses modern window treatments when updating rooms to create a certain ambience and improve the functionality of a space. Here are a few ways to give your windows a sparkling makeover
One of the most attractive elements of a room is an abundance of natural light. Even so, you need to be able to control its levels as well as your home’s privacy. That’s where window coverings – curtains, blinds, shutters – come into play.
Image: Att Pynta; www.attpynta.com.
The beauty of sheer curtains
There’s nothing like rays of sunshine warming a room, but if that room faces the street, you may get the chills from passers-by peeking in your windows. That’s the beauty of sheer curtains. They’re ethereal and elegant and allow natural light to enter a room while providing privacy for those within.
The soft drapes of sheer curtains work well layered with heavier curtains, but they can also be used in more interesting ways. Take them all the way to the ceiling to accentuate the height of a room. Sheers that take up the whole wall, even when the window doesn’t, can give the room volume and add soft drama.
If you want to incorporate the latest trends, choose fabrics with an organic texture in neutral tones – sandy beige, soft grey and eggshell white are all perfect. DIY Blinds’ Laconia Air fabric in Linen would suit just about any room.
For an inexpensive option, check out Spotlight curtains for a variety of ready-made sheers in neutral shades.
“The latest ranges of window dressings add beauty and a layer of funcationality to interiors” ~ Interiors expert Wendy Moore
Image: Bilboa; biloba.com.ar.
Modern ways with window blinds
Be gone, venetian blinds! Dusty and noisy when there’s the slightest breeze, they’re a relic. But blinds can be practical for blocking light and protecting privacy, especially on a window with a wall heater or bookshelf beneath it, either of which would interrupt the fall of curtains.
Roman blinds are a good option here, as they can be ordered in a variety of widths, lengths, colours and opacities. A light-filtering option can be practical for home offices and studies, where you need the natural light but don’t want it reflecting off computer screens. Check out DIY Blinds’ range of light-filtering fabrics for Roman blinds.
Images: Duette blinds by Luxaflex.
Newer to the window scene are honeycomb blinds with dual opening. The honeycomb design provides insulation and acoustic dampening. Obviously, like all blinds, you can open them from the bottom, but they also open from the top, allowing light into the room while shielding it from the outside world. Manufacturers like Veneta Blinds offer them in a wide variety of colours, with options of block-out, light-filtering or sheer, and without cords, offering safety in homes with children and pets. There are also automation options available.Neutral shades of green, like eucalyptus and olive, are perfect for an all-over palette – try Haymes Paint’s harmonious Leek Leaf – and go well with soft greys and those butter colours.
Regardless of which colour you choose, you should always ensure there is a unified look throughout the home.
Image: Shutter Installation UK
Everyone loves plantation shutters
If you’re renovating because considering selling your home, white shutters, with their timeless appeal, are a great investment. They add aesthetic appeal and give a room a cosy ambience. The slats offer complete control of light levels and privacy and, when they’re closed, shutters keep a house cool in summer and warm in winter.
They are one of the more expensive window-covering options, but consider adding shutters to front rooms only to add curb appeal.
Image: Rod pocket linen curtain panel from Magic Linen.
How to make curtains
If you’ve got some basic sewing skills, you can likely make your own curtains. There are many different styles, from pinch (or French) pleat to rod pocket curtains and there are how-to guides and videos right across the internet. Spotlight has instructions on how to make simple rod pocket curtains on its website.
If you’re replacing all the curtains in a house, you might consider having them custom made. Companies like Luxaflex and Spotlight offer all types of curtain fabrics and the option to have them made up.
How to hang curtains
You’ve got your new curtains and you can’t wait to see them hanging. If you’re lucky, there might already be usable curtain rods in place, but if not, they’re not hard to install yourself.
Choose brackets that are long enough to extend past the depth of the trim. Rods should be about 30cm longer than the window.
Mark the height of your curtain brackets so the rod will be between 10cm and 15cm above the window frame, making sure the curtain will hang to the length you want them. Now make marks on either side of the window about 15cm from the edge of the window frame.
This should give you the correct placement for the brackets. Ensure they’re level before screwing them in and add anchors if your curtains are heavy. Brackets should only be about a metre apart, so you may need to add an extra bracket or two above a window depending on the length of the curtain rod.
Thread or attach the curtains onto the rod then set it in the brackets to hang the curtains.
Want to see more? Sheer curtains transformed thedining room of the Windsor Downs house Wendy renovated for Selling Houses Australia Season 16.
