Purpose of window treatments? (6)
1) Aesthetics and privacy
2) They can help mask aesthetically or architecturally inappropriateness
3) Light control
4) Temperature control
5) Sound control
6) Color-fading control
Advantages and disadvantages to roller shades
-least expensive but not prettiest. Mostly utilitarian
-Can be custom made with different fabrics and often used in contemporary settings
Roll-up Blinds characteristics
-Blinds roll up from the bottom
-Also inexpensive
-Often made of narrow slats of wood, most often bamboo-tied together by threads
-provides privacy but not best for light control
Pull-up Blind characteristics
-Rise up in pleats
-a little more formal than roll-up blinds
What are Venetian Blinds?
A favorite for traditional and contemporary homes.
Advantage: They can be pulled up and can control angle of slats to pinpoint control of light and privacy.
-Traditional venetians made of wide wood slats painted in muted tones.
-Modern venetians-choice of wood or metal slats in many colors, wide or narrow.
Vertical Blind Characteristics?
They are strictly contemporary mood and style
-available in metal, plastic, or fabric slats also called "vanes" in varying widths.
Leave 1/6 of their open width when stacked.
Disadvantages of vertical blinds?
-Not good for total darkness or privacy
-Can be loud clattering when blown by wind or HVAC unit
Characteristics of Roman Blinds
-more opulent looking
-must be custom made
can be used with about any decor since fabric used will help fit style.
What are Austrian Blinds and what are their characteristics?
-Fabric shades that billow into elegant curves
-They are formal and elegant
-usually made of sheer, transluscent fabric such as lightweight silk or synthetic
-usually placed under another elaborate window treatment
-only used in high budget formal rooms
What are balloon blinds? What are the two types?
They pull up from the bottom to create soft draped folds but billow outward as they pull up.
1) Box pleated (more tailored, modern, and sophisticated)
2) Shirred (Picture) (pushed onto pole for more feminine and traditional look)
Louvered Shutters
Series of blades "louvers"- fixed or movable to control the amount of light and air they admit. Available in a variety of blade widths.
Narrow best for Georgian, Federal, or Early American styles while wide width is better for contemporary rooms and tropical settings.
What are fabric shutters?
Made of an open, wooden frame onto which fabric is shirred. It has a country cottage effect and used for informal settings (EAF or country French)
-usually custom made so use for higher budget projects.
-plan how they will stack in "reveal"
-can also have a wooden box built around window frame.
What are Shoji Screens?
Japanese style made of wooden frame with rice paper panels and typically slide in top and bottom tracks usually made of wood. Avoid using in chinese-style rooms.
What is a lattice screen?
Produces casual garden effect or also moroccan or persian look.
What is a glass curtain/casement curtain?
A thin, translucent fabric that lets in diffused daylight, provides some privacy and cuts down harshness of direct sunlight. Also called an undercurtain.
What is a "draw drapery"?
drawn open or closed-usually in heavy, opaque fabric.
What is the difference between a curtain and a drapery?
Curtain is any hanging fabric where a drapery is a curtain that is LINED.
Dress drapery vs Draw drapery?
Dress drapery is in a permanent stationary position while a draw drapery can be open or closed and often used in conjunction of another treatment.
What is the purpose of a lining?
1) protects fabric from harsh rays
2) protects from dust
3) makes draperies more opaque for greater light control and privacy.
What is an interlining?
A secondary lining that is sandwiched between the drapery fabric and regular lining to add bulk to enable it to hang better and lengthens life and temp control.
How do you figure out how much fabric is needed for curtains? 2 Steps
1) Measure full area of coverage you want
2) calculate 3x as much fabric as area you are covering
* Most bolts of fabric are 4' wide. Divide your total square footage by 4 to get feet of length and convert to yards.
* still calculate fullness as if closed for dress draperies
Shirred curtain attributes
1) best rods are 3/4" wide solid flat metal rods with brash finish
2) less expensive option is to use 1/2" diameter rod
3)usually used with glass curtains that don't need to be moved often
What are stretch curtains?
Glass curtains stretched/attached to windows to so they can swing in and out. Often used in traditional settings and french doors
Cafe Curtains
Cover bottom part of window
scalloped on top w/ rings sewn to points
-casual country living.
What are traverse rods and what are the advantages?
mechanical track where drapes can be pulled by rope and pulley system.
Advantages:
1) can easily be hung using detachable hooks
2) Pleats on top always arrange nicely
3) Fabric of curtains fall neatly into folds
4) fabric is protect
5)curtains open evenly on each side and close tightly in overlap in middle
6) they can be easily removed from track to be cleaned.
What are the three types of pleats on top of curtains (headers)?
1) Cartridge Pleat: more custom made look because of "rarity. *picture shown
2) French or Pinch Pleat
3) Boxed Pleat: fabric easily creased (linen) should be used. Only use when curtain remain in fixed position since they can't be gathered to one side.
3) Boxed Pleat
Valance Characteristics
1) Sticks out 4-5" and attached to wall by angle iron mounted. Face of valance attached to that in front of track and drapery.
-Can use soft fabric or plywood or masonite that is fabric covered for more tailored, ornate look.
-Can use Cornice box-painted wood box. Can be straight edged or ornate.
How do you measure for a valance?
Measure from where the top of the valance should be to floor (in inches) and multiply by 1/6. For height of valance (max) or -2" for minimum height allowed.
Tips for window treatments in a small room (4)
1) Scale: small and simple. Solid colors are best or small pattern/motif
2) Light color
3) Aim for unity-match colors to wall to blend for ex.
4) Valance should be same color as wall or fabric as draperies.
Tips for window treatments in large room
1) Scale: Big-treatments can be elaborate, patterns bold
2) Dark color gives the appearance of moving the walls closer to you
3) Aim for diversity-contrasting colors.
Tips for changing apparent ceiling height using window treatments? For more height? For lower ceilings?
More height: Hang curtains high and use vertical patterns
To lower ceiling: Use horizontal patterns, lowering curtains on wall and sometimes ending curtains a distance from floor.
How do you handle window treatments for separate windows? How do you make a small room appear more spacious?
Use one valance across both windows.
Use draw draperies when opened
Use glass curtains or venetian blinds and paint molding neutral color.
How do you treat multiple windows in one frame?
-Treat as though its a single unit no matter size of room
-Use a valance
-Use glass curtain when drapery is open, or venetian blinds etc
-If no valance is used, than use drapery on a track that goes wall to wall.
How far off the floor should drapery hang?
1/2" from floor
How do you handle window treatments around HVAC's
-use tie backs and other blind/shade used
-extend draperies 1' off wall to clear HVAC unit
-Custom build box around entire window and unit w/ louvered openings for airflow.-High budget jobs only
How can you change window dimensions with a valance?
-Use valance at top of window to make it smaller
- Use curtains in or farther out to adjust apparent size.