Blinds, shutters and window coverings are a vital part of any home decorating scheme. Imagine rooms full of sunlight and fragrant, fresh air.; a cool evening breeze wafting through you home after a warm summer afternoon; being able to gaze out into the first snowfall of winter, while curled up in your favorite chair and sipping a cup of hot tea.
Windows make all of those things possible. Very few people would choose to live without them. But the very qualities which make windows so desirable are also their drawbacks: light transmission and diminished privacy.
The window coverings that give you a view of the outside world also let those on the outside get a view of you. Windows limit your privacy until you find suitable ways to cover them. And when you are choosing your window coverings, you’ll need to consider several things: their safety, longevity, ease of cleaning, privacy, style, price, and degree of light control.
If you have small children at home, blinds with cords for raising and lowering may be inappropriate. There are safer options, like hinged interior shutters.
The longevity of your window covering will depend to a great degree on the quality of its construction. You window covering will be exposed to direct sunlight, moisture, and wide temperature swings. They will also be opened and closed on a regular basis. So don’t expect fabric window coverings, which will eventually fade, to hold up for as long as solid coverings like wooden shutters or vinyl blinds.
All window coverings, regardless of the material, will have to be cleaned periodically. For fabric coverings, this usually means removal and a trip to the laundry or dry cleaner, and coming up with alternative covering while they are gone. Wooden, vinyl, or aluminum window coverings, on the other hand, will clean up very well with a light vacuuming or dusting, or wiping with a soft cloth and ammonia solution.
Any kind of window covering which is not entirely transparent will provide some privacy; frosted or block glass will diffuse light so that you do not need an additional covering.
The style of your window coverings should complement the room in which it is used. There are both formal and casual window treatments, and even “alternative” ones which can complement a variety of decors.
You probably have a ballpark figure for what you want to spend on window coverings. Just remind yourself that what you save in money now you may sacrifice in longevity. Low-cost window coverings, with normal use, will probably need replacing in less than five years. High-end coverings, like wooden shutters, however, are designed to be permanent home fixtures, will block almost all light when closed, and can be painted or stained to match your existing décor.
Other window coverings offer varying degrees of light control. Your windows are transparent in their unobstructed state.
Translucent coverings will diffuse incoming light and blur images; coverings which filter the light will mute it evening the brightest conditions; semi-opaque coverings like shutters have impenetrable surfaces broken by light-allowing gaps; and opaque covering, like the blackout curtains used in war time, completely block light. Your choices of blinds, shutters and window coverings is so vast that your problem will be chooinsg among the myriad choices!
Home Decor & Furniture
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