If you have not purchased window treatments in awhile, you will be amazed at the selection. There are beautiful wood blinds in rich finishes and textures, cellular shades in almost every color of the rainbow, and new choices for sliding glass doors. With advances in technology, you can now get dust-resistant fabrics, child-safe features, even remote controls.

With so many options, where do you begin? Begin by evaluating your rooms. Is privacy an issue? Do you have a beautiful view you’d like to accentuate or an unattractive view you’d like to downplay? Is energy efficiency a consideration? If you have old, drafty windows, or several uncovered windows, you may be negatively impacting your energy bills or letting in damaging UV rays. In a TV or computer room, you may need a window covering that prevents glare on the screens. In a bathroom, window treatments need to be moisture resistant. And in a bedroom, privacy is a primary factor. Knowing what your needs are will help you narrow down some of your choices.

Energy efficiency is an important consideration with north-facing windows. These windows offer consistent light but cold exposure during the day. An uncovered single-pane window has an R-value of about 1.75 (R-value is a measurement of a product’s ability to resist heat loss.) The higher the R-value, the less heat will be lost through your window. You can increase the R-value of your window by selecting energy-efficient window treatments. This extra layer of insulation can help save money on your energy bill.

East-facing windows provide morning sunlight, and warm, bright light during the day. For these windows, consider window treatments that block ultraviolet sunrays. Just as sunscreen helps protect our skin from UV rays, window treatments can help protect our upholstered furniture, wood floors, carpeting and artwork from the damaging effects of the sun.

South-facing windows let in good, warm light all year round. Consider light-diffusing treatments to protect your furnishings. Afternoon sun, the hottest light of the day, enters through west-facing windows. You may need a combination of treatments on these windows—light-diffusing treatments along with an extra layer to provide extra insulation and protection.

Window treatments can blend into the background or be the main focus of the room. An art collector, for instance, would want her art to stand out as the main design element. In that case, she would choose neutral window treatments to blend with the wall color. On the other hand, perhaps you’d like your window treatments to make a statement in your room. Picture gorgeous swags and draperies in rich silk fabric in a traditional living room, or a charming awning valance in a country kitchen.

In contemporary rooms with clean, modern lines, you may opt for just a shade or blinds mounted inside your window casing. No fabric top treatment may be necessary. In more formal, traditional rooms, however, a window might look bare with just the shade or blind. Fabric draperies and valances will complete the look.

Matchstick blinds or bamboo shades can create a tropical look, while shutters provide a classic, timeless look to a room. Balloon shades can give a bedroom a soft, feminine feel, while wood blinds look wonderful in a masculine den or library. With so many options available today, selecting window coverings can be a daunting task. However with thoughtful planning, you can select the perfect window treatments for your home.

This article appeared in The Tri-City Voice on June 3, 2011.

When I first started my business seven years ago, I began offering hard window treatments like vinyl shutters, wood blinds and honeycomb shades to my clients. These window coverings are attractive and practical, and great for a variety of situations. Some clients, however, prefer the softness of fabric on their windows. Several years ago, I had the good fortune to connect with David Araki, owner of The Drapery Source in Fremont. Some of my clients were asking for custom draperies and top treatments, and I needed a local source for these lovely products.

In design classes I learned about textiles and about which types of treatments are best suited to particular decorating styles, but Araki gave me the on-the-job training I needed to better serve my clients. He taught me about all of the details associated with custom draperies: How to take the detailed measurements required; how to distinguish and decide between a pinch pleat and a goblet pleat; how to accommodate those complicated corner windows; how to determine how wide and full a drapery panel should be, and much more. Araki and I have been working together on my clients’ drapery design projects ever since. I’ve been consistently impressed with the high-quality workmanship, and Araki has been a valuable source of information and ideas, as well as a patient teacher. With custom products there are many details to keep track of, and many decisions to be made. Selecting the fabric and style is the fun part, but indeed is just the beginning.

As a decorator, I love the magnificent selection of fabrics available. Designing custom window treatments has become one of the aspects I enjoy most about my work. There is nothing quite like the luxury of gorgeous fabrics on a window. For one client, floor-to-ceiling gold silk drapes have given her living room an unbelievably rich look. For another client, formal swags and cascades in cream-colored moiré fabric provide an elegant touch in her dining room. Recently, we installed valances in another client’s living room– the colors and pattern of the fabric tied the whole room together. Current projects include contemporary cornices designed to coordinate perfectly with a newly purchased bedding ensemble, and a sophisticated set of draperies in striking copper and black.

With custom window treatments you get choices. Thousands of fabrics and trims to choose from; myriad styles that can be altered any way you like. If you want a fuller drapery panel, you can have it. If your windows are high off the ground and you need an extra long panel you can have it. If you want black-out lining so you can sleep in the morning you can have that too. Custom window treatments are expensive, especially given the high cost of labor in the Bay Area. But my clients who purchase them have loved the way they add a luxurious look and provide the perfect finishing touch to their rooms. For Araki and myself, it’s all in a day’s work.

This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper Group papers on April 28, 2007.

“Welcome to the 1980′s,” one client told me recently, when I toured her home, decorated in 80′s blue and peach. Can you relate to this? If your home’s decor is out of date, one sure way to bring it into current fashion is to update your window treatments. If you have had your fabric window treatments for more than 15 years, it probably is time for an update. One especially popular window treatment is the Roman shade. Roman shades are very versatile and can be made using a variety of materials such as fabric, bamboo or woven wood.

The most common styles of Roman shade are the flat Roman and the soft-fold Roman. Just as their name describes, flat Romans hang flat in the window, but the fabric stacks into neat folds as the shade is raised, creating an attractive valance at the top of the window. Soft-fold Romans have the folds sewn into the shade, giving the shade more detail when it is in the down position.

Roman shades can be equally at home in contemporary or classic rooms. The type of material selected dictates whether the look is more casual, country, formal or contemporary. For instance, a woven wood Roman looks wonderful in a casual room filled with natural materials and textures. Silk, on the other hand, would be appropriate in a more formal room with traditional furnishings. Many types of fabrics are suitable for Roman shades, from cotton prints to heavier woven fabrics. For added interest, the shades can be embellished with fabric bands made in contrasting colors. For maximum design options, nothing beats having your Roman shade custom-made. You can select the fabric, style, trims and lifting system that best suit your windows and your room’s decor.

Custom-made Roman shades can be made to fit a variety of windows such as bay windows and French doors. They can be mounted inside the window casing or on the wall above the window. If the shades are made with fabric, they should be lined. Woven wood shades are often left unlined in order to let light filter through. For those of you who like to sleep late in the mornings, consider a room-darkening lining.

Depending on the size of the window, the Roman shade may be quite heavy. For very large shades, a continuous cord loop lifting system is best. This type of lifting system works on the principle of a pulley and rotates a clutch to raise and lower the shade. For lighter shades, you can choose a lift cord that wraps around a cleat attached to the wall next to the window, or a lift cord with a cord lock that locks the shade in the desired position.

If you want only top treatments for your windows, consider my favorite style of valance, the mock Roman valance. Made to resemble the Roman shade, the soft-fold mock Roman valance gives a tailored look to the window, and, like the Roman shade, is compatible with many different decorating styles.

This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper Group papers on Dec. 10, 2005.

Q. We’ve recently replaced all of the windows in our home and we don’t want to put the old window coverings back up. We know what we want for most of the windows, but the sliding glass doors have us stumped. Can you offer some suggestions for window treatments for sliding glass doors?

A. Sliding glass doors can be a challenge, but luckily there are several options. I know some people have an aversion to vertical blinds, but I ask you to take another look at verticals, as they are very practical and can be very attractive and stylish. You can get verticals in a great variety of colors, patterns and textures. People like verticals because they allow you to control the amount of light entering your room. The vanes can be adjusted in any number of positions, letting in light, reducing glare, or maximizing privacy. Adding a beautiful fabric valance or a crown molding cornice can enhance vertical blind head rails.

If you’d like something softer than vertical blinds on your slider, how about drapes? Fabric drapes offer privacy, color, style and practicality. There are many ready-made draperies available these days, but you just can’t beat custom-made drapes for their workmanship and quality. Not to mention that you have an endless variety of fabrics to choose from. In one client’s home, I designed drapery panels in cream-colored linen with a wide burgundy band at the bottom to repeat the burgundy color of the walls. For another client, we installed floor-to-ceiling gold silk drapes along the entire wall to give the living room an elegant, formal feel.

Luminette Privacy Sheers are another beautiful choice for sliders. They function like a vertical blind, but are as lovely as sheer draperies. The vanes can be opened or closed, and the sheer fabric allows beautiful, soft filtered light to enter the room. Luminette Privacy Sheers are at home in casual as well as formal settings.

Quite a few of my clients have opted for a Duette Vertiglide on their sliding glass door. The Vertiglide is a version of Duette Honeycomb Shades made especially for sliders. The Vertiglide offers privacy, filtered light, and a large selection of colors and fabrics. It gives a room a streamlined, clean look, and can also be enhanced by adding a valance.

Another alternative is to hang a shade or blind above each of the sliding door panels. Each shade or blind would have its own set of lift cords, which offers flexibility. For example, you could leave one side completely open for access to the outdoors, leave both sides open for maximum view, or close both for maximum privacy. If you like this idea, you have many products to choose from, including aluminum mini-blinds, wood blinds, Duettes, Silhouettes, Roman shades, woven wood blinds and many more.

This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper Group papers on April 16, 2005.

When it comes to dressing your windows, the sky’s the limit. With thousands of fabrics and a myriad of styles to choose from, there is no reason to have naked windows. Custom window treatments add a finishing touch to any room.

As you are investigating your options, make sure you keep in mind functionality as well as beauty. For instance, do you like your room to be dark in the morning? If so, select a window treatment with a room darkening lining. Is privacy a factor? Look for opaque fabrics or blinds. Does the afternoon sun create glare on your TV? You will want a window treatment that allows you to control the light. Do you have kids or pets to consider? Blinds and shutters would work for you, as would soft treatments made from durable fabrics. Budget is also a deciding factor—How long will you be living in your home? If you plan to stay awhile, invest in top-of-the-line window fashions. Even if you are planning a move in the next few years, it is important to know that beautiful custom window treatments can be a very attractive selling feature for your home.

What kind of mood would you like to create in the room? Formal, elegant, dramatic? Casual, whimsical? For traditional and formal décor, you might select gorgeous swags and cascades in moiré on top of sheer draperies. Or perhaps silk drapery panels. Don’t forget the tassel tiebacks and bullion fringe for even more elegance. The beauty of custom draperies is that they can be made exactly to your specifications. If you have high ceilings, for instance, ready-made drapes will be hard to find. Custom drapes, on the other hand, will fit your windows, walls and room perfectly. Ask for help– a good designer can help you select the perfect fabric and design.

Casual rooms require more casual window treatments. How about a soft-fold Roman shade or woven wood blind? Perhaps tab-top drapery panels or a box-pleated valance. To create a designer look, use coordinating fabrics to make throw pillows and a tablecloth. Reupholster your dining room chairs and create a custom slipcover for your sofa.
Add drama to your room with fabrics in rich colors, textures and patterns. Whimsical prints in bright colors add a bit of playfulness.

Fabric window treatments are called “soft” window treatments, while blinds and shutters and called “hard” window treatments. Blinds and shutters are very practical and good-looking. Wood blinds, aluminum blinds and shutters offer excellent light control and easy maintenance. For steamy baths, consider faux wood blinds or vinyl shutters, both of which resist moisture. Some clients enjoy the clean lines of the blinds and shutters by themselves, while other clients choose to add softness and dress their windows even more with drapery panels and top treatments. There are no hard and fast rules. With so many choices, the perfect window treatment is out there. Let your needs and personal preferences be your guide.

This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper Group papers on July 24, 2004.