Window Treatment Design Concepts

Window treatments can range from simple curtain panels hung from a rod to upscale wooden Venetian blinds or luxurious draperies designed to emulate historic design aesthetics.

Regardless what style of window fashion you choose, the design approach will be basically the same; window coverings need to be practical and functional as well as enhancing the beauty of your home.

Applied Design Elements

This ‘applied design’ process revolves around applying the tried and true principles of good design, including the fundamental elements of line, form, space, texture and colour. All of these elements should be well balanced in order to work together correctly.

In the case of window fashions, design also requires understanding how various types of window blinds, shades, curtains and drapes operate so that the appropriate functions of privacy and light control are suitable to a given application.

The Element of Line

The most fundamental element is that of line; using vertical lines in your window treatment adds height to your room, directing the eye upward and helping disguise a square box-shaped window. Vertical lines can be used to create a bold look.

Horizontal lines on the other hand give your room a broader feel and can help break up elements of verticality such as intricate crown moldings and other trim work. Horizontal lines tend to give a room a more casual feeling.

Diagonal lines attract the eye and typically are used to highlight and accent a window treatment; diagonal lines should not be used as a primary element in most cases when designing window treatments.

Curved lines are graceful and can be used to repeat architectural features such as arched doorways in the home or arched windows. If you have a normal rectangular-shaped window you can use curve to soften a square or rectangular window.

You can emphasize the use of line in designing a window treatment by employing elements such as borders, trim, bands, scallops and contrasting fabrics.

Form and Shape

When you join lines together you create shapes. The most common shape in designing window coverings is the rectangle, since that is the shape of most windows. But you can also transform a window that is square into a vertically-oriented rectangular shape by using full length drapes; again, this will add a greater sense of height to the window.

Form denotes three-dimensional shapes; you can add depth to your window treatment by layering elements. This avoids the typically two-dimensional appearance of most window treatments, creating a design that enhances its form.

Curves and diagonal lines can also be used to break up the ‘stiff’ look of a rectangular window opening, softening the look of the window treatment.

Space

Use boundaries to create a sense of space with your window treatments; walls, windows and ceilings bound the room. These boundaries can be greatly altered by the balance, rhythm and scale of window coverings. In some cases, less is more; you wouldn’t want to design an intricate layered window treatment in a modern or casual room. On the other hand, if the furnishings, upholstery and other elements in your room are formal, say in the Victorian or Baroque style, a plain cellular shade without couture touches will look quite out of place.

Texture

Texture is not always obvious in the overall effect achieved by window coverings; fabrics that are coarse will absorb more light and darken a room, while sheer or shiny fabrics reflect and refract light, helping give a room a more airy look.
Materials such as bamboo have become increasingly popular for window blinds and shades because of the natural grain and texture of woven wood shades or blinds made with bamboo instead of wooden slats.

Colour is the Key

Choosing the colour scheme for your window treatment is of paramount importance; be sure to decide on window covering colours when designing the overall look of the room. Too many people make the mistake of leaving window fashion as an afterthought rather than making it an integral part of the interior design process.

Contrast is a critical part of colour choice; you can either blend the window treatment into the wall by selecting similar colour shades or create bold contrast by using dark on light or vice versa.

Colour also plays an important role in determining how natural light affects the look of your room throughout the day; sheer fabrics can be used to ‘tint’ light entering the room and to create interesting effects such as a soft glow or dappled light and shadow playing from your window across the interior of the room.

Use warm tones to warm the room and give it a cosy feel or cooler tones to create a more peaceful feel. Warmer colours such as red, peach or coral work well in rooms with north-facing windows while cooler colours can work well in rooms with predominately south-facing windows.

Creating Balance: Visual Weight, Proportion and Scale

Now that we have the basic design elements well in mind, its time to consider how to balance everything; formal rooms employ symmetry to create visual weight while asymmetry gives a room a more casual feel of spontaneity.

Balance and visual weight refer to the amount of space various design elements in the room carry. You can make a window treatment the focal point of a room by balancing the design so that it is a central element of the overall room design.

Be careful though; if you have created a focal point such as a fireplace, important grouping of furniture or other elements, you can end up detracting from that focal point by ‘over designing’ the window treatments, giving them too much emphasis.

Proportion and scale are important in designing window treatments; the window coverings should not be out of proportion to furnishings, walls or other elements. In general the larger the room, the more formal and intricate your window treatment design can be, while a smaller space typically demands a simple approach in order that the window treatment does not overpower the rest of the room.

Hopefully you will find these design concepts useful as you plan and design window treatments in your home. Be sure to look in magazines, visit showrooms and consult others as you consider what design will work best!

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