Room by Room Approach to Window Coverings

New window coverings, i.e. drapery, blinds, shades and shutters, are some of the most practical and quick ways to transform the look, comfort, and usability of a room or space in your home.  For example, a room that is too hot to use in the afternoon due to intense heat from direct sunlight, can become a relaxing retreat for a weekend afternoon, or a productive home office during the weekdays, with the application of the right window covering solution.

To select window coverings for a home it is best to take a room-by-room approach to more precisely address the unique needs for each room from both a functionality and décor styling perspective.  Below I will attempt broadly discuss typically situations we encounter for the different rooms in a house and what product solutions can address them best.

Living or Family Room

A common area where your family and guests gather to chat, watch TV or casually hang out together, or on their own device screens while being in proximity to each other.  The window coverings in this room need to be both stylish and quick and easy to use.  Light control is essential so you can watch TV without glare on the screen.  However, natural light is also desirable to give the room a more spacious feeling. Such seemingly conflicting needs might appear to require compromises.  However, a multi-product approach can address all needs without compromises.  A light filtering or sheer shade can be paired with room darkening drapery to provide precise light control.  Quality shades and drapery will also provide a stylish look too.

Dining Room

Privacy, light control, and style and aesthetics are important in the dining room where more formal dinners are held.  You don’t want neighbours looking in to see what you are having for dinner, and you do want your dinner with guests to be a more memorable occasion in a nice environment.  Again, a range of products can work.  The size of the dining room window(s) will to some degree favour one solution over another.  For instance, multiple smaller windows might favor simple plain or textured roller, zebra, or roman shades controlled with the push of one button on a remote control.  And be paired with drapery or drapery valances to tie all the windows together visually.

For a large and tall window, light control becomes important.  Specifically, depending on the sunlight at certain times of the day or early evening the amount and distance of the light into the dining area can affect particular seating positions around the dining table.  The ability to segment window for more precise light control will be useful.  Products light shutters, or dual roller shades or zebra shades might provide the level of light control needed.  More importantly you might want to break out the tall window into upper and lower segments for window coverings.

Roller & Roman Shade

Bathroom

Privacy and the ability to handle moisture and high humidity in general is important.  Also hands-free control might be useful.  Certain shade materials are water resistant and also provide privacy while letting in natural light.  Please note that solar shades with rated openness factors are not a good solution for night time privacy despite being water resistant.  You need a 0% openness factor roller shade or a PVC type blind or shutter.  We have done sheer drapery in a large bathroom before, but that needs to be paired with some blind or shade solution that provides visual privacy.  Also sheers work in washroom only in spots where it’s unlikely to get wet.

Some washrooms have a bathtub located near a window.  While in the bathtub it might be nice to see the clear skies while having the lower half of the window covered to provide needed privacy.  A top-down shade light a honeycomb shade would work.  We have a honeycomb shade product solution that fully complies with Health Canada Corded Window Coverings Legislation SOR /2019-97 without having to have a top sheer honeycomb fabric that obscures the view.

Kitchen & Breakfast

Typically, in a Kitchen area there might be one or more smaller windows above the sink and next to cabinets plus a sliding door or double French door which is part of the breakfast zone right adjacent to the Kitchen preparation and cooking zone.  For sliding glass patio doors, vertical blinds or shades solutions might functionally a good choice.  However, how to coordinate the look of the vertical blind and shade with the horizontal blind or shades used on other windows in the Kitchen?  Good news is nowadays there are more choices for vertical and horizontal blinds and shades solutions in finish style and colours that coordinate with each other.  Furthermore, for honeycomb shades, and roller shades, there are vertical solutions that can use the same exact finishes as for their horizontal solution i.e. vertical honeycomb shades and vertical sliding panel tracks.

Drapery, Roller & Roman Shade

Bedrooms

Light control, including blackout, and privacy are key concerns in a bedroom.  In some bedrooms, especially those facing the street in houses, there may be an arch window above a regular rectangular window.  How to cover the arch window becomes the key determinant in selecting a window coverings solution for such bedrooms.  There are fixed arch window shades coverings solutions.  The fabric and finish used can also be used for a regular rectangular window, providing a matching look.  Even with blackout shades, there are also light gaps on either ends of a window shade.  Hence functional solutions like side channels are available.  However, a more elegant solution might be to use drapery panels, either as fixed side panels just to cover the gaps on both ends or as a full drapery panel to fully cover the window.  For full drapery panels it might be good to select that as a blackout and for the shades within the windows, they can be sheer or light filtering for daytime privacy.

Finished Basements

Sometimes basement windows become an afterthought for window coverings.  However, window coverings for finished basements are crucial for theft deterrence.  If a thief sees something valuable through the basement window, they will be motivated to plan a break in.  In additional basement spaces often serve as an extended living space for hangout. Allow natural ight while achieving privacy would make such spaces more welcoming.  Some homeowners covert a portion of their basement into a movie theatre.  Blackout solutions will be needed in such cases.  Automation and app integration with the movie audio and projector screen settings would make starting a movie as easy as a press of just 1 button, where the screens, audio and window coverings move to the preset positions for the ultimate in-home movie experience.

Conclusion

Every room and home have unique needs when it comes to window coverings.  Best to consult a professional window coverings company that have a comprehensive selection of product solutions, and also make time to visit their showroom to see them in-person.