Window Covering

Any material used to cover a window to handle sunshine, protection, extra weatherproofing, or for strictly decorative purposes are known to be window coverings. Windows are an integral part of every room in the house, as well as outside spaces like porches and gazebos. Each window will let light and air in and provide beautiful outdoor views of the landscape. There are a few main factors to remember when purchasing a window covering. Let's break it down so that for your room, you can choose the right coverage.

How do I choose my window coverings?
Consider your window covering target: are you hoping to block light to create a dark bedroom or insulate a cozy living area from the cold? Is it strictly decorative? Here's a thorough look at the priorities that you may have. Sometimes, a combination of the things listed below will be your focus, so use this list to help you with what is important to you.

Decorative Effect: One purpose of your treatment may be to incorporate the window into your space or provide decorative value into your room. Various window coverings can add color, texture, and stylistic elements to space with your care.
Temperature Control: If you live in a cold climate, you will aim to fend off any breezes or cold drafts that come through your window panes. There are window coverings on the market today that have a thin layer of foam to provide insulation. If the temperature outside is too hot for comfort, a layer of thermal backing for insulation will also hold cold air in.
Light Control: It could be your goal to keep the light out or let the light in. For instance, blackout shades are explicitly made for this purpose, blocking up to 99% of incoming light. On the other hand, sheer curtains let enough light in, slightly softening the lighting. Blinds with horizontal slats make it easy for you to regulate the light; you can allow more or less illumination when you tilt the slats.
Visibility: The window covering can cut down on visibility, thus offering a sense of privacy to a room. For a bathroom window, for example, this could be important for you. You could consider frosted, textured, or stained-glass windowpanes if you want low visibility in a way that allows light to shine through. There are also light-colored blinds that provide some light transfer might also work for you.

What types of window coverings are there?

Window Shutters: These can have louvered slats or fixed ones with hinges attached so that they can be opened and shut. They are crafted from wood or plastic. Shutters are great window coverings for several reasons, including restricting the amount of sunlight that enters a room, providing protection, security, protecting against weather or unwanted intrusion or harm, and enhancing a building's aesthetics. Both interior shutters used inside a house or building, and exterior shutters, used outside a building, are included in the whole category of window shutters.

Woven Wood Shades: They are also referred to as bamboo shades or matchstick shades. They give almost any decor an exotic, natural look and are a perfect way to add textured casual good looks. Woven wood shades have to offer intricate textures, forests, complex natural colors, novel reeds, and grasses.

Cellular Shades: A unique honeycomb design that maximizes energy efficiency and insulates the house. Cellular shades come in single, double, and triple cell cells. From light filtration to blackout, they also provide various degrees of light regulation. Within these types of blinds, the cell shapes retain trapped air and create a barrier between the surface of the window and a space that helps keep the warmth inside throughout the winter. They are made of soft paper or cloth-like materials, unlike window blinds that are made of hard, solid materials. Spun lace and bonded polyester are usually used, but other fabrics may be used during the manufacturing process.

Roman Shades: These shades are composed of a fabric that hangs flat when closed; when lifted, folds horizontally into pleats. It offers privacy, light regulation, and insulating characteristics; it can be manufactured in any fabric. With a cord mechanism, Roman shades are usually opened, enabling the user to change the height of the area covered. Along with natural materials such as bamboo, several different kinds of materials, from wood to silk, can be used to produce Roman shades.

Shoji Panels: Used in Japanese culture for decoration. They can be used as space dividers, window coverings, and doors. These screens with translucent rice paper are made of wood or bamboo, which is porous and lets light into the room easily. It can also be used as a panel for folding (free-standing furniture). It is made up of several frames or panels, often linked by hinges or other means. It can be made in various designs and with variable kinds of ingredients. Different types of materials can be used to create multiple designs.

Blinds: Covers made of hard materials are usually equipped to cover only the windowpane, such as slatted blinds and wooden shutters. They can leave the window's trim exposed. Blinds can be beneficial, mainly when the blind is made of dense, opaque material, for shutting out sunlight. Blinds are anchored at the top of window frames.
They can be lowered or lifted to let in light or cover the window. The blind consists of slats that can be modified to allow light or airflow to pass through.

Curtains: Did you know that certain curtains can minimize exterior noise by up to 80 percent? For a room that you intend to keep quiet, such as a bedroom or library, specially built noise reduction curtains can be ideal. Curtains can also impact a place's lighting and temperature regulation. Perhaps their look is the most exciting aspect of curtains, and the way they can be used to enhance the impression of a room.

Drapes: Drapes vary from curtains in that they are generally double lined and are typically made of heavy cloth. While curtains are primarily used to add a decorative touch to a room, drapes may be considered more practical. However, they are also often beautiful to look at. To block out the light, heat, or cold air, dense, double-lined drapes can be used. In rooms with a formal design, they will hang from the top of the window to the floor, instead of stopping at the window sill as many curtains do.

Solar Screen Shades: To meet almost any requirements, solar screen fabric is available in a wide range of colors, designs, and openness factors. These fabrics come under three categories: light fabrics, dark fabrics, and reflective fabrics of high performance, all of which ensure glare control.

What are the dos and don’ts of window covering installation?

What to do:
1. Pick length based on function and style: A more extended fabric panel produces a more formal and less practical look in general. So, before deciding on a length, consider how much you'll open and close your window coverings in any given room.
2. Use sheer fabrics to add layers: sheer drapes or curtains add lightness to an area on their own, enabling sunlight to pass softly through. But if you are looking for some extra shade or privacy, then pairing your sheer fabrics with a faintly heavier drape is the best option.
3. Where the design calls for it, add blinds: Often, the shape of a room determines what window coverings you can use. Suppose a building's architecture does not allow a rod to be hung across the wall. You might typically yourself in this situation with rooms containing dormer windows or slanted ceilings. If there is a group of windows around one corner, the best option is usually adding blinds.

What not to do:
1. In every room, don't opt for yet another new look: while you don't want every window to look the same, consistency is crucial for feeling cohesive in a home. The window coverings need to match the home's overall look and feel; this thought also applies to the color scheme. In terms of being consistent across the house, the color of the window coverings is extremely important. It's incredible how much it consistently contributes to the feelings of relaxation and ease we have in our homes.
2. Never use floor-length curtains in the kitchen: long curtains do not make sense in a heavily trafficked room like a kitchen. Instead, opt for something utilitarian that, like a Roman shade or a shorter curtain, won't get in the way.

How do I get the right fit for my window?
Any window covering's tailored fit is critical. A well-fitted window covering not only makes a room look polished, but it can also enhance less-than-polished rooms. Correctly scaled window coverings can boost a place’s aesthetic as a whole while ensuring the homeowners’ privacy. Having trouble with selecting a covering because of the height of your ceiling? Hang the drape as close as possible to the crown's molding so that the eye is drawn up. Windows aren’t big enough? On either side, make the window covering stack a little wider so that the eye perceives a larger window beyond what is seen.

How much do window coverings cost?
Typically, the cost of window treatments is $623. A single window treatment installation can cost as low as $50; in contrast, a high-end project for eight windows can reach $3,500. If you happen to buy premade material, then the price range lies between $6 to $550 per window, with $35 to $100 labor cost for its installation as a per-hour charge. The value of custom coverings starts from $500 and go up to $3,000 apiece; however, the installation cost remains the same. If you are looking for the most affordable window treatment option, then the best answer is “window blinds,” which cost $700 on average.