How to Layer Window Treatments for Style and Function
We live in the beautiful Bay Area where we are all used to “micro-climates” and the weather changing from warm and sunny to downright cold and windy in a matter of minutes or a few miles. Therefore, we’ve learned to layer our clothing to prepare for these changes. The same can apply when designing your window treatments. Instead of trying to solve every issue with one type of window treatment, consider layering to allow for all the possible weather conditions that impact sun, heat, cold, privacy & light control.
The traditional solution to layering window treatments is to use an inside mounted solar roller shade under operable draperies or operable roman shades. For this Napa living room, we used the most protective 1% motorized solar shades under beautiful textured grass roman shades. The result is functional and simple with interesting texture provided by the grass roman shades.
If you select a solar shade as the first layer, you will have protection from both heat and damaging sunlight. Solar shades can provide as much as a 30% reduction in heat from the sun, depending on the density you choose. This is a great daytime solution, but at night you may want to have blackout drapes to completely darken the room. The draperies can also add a layer of insulation. For the bedside windows, the solar shades live behind soft fabric roman shades. Since there is no room for drapes to hang next to the bedside windows, the roman shades are a perfect solution to bring all the fabrics and colors together and provide the most functional solution for both heat and light control.
This homeowner had a need for two different privacy layers for daytime and nighttime. The solution here was to layer a privacy roller shade for night behind a light filtering and semi-private woven natural grass roman shade for a semi-private daytime solution. Now the room has plenty of filtered light in the daytime, and complete privacy at night when the inside lights illuminate the interior of the home.
The simplest and most economical layered solution combines a solar roller shade for sun and heat control behind a blackout roller shade for complete nighttime or nap time darkness. Note that these shades are wide enough to eliminate any side light leaks from creeping into the room. We covered the top of this double shade solution with a low-profile cornice wrapped in the blackout shade fabric since two stacked roller shades are not exactly the most beautiful design statement.
Take the time to consider what your window treatment goals are before purchasing something you fell in love with online or in a design magazine. Is sun control your number one issue, or is nighttime blackout to obliterate the neighbor’s security lighting your priority? Many people gravitate to draperies as a solution for any issue, but they present special consideration. For example, do you have room next to and below the window for the drapes to move easily and hang correctly? Also keep in mind, every type of window style presents its own challenges from casement cranks on the windowsill that may interfere with inside-mounted treatments, to built-in furniture beside or under the window that might make it difficult to operate the window treatments. Also, some replacement windows have multiple steps of ½” deep trim inside the window frame. This renders that inside space useless for installation of inside mount treatments as a minimum of ¾” is usually needed to install any type of shades inside the window opening.
We use a checklist of all the things to consider when searching for your perfect window treatment solution which we use to help you make the right decision for your new window treatments. During a consultation, we look at your windows, ask lots of questions on how you use the room and discuss the reasons for covering the windows to help you decide on the right window treatments for your home. Call Pat Benson for a free 1-hour in-home design consultation. We will bring the showroom to you including shade and fabric samples. Mention this blog post to receive 10% off your next window shade order. Just call 510-559-3229 for an appointment.