Selecting the Perfect Window Covering: A Look at Form

Let's consider the decorative side of dressing the window by asking a series of questions.

First, "What feeling do you want to create in your rooms?"
Is your dream a room that is elegant, soft and romantic, casual and comfortable, clean and contemporary, classic and traditional, or, maybe, cluttered and personalized? I have found most consumers have a gut feeling about what they want this room to say about them. This is elementary because it happens before you even know color or style.

"What color are you thinking of using?"
When I ask consumers what their color scheme is I generally hear just two colors. For example, purple or green? Now, this is not a wrong answer, but most prints are designed around three colors. Think about a triadic color scheme, an analogous or split complementary color scheme. All use three colors to create harmony. What you have is a base color, a contrasting color and an accent color.

What qualifies a color as an accent? It is the least used color in the room but it adds such pizzazz. You need a plan. Remember the purple and green? How about adding a soft gold to the mix? It would be magnificent! For a color to qualify as an accent color, it must be used at least three places in the room. Places you could add an accent color include pillows, matting on a picture frame, floral arrangements, a vase or decorative accessories. Your window covering color could qualify, too. When selecting colors for your windows, think what effect you want to create. If you want the window to add drama and be a focal point, use contrasting colors to the wall color. On the other hand, if you want to make your window look larger, blend or coordinate your window and wall colors. At Hunter Douglas we have every color you could possibly want, and others you could only dream about.

Just remember, if you want a color to qualify as an accent color, you must use the color in at least three places in the room. Less than three times, it's not an accent it's an accident! If you have a room that is "blah," create visual interest. Take a good look at your room; can the introduction of a new color add the punch it needs?

"How much texture do I need?"
Do you understand the theory of texture? Use your imagination for a moment. Imagine fabrics and surfaces that are smooth, sleek or shiny. Think of silk, satin, crystal, mirror or marble. The feeling that results from these objects is dressy. Think now of fabrics and surfaces which have a lot of texture. Think of Berber, stone, brick, corduroy, basketry or pottery. This feeling is more casual. If you want to dress up a room, introduce smooth, sleek or shiny. If you want a more casual atmosphere, introduce texture.

Hunter Douglas has a beautiful product called Luminette^® Privacy Sheers. It's available in two fabric choices, Angelica and Linea. Angelica is a smooth sheer, perfect for dressing up an area. Linea, with its striations, has a more casual feel. Don't just think of Luminette for its beauty and texture. It can fit just about any window. It's available up to 120" in height and up to 192" in width, or 384" for a center draw. Or look at our Vertical Blinds. The beautiful texture of our Crystal fabric would be great in areas where you are trying to create a cozy feeling. Or if a dressier look is wanted, try our Silx fabric.