What Do You Know About Window Treatments?

These days, the internet and AI can give you pretty much any information you’re looking for on any subject. But a search engine can’t actually know the expertise and hands on know-how of a craft. The definition of a craft is an activity involving skill in making things by hand. Window Treatments are very much a craft that can not be replaced by a machine or AI. That being said, making window treatments is not a skill that many have. That can be intimidating and feel overwhelming, especially if you want to make them a part of your home. When we have the education and research of something, it feels more accessible. So how do you learn more about window treatments and make the best decisions about them for your home? You read this month’s blog! 

We could talk about the different types of window treatments for days, but today we’re going to focus on Custom Window Treatments. Of course, there’s so many different types of shades, shutters and blinds, which can be done beautifully and provide various elements of function to your home. But let’s focus on custom drapery, curtains, cornices and valances! These are the areas where you can truly bring form and function together and choose from endless fabrics, fixtures, styles and aesthetics. This is where you can elevate a room in your home from something you enjoy to something you love. Learning about them can inspire you and give you that push you’re hoping for to make some distinctive changes in your home!

The custom window treatment breakdown:

• Drapery - Most commonly, drapery refers to a vertical treatment, fabricated with top quality fabrics and always lined.  This treatment provides graceful folds to cover windows, as they can be very full to open/close but also be narrow to simply frame a window for a lovely decorative look. These are often dressed (hung) by decorative metal or wood hardware.

• Curtains - Typically, a curtain is any piece of fabric hung on a rod to cover a window. By this definition, a drape is also a curtain. The difference between curtains and drapes truly comes from the fabric you use. 

• Cornice - a cornice is a solid, stationary piece made from wood or other stiff materials, covered with batting and fabric. Cornices provide a clean, structured look, can make windows appear taller, and add a sense of completeness and polish to a window treatment.  It can be a stand alone treatment or added to draperies for a beautiful layered look.

• Valance - decorative fabric hung above a window, dressed on either standard or decorative hardware.  This type of treatment can be simple or very elaborate. Like cornices, these can also be in addition to draperies for a layered look.  

Now that you’re up to speed on the different parts of a custom window treatment, we need to learn about how to use the different options appropriately in a space. 

• Light and Climate Control - draperies are best suited for this when you want to have the option to keep light out, have privacy or aide in keeping the room cool. Drapery will usually consist of a heavier fabric and is made with a lining for light control. If you just want to add aesthetic value, some privacy or let the warmth in through the windows, choosing curtains for a room can achieve this. Both draperies and curtains come in endless fabric options to enhance the look of any room. 

• Cornice Vs. Valance - both options provide form and function. They both offer style while hiding any fixtures, rods, etc. Or they can simply be their own design element to beautify a window and enhance the overall look of a space. Choosing between the two is a matter of preference. The cornice adds architectural interest, a polished look, and can help block unwanted light, making windows appear taller. With a valance, you are able to have something more free-flowing and elegant. A valance can provide a small but mighty style addition as well as be a simple yet unique solution to the overall design of a room. 

• Fabrics and Hardware - there is no limit to the amount of options you have in fabrics and hardware. There are options and styles to meet everyone’s needs and wants. This is where a design professional comes in to assist you in choosing what’s best for your space and how to style it to either be the centerpiece of the room or to blend beautifully with what’s already designed.

Why custom, you ask? Yes, you can purchase curtains and valances at local stores such as Homegoods, Target or even Pottery Barn for less than what a Custom Window Treatment will cost, however, there is a huge difference in the quality and look that you will achieve. In terms of Window Treatments, with custom you are always getting a top quality fabric as well as top quality lining. The treatments are always pattern matched - meaning that each valance, cornice or drape will look identical to each other, in length and pattern, store bought options do not achieve this.  Custom provides that hands on fabrication in which time and precise styling is utilized. Each one is being “hand-made” with care and love. Then comes the hardware, your options are limited and low quality in store. All of our custom window treatments are professionally installed, steamed and dressed like a work of art, which a Custom Window Treatment truly is - a Work of Art!

We’ve given you a foundational understanding of window treatments and how to navigate them. Yet we can’t teach you the years worth of skill and craft it takes to design and fabricate custom treatments in a blog. What we can do is provide you the expertise that Bella Home Interiors has in them with over 25 years of experience! As we approach fall and begin gearing up for the upcoming holidays, this is the perfect time for getting new window treatments into motion. Typically custom window treatments can take about 8 weeks for production. Schedule your consultation with BHI and have your home elevated just in time for family and friends to enjoy them as much as you! Visit our website to make an appointment!