There are two ways you can revamp your windows. Either you can order custom treatments or you could go shopping retail.
Designers recommend that you go for the former option because, despite being expensive than the DIY route, ordering custom treatments minimize the risk of error.
That is true as long as you are knowledgeable about the different types of window treatments that are available on the market.
That is easier said than done as there are almost 16 types of treatments. All of them have different materials, frames, styles, and more. Read on to know more about them.
Types of Window Treatments
Following are the commonly available types of window treatments:
1. Venetian Blinds
Venetian blinds are made of plastic, wood or metal. They are basically horizontal slats, with one layer of slats on top of another.
You can pivot them to control the amount of light entering the room.
Their slats can be adjusted up to 180 degrees in a way that their inner edges face upward (on one extreme) and downward (on the other extreme.
2. Sheer shades
Provided you don’t recall how sheer shades look like, think of them as an elegant combination of shade and a blind.
They have soft vanes on their inner side, which you can open and close by tilting.
A delicate layer of sheer fabric encapsulates the vanes.
Once you close the vanes and draw the shades, maximum light control and privacy would be achieved.
3. Shutters
Shutters are a must-have if you want to add an architectural touch to your windows.
They have an attractive design that enhances their looks both from inside and outside.
They are also very sturdy, are a cinch to clean and let you decide the level of light you want to have in your room.
Shutters offer excellent airflow when open and block out external elements like moisture when closed.
4. Roman shades
These are fabric shades which can be lowered and raised with a pull cord.
Roman shades are available in two different styles, with their flat version offering a more contemporary look and a teardrop Roman shade going the traditional route.
Depending on the texture of you select – flat, looped, balloon – Roman shades can move from soft and silky to tailored and masculine.
5. Solar shades
Also known as ‘windows sunglasses,’ solar shades have a translucent design.
They let you see what is going on in the street while blocking the view of the person outside.
Solar shades are available in multiple openness factors (between 3 and 14 percent), with a higher openness percentage translating to more light in the room.
They also have anti-glare properties to give respite to your eyes.
6. Wood blinds
Unlike solar and fabric shades, wood blinds are available in various finishes, colors, and vane sizes.
You could easily select one which complements the interior décor of your home.
They let you adjust their vanes to regulate the privacy and light level that they offer.
However, when installed on large windows, wood blinds can become very heavy – making it difficult for you to raise and lower them.
7. Faux wood blinds
Made of composite wood, vinyl, or PVC, faux wood blinds give the same look and feel like real wood, but are more affordable.
They fare better than real wood blinds when it comes to resisting moisture, which is why their users prefer to install faux wood blinds in kitchens and bathrooms.
That’s because their contact with moisture won’t result in the corrosion or warping of faux wood blinds.
8. Woven wood shades
Their manufacturers make woven wood shapes out of a plethora of materials, including but not limited to bamboo, reeds, and grasses.
They are a natural (though expensive) alternative to other wood treatments and are available in various natural colors to give your space a more traditional look.
Their natural outlook allows woven wood shades to work in nearly every house.
9. Blackout Shades
Their name makes it crystal clear what blackout shades are supposed to do.
They are made for light sleepers who cannot sleep until the room is pitch dark.
The fabric which makes blackout shades is so thick that no light can get past through it.
The exclusive privacy that they provide makes blackout shades a must-have for bedrooms, but rules out their utility for living rooms.
10. Shoji panels
Also known as ‘Japanese paper screens’, shoji panels are constructed by fitting layers of a translucent paper in a wooden frame.
Traditional Japanese houses and residential buildings use them as interior walls, windows, and even doors.
They are very expensive to maintain as a typical Shoji panel would require you to spend money on its maintenance every five years.
11. Cellular shades
Cellular shades insulate windows by blocking or filtering sunlight.
Their built-in cells hold trapped air and create a boundary between the room and the window’s surface.
The energy efficiency of cellular shades helps the room in which they are installed to gain heat in the winter and lose heat in the summer.
Though they aren’t the most fashionable of window treatments.
12. Roller shades
When most people imagine shades in their minds, the picture that emerges is of roller shades.
Their timeless style and simplicity have allowed roller shades to retain their popularity for decades.
Apart from doing everything you’d wind a window treatment to do – preserve your privacy and block natural light – roller shades have a simple design that lets them become part and parcel of any room in your house.
13. Austrian shades
Are you looking to treat your windows with a vintage look?
Then you must consider Austrian shades whose puffy folds do more than enough to return the ambiance of your room to the years gone by.
Though you could also give them a touch of glamor by selecting embroidered silk Austrian shades.
But you must know that they don’t provide as much privacy as some of the other treatments in this article.
14. Panel track blinds
As their name implies, these blinds are made from a series of panels.
You can slide the panels back or front to control the amount of light entering your home.
These blinds give your home a modern feel and are mostly preferred by users who are looking for an alternative to vertical blinds.
They are pet- and child-friendly as they don’t have any chains or cords and can be easily pushed aside.
15. Drapery
Drapes are similar to curtains in the sense that both are made of fabric panels and are sold in pairs.
Unlike curtains, however, drapes are lined. The thickness of the fabric that lines them decides whether drapes can partially or fully block outside light.
They are extremely long, which is why it is common for drapery to cover the entirety of the window and fall to the floor.
16. Pleated shades
Also known as ‘pleated blinds,’ they are made of a pleated fabric that allows them to sit at the top of the window – and away from your sight – when fully opened.
Pleated shades even give you the option to motorize their operation. Users who have children and/or pets at home exercise this option as it makes these shades extremely safe to use.
Conclusion
Having gone through the features of the 16 types of window treatments, you now have enough knowledge at your disposal to select the one which would look beautiful on your window.
Still, if you feel like spoilt for choices and need a helping hand to make the final decision, please feel free to get in touch.