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Window Treatment Ideas for Apartments

Window Treatment Ideas

Window Treatment Ideas

Sometimes living in a small space can be tough, but there’s no reason to take it out on your window treatments. Decorating a small space can be challenging, but there are plenty of options to choose from including draperies, window shades, roller shades and more that will suit your needs perfectly.

One of the most common window treatments for apartments is draperies and curtains.  Draperies are a great window treatment for any size room. They help increase energy efficiency and have the ability to adjust horizontally to the sun’s movement. Draperies block heat from entering during hot summer months and keep in the warmth during the winter. Draperies come in so many different fabrics; you even have the ability to add a blackout liner to have the option of room darkening shades. There are different design elements you can add to draperies as well such as tassels or decorative rods.

Another great window treatment for apartments is roller shades. Since roller shades are a clean/minimal look, they are a great complement to any modern or contemporary home. Roller shades control the sun, heat and glare making them a perfect solution to any window treatment need. Roller shades can be customized to include blackout materials or solar control sunscreen materials. This type of window treatment is also available in a variety of fabrics to give you the look and feel you need for your home.

Both draperies and roller shades are great window treatments for any apartment, whether you’re in New York City or Los Angeles. Both provide sun and heat control and given the choices, can be customized to match any décor. There are also other window treatment options to consider including Venetian blinds, window film, valences and more. Depending on your personal style and preferences, any of these window treatments will work for your apartment.

Energy Efficient Window Treatments

Honeycomb shades

Honeycomb shades

Summers in New York City can get pretty hot and sticky. Therefore, it’s important to keep the sun and heat out of your townhouse or apartments. There are many different energy efficient window treatments that can help keep out the scorching heat so you can be comfortable in your living space and save on energy costs!

One of the most energy efficient window treatments are folding shades, specifically honeycomb shades. Since about 40% of unwanted heat enters through windows, it’s important to consider energy efficient window shades. By simply closing them during the day and opening them at night n the summer months, you can save tremendously in energy costs.

Folding shades are a great option for energy efficient window treatments.  The accordion style pleated shades are available in a variety of colors and fabrics to match any décor in your space. By installing the honeycomb shades as close to the window as possible, you can save even more.

If you don’t necessarily like the look of honeycomb shades, there are plenty of other options to choose from for energy efficient window treatments. Drapery systems are another great way to keep out the heat during summer. The thick fabric will block the sun and heat from entering your home. You can even find draperies with blackout liners for energy efficiency, room darkening and to block the noise.

Remember, the closer to the window you can get install your window treatments, the more energy you will be saving. Most window treatments these days are available in a wide variety of style options, including fabric and color choices, so depending on the look or function you’re hoping to achieve, there’s no doubt there’s a solution right for you.

Types of Window Shades

Posted: Monday, April 23rd, 2012 | Filed under: blackout shades, Folding Shades, Roller Shades, Roman shades
Window Shades

Window Shades

There are two distinct categories for window shades: folding shades and rolling shades. Both offer great shading solutions and are excellent window treatment options for your home or office. Since folding shades and roller shades have a few different features, one may be a better option than the other, depending on what you’re looking for in window treatments.

Folding shades come in many different styles. The three main types of shades are Roman shades, honeycomb shades and pleated shades.

  • Roman shades are used to block out the sunlight. What makes Roman shades different from other window shades is that when opened, they stack up evenly.
  • Honeycomb shades are accordion-style pleated shades. If you look at these shades from the side, they look like a beehive, hence the name. What makes honeycomb shades a great window treatment option, if there high level of energy efficiency.
  • Pleated shades are similar to honeycomb shades except that don’t have the cell. These shades don’t block light fully, but offer great style features and privacy.

 

Rolling shades are usually a single, solid piece of fabric that is opened and closed on a roller mechanism. These types of window shades offer great solar control. There are two main categories: Solar roller shades and privacy or blackout roller shades.

  • Solar shades are designed specially for controlling heat and light. Because of the variety of fabric choices designed for these two demands, solar shades can satisfy both function and style demands.
  • Privacy shadeswere designed for privacy solutions, but there are a variety of levels of privacy. Basic privacy shades block other from seeing inside your commercial or residential space.
    • Room darkening and blackout shades serve both privacy concerns and light concerns. These types of roller shades are usually installed to block visible light from entering a room. Often times, businesses seek shading solutions for media and conference rooms in the New York City are to block the outside light and noise.

 

Folding shades and roller shades are both great window treatment options. With all of the style choices as well as the fabric choices available, it’s easy to customize your window treatments to fit your style and aesthetic demands.

Window Treatments for Bay Windows

Posted: Sunday, August 14th, 2011 | Filed under: Folding Shades, Green shading, modern window treatments, natural light

Bay window treatments will give your living room, bedroom or kitchen exactly what it needs to complete the décor. A bay window projects outward from the rest of the house, adding either a small seating area or some type of shelf. Most bay windows are used to increase the amount of natural sunlight entering the house, but at times you will need something to cover them. There are a few different ways to accent your bay windows with window treatments.

First, you can use drapery panels, but add them to the return walls of the bay window. Instead of covering the window, you frame it. Don’t obstruct the view from the bay, but try and accent it. This is a great option for your bay window treatments if you have a scenic or impressive view that you don’t want to hide. Aside from the elegant look, floor-length draperies tend to look best, creating the illusion of higher ceilings.

You can also choose to add bay window treatments, but in a more functional yet elegant design. Roman shades frame the window, but still add a colorful accent to the room. Roman shades can be simple, yet practical to accent your room (through your bay windows) but still providing privacy when needed or wanted. The fabric is pleated on Roman shades when the string is pulled and folds up in clean, regular intervals.

Wooden shutters can also be an option for bay window treatments. Shutter are flexible, in terms of opening and closing whenever you need, and offer a rustic, country look to the room. Paired with drapery or other fabric window shades, you can get the best of both worlds. If you add wooden shutters to long drapes, you can make your bay window seem larger overall. Bya windows can be found in residents throughout New York City and other surrounding areas.

If your bay window area already has a thick molding, consider keeping your bay window treatments simple and elegant. You don’t want to clutter the look and feel of the room, but instead – make it as appealing as possible.

About Wood Blinds

Posted: Friday, February 25th, 2011 | Filed under: Folding Shades, modern window treatments, privacy window treatments, window blinds

Knowing what wood blinds are used for and how they’re made will help you understand what you need to know before you start shopping for wood blinds. Wood Blinds are made of horizontal slats that are attached to each other with cords and with fabric. Just as regular window blinds you can raise or lower the blinds in whole, or you can open and close the slats only. A popular style of wood blinds that are adorning many homes are the Venetian style blinds, these are horizontal and provide quality insulation for the expected elements that weather brings.

When considering to purchase wood blinds it is important you know what you are looking for, to know what goals you want to achieve with covering your windows, and to understand that wood blinds must be maintained to last. Don’t purchase dark woods blinds for a room that you want to keep cool. Dark wood blinds attract heat and do not aide in keeping the heat outside of your home. If you are looking to achieve an elegant look, purchase light blinds with drapes to match your homes’ décor.

Besides beauty and comfort, you must maintain wood blinds, knowing how to keep your wood blinds well maintained is a very important factor in keeping wood blinds. Keep your blinds free of dust by dusting weekly. Using a pair of cotton gloves is ideal when cleaning your blinds. It’s best to not use water when cleaning your wood blinds, not using water will help you to avoid warping the wood. When blinds appear too dry using oil soap to lightly moisturize them is ideal, you must wipe them dry after applying. Understand your needs, plan to maintain your wood blinds, and keep your home updated in regards to appearance and wood blinds will surely be a great choice for window treatments for your home.