By Paul Kazlov
The window industry offers a myriad of window styles to meet your personal taste. Be it the slender looking double hung windows or the gorgeous bay windows, there’s a window for everyone. And it’s not only about aesthetics either. Today, many window providers are now carrying energy efficient windows to keep your home insulated and tightly sealed. Fiberglass windows, for example, have risen above the competition for their exceptional strength and energy efficiency.
Inasmuch as we love our windows, we also love decorating them with a little color (and personality too). Here are five amazing ways to style your energy efficient windows and give them a touch of charm:
1. Luxurious Fabric for a Royal Feel
If you want your room to look magnificent but not too overbearing, then using luxurious fabrics for your window treatment will create a sophisticated and welcoming atmosphere for you and your loved ones. Silks, velvets, damasks, fur, leather and suede all fall into this category for their unique texture and appeal.
Best to be used in living room or family room, luxurious fabrics look especially great on long drapes to fully display their beauty. It’s like recreating a palace scene, only right in the heart of your home.
2. Organic & Simple: The Perfect Combination for Tranquility
Simple and organic. That’s the perfect description for any homeowner who is interested in bringing a piece of nature into his/her home. Organic window treatment solutions such as bamboo or wood woven shades can give your room a more relaxed feeling than a formal fabric window treatment.
Related: 4 Major Perks of Adding a Skylight to Your Home
3. Decorate Right on the Glass
Window films are especially perfect for small windows that covet some decorations, but can easily become invisible with your typical window treatments of blinds, shades, or drapes. DIY Network.com believes that window films are a great middle ground between maintaining privacy and letting in natural light. They come in variety of shades and patterns to give your glass an interesting shine.
4. Layer It Up to Create Dimension
A window without any dressing can look very sad. However, unlike what people commonly think of window treatment, it sometimes takes more than just a shade or drape to make your window beautiful. “The pros actually use more than one layer to get their windows looking perfect,” said Designer Brian Patrick Flynn. According to Flynn, the first layer of window treatment, such as plantation shutter, should focus on privacy, while the second layer — usually your shades, drapes or other fabric window treatment — should focus on aesthetics.
Nonetheless, if your window is not facing a busy street or a common area with lots of passersby, you can still layer up your window with valance, a thin shade, and maybe a luxurious drape for light control, dimension and ambiance.
5. Bold Patterns for a Conspicuous Design
Experimenting with large and conspicuous patterns is a great way to create focal points and transform a seemingly plain space into something witty and fun. Ideally for homes that may not have too much color diversity in its layout and furniture choices, window treatment solutions with bold patterns or contrasting colors will give the room a lively feel while catching any wandering eyes.
For homeowners who are concerned that having bold colors or patterns will be too much and even clash with your overall design, Home Design Lover.com recommends you to not cover your entire window. Instead, resort to exotic valances, brightly colored Roman shades, or even a simple fabric covered cornice to strike a balance between your window and the rest of the room.
Paul Kazlov is a green home remodeling enthusiast and an industry pioneer for innovation in home renovation. Paul writes for the Global Home Improvement blog and strives to educate people about green products such as metal roofing and solar. Follow him on Twitter @PaulKazlov.
Perfect time I read the article. I begin home repairs and will use some of the tips.