Should All Your Window Treatments Match?

Decorating your home can be a lot of fun. For many, it’s one of the main joys of homeownership. But for those without a clear vision, all of the choices can also be overwhelming—especially when it comes to window treatments.

Should you use the same window treatments on every window in your home?

The short answer to all of these questions is: It depends! While there are a few tried-and-true guidelines when it comes to selecting window coverings for multiple windows, whether in the same room or in the same house, the final decision is really up to you. At the end of the day—not to mention the beginning of the day, and in the afternoon when the sun is shining brightly—the best window treatments for the space are the ones that meet your needs and make you happy.

But what if you don’t know which window treatments will meet your needs or make you happy? We’ve put together a few things to consider when deciding whether to use the same window coverings throughout your home or switch it up.

Stick with a Common Element

No, you don’t have to install roman shades on every window in the house just because they worked best in one particular room. However, don’t underestimate the value of a little cohesion. When moving from room to room, each space can tell its own story but feel like it was written by the same author. For instance, if oddly shaped windows in the entryway call for custom blinds, you could carry the theme of the louvers or slats into the living room and dining room with plantation shutters, into the bedrooms with honeycomb shades, and onto deck or patio doors with vertical blinds.

Other ways you could maintain a consistent theme with your window treatments include:

• Color or textile
• Fabric weight
• Style or type

What Function Does the Window Serve?

When deciding on the appropriate window treatment, think about what the room is used for and how the window affects that purpose. In a bedroom, you may want full control over the light that filters in, especially if you or your family has a schedule that requires sleeping during daylight hours. A blackout roller shade may be the best option in this case. A bathroom window, on the other hand, calls for privacy but not necessarily light-blocking, so faux wood blinds might make more sense.

If you’re installing or replacing window treatments on all of the windows in your home, first determine which windows need a specific type of covering. From there, see if you can find a way for those treatments to work together cohesively with a common element.

“Accessorize” Your Windows with Layers

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Draperies can often tie the windows to the rest of the décor in a room. They also offer a way to customize the windows in each room while sticking with a base window covering throughout the house. For example, you could opt for wood blinds in the same finish for every window in the house, but add some lined drape panels to the bedroom windows to block out ambient light while sleeping or bright, breezy café curtains to the kitchen windows for a cheerful look.

Consider the Curb Appeal of Your Windows

While your window treatments play a major part in the interior design of your home, you should also factor in how they look from the street. Let’s say you have windows in the living room, kitchen, and child’s bedroom all facing the street, and you opt for dark wood shutters in the living room, frilly white curtains in the kitchen, and red cellular shades in the child’s bedroom to match the primary-colors theme. To passersby (or potential buyers), that could look overwhelmingly busy, especially if none of those coordinate well with the exterior of your home.

Whether or not you opt for the same style of window treatment in street-facing windows, it’s smart to stick with the same color—at least on the side facing the street. Many shade and drape styles can be lined with a light or dark fabric, regardless of the color you see from inside the room, for cohesive curb appeal.

Mixing & Matching Window Treatments by Room

You probably don’t want every room in your house to have the exact same window treatments because every room has its own style, color pallet, and functional needs. Rather than looking at your house as a whole, break it down by room.

The Living Room

Living rooms tend to have the largest windows in a house, so choosing coverings can be particularly hard. If you have floor-to-ceiling windows, ornate coverings can overwhelm the room. However, too subtle of a choice can be a bit underwhelming.

You should also consider how light and privacy needs will factor into your coverings. If your house gets a lot of direct sunlight, choosing a heavier covering will filter more light and provide you with more privacy.

The Bathroom

Bathrooms can get very humid, which is why we recommend faux wood or vinyl blinds and shutters for this room. Each of these materials will stand up well to moisture without peeling, fading, or wilting.

And depending on where your bathroom’s windows are located, you should also make privacy a priority. Fabric roman shades are a good option for privacy in a bathroom, as are roller shades.

The Kitchen

Kitchens tend to be one of the busiest rooms in your house, so your coverings should serve a number of different purposes. If your window sits over the sink, near the stove, or by the table, you should consider something that’s easy to clean, water-resistant, and warp-proof, like vinyl roller shades, faux wood blinds, or solar shades.

If your kitchen has large windows that let in a lot of sunlight, solar shades may be an ideal option because they filter sunlight while providing a good level of privacy.

Children’s Rooms and Nurseries

When designing a child’s room, you want to put function and safety over style. To ensure your little one stays safe, you should always choose cordless coverings or motorized options — this will prevent the possibility of a window cord injury. Then, consider other things that will help your little one get a good night sleep, like room darkening shades.

When it’s time to pick a style, we suggest sticking with neutral colors, since they can grow with the room as your child gets older. But just because your coverings are neutral, that doesn’t have to mean boring. Spruce up your window treatments by layering them or choosing a style with lots of texture.

Cohesion Can Help Improve Flow

Don’t underestimate the value of cohesion. While you don’t need to choose the same style or fabric for each room in your home, sticking with a common element can help make the design process a bit easier.

Bloomin' Blinds specializes in helping people just like you outfit their home with the perfect window treatments. Reach out today to request a free consultation!

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