By Christie Craig
The windows in our homes not only provide us with a view of the outside world,
they can give the outside world an insight into us as individuals, especially
when it comes to our choices in fabric for our window treatments. Consider the
clean lines of crisp linen, the light and airy appeal of barely-there sheers,
or the timeless elegance of velvet. Each reflects a homeowner’s personal taste and individual style. When incorporated into a window
treatment, they can set the tone for a room’s overall décor, as well as make a bold fashion statement.
Of course, as with most elements
of home design, the key to making the right choice in fabric for a window
treatment is combining your personal style with the purpose of the room while
staying within your design budget.
Luckily, that can be much easier than it sounds.
Choosing the Right Color, Texture and Pattern for Your Window
The size and shape of your window can play a huge part in the decision making
process, as well. Large, dramatic windows demand an equally dramatic window
treatment. You’ll also want to select a fabric with color and texture that compliments your
overall design.
So, just how important are color and texture when making a fabric choice for a
window treatment?
Very, says Grace McNamara, president/CEO of Grace McNamara Inc. and publisher of
Window Fashion Vision magazine, www.wf-vision.com.
“Color and texture are the tools of the trade,” explains McNamara. “They are the raw materials that designers use to create exquisite window
fashions. Color is the number-one inspiration and decision maker when it comes
to window treatments. Knowing what the client’s favorite color is and what she wears will lead to a successful design.”
A homeowner’s preference for color is usually felt in the room as a whole, although some
consumers make their color choices based on the room’s designated function. For example, warm colors, such as red, yellow and orange,
are more active and vibrant and, therefore, a great choice for kitchens and
other rooms with a lot of activity. On the other hand, cooler colors—think the blues and greens of ocean and sky—are more soothing and peaceful, which makes them a good choice for a bedroom.
Also, when choosing the color of the fabric for your window treatment, don’t assume it has to match the color of your walls. In fact, according to the
design experts at FabricWorks.com, the largest online retailer of designer
fabrics and custom-made fabric products for the home, it’s more important that the fabric color contrast with the color of your wall so
that it can stand out from the rest of the room.
Fabric texture and patterns are equally important when choosing a window
treatment.
“Texture gives a window ‘fashion feelings’ or sets the mood,” adds McNamara. “It can replace pattern or be your medium when working in monochromatic color
schemes, but texture is most important because all window fashions are defined
by the amount of light that comes through the fabric.”
Sometimes, texture is created visually by the use of a distinctive pattern on a
sheer fabric. LA-based designer Michael Berman makes good use of this technique
with bold, geometric patterns and neutral colors in his new Modern Windows
collection from Kravet Windows.
Embracing the Current Trends
So, what are the hot new trends for the use of fine fabrics in window
treatments? We, again, turned to Grace McNamara of Grace McNamara Inc. and Window Fashion Vision magazine, for the answer.
“Today’s fabrics for window treatments speak to elegance, luxury and glamour through
fiber contents, weaves, finishes and surface application,” says McNamara.
The market is also seeing a rise in “green” fabric choices as consumers strive to be more eco-friendly.
“Natural or organic fabrics, call it what you will, are on the rise,” adds McNamara. “This is evidenced by linen being seen everywhere in soft neutral palettes of
white, ivory and taupe, and every tone of gray imaginable. Linen is being
dressed up with accents of silk or velvet, and Lurex yarns or metallic washes
to give it more glamour.”
And make no mistake, luxurious fabric choices are on the rise.
Velvet has seen one of its biggest resurgences in popularity in years, both as a
fabric for window treatments and furniture upholstery.
“Designers are showing embossed, gauffrage and cut velvets in traditional frame
designs, all-over leaf looks, bold contemporary stripes and graphic patterns,” says McNamara.
Look to Isaac Mizrahi for S. Harris and Kravet Couture for great examples of
this hot, new trend.
“Crushed velvet is also becoming more and more important for its unique texture,
depth and dimension,” adds McNamara. “Dominating velvet colors were bright jewel tones of lipstick reds, purples and
emerald greens, or contemporary metallic tones of charcoal gray.”
And if that isn’t opulent enough for you, there are always faux leathers, metallic finishes and
over prints.
Or, as Grace McNamara puts it: The shinier—the glitzier— the better!
“Metallic’s range from high shine chrome looks—such as Abundance by Fabricut, a bold, scaled metallic print—to pearlized iridescent finishes in off-white, silver, pewter, bronze and gold.”
And what can we expect in the future?
“Roman shades in organic fabrics like pineapple, abaca and raffia,” says McNamara. “Along with complex colored sheer and semi-sheer fabrics.”
We can hardly wait!
