One of the many reasons we purchased our current home is the amount of natural light that pours in through the windows. With soaring ceilings reaching above 11′, we knew that we would want to make a statement with our window treatments but with something we will continue to love long term. This is not an uncommon desire to deal with as a designer; but, for my own home, I knew I had a few more specifications on my list. In collaboration with The Shade Store, my drapery dreams were met, and our house is finally feeling like a home just in time for the holidays!
Selecting window treatments can be overwhelming, but they don’t have to be. I’m going to break down what to consider prior to purchasing and what we were faced with in our own home.
Before I dive into how to select the right materials, treatment style, and hardware; let’s take a look at the before, shall we?
The Before
While privacy is not an issue for our dining room, I wanted lighting options even when dealing with natural light. With the use of the right drapery treatments, I’m able to adjust them according to our needs.
Selecting The Right Treatments & Materials
While I’m no stranger to The Shade Store, as they are a go-to for my design work, it was great to review all of the available styles and hardware options both online, in print, and in one of their brick and mortar locations. I stopped into the Fillmore Street (SF) location to pick up fabric samples to look at in my home. This is a must! Once you have your materials in hand, compare them to the existing furniture, paint colors (if you plan to keep them), and of course, how the light affects the materials in the space.
We landed on Netscape in Stone by Jeffery Alan Marks, a designer I’ve admired for a long time. The print, when used for drapery panels, provides movement without overwhelming a space.
Considering Your Layers
Consider whether you want the material lined; benefits include added sun protection (for furniture, floors, and artwork), improved insulation (who doesn’t want this?), and increased light control (think of blackout for bedrooms). When drapery panels are lined, whether blackout or otherwise, I like how they hang so beautifully due to the extra weight and the construction of the panels.
The windows look out onto our backyard and allow in tons of light, but the room still needed warmth and personality that reflected both of our tastes. Since I wanted to control the amount of light that came into the room with more than one option, I added a soft white roller shade to each of the windows — a perfect complement not only to the drapery panels but also to the window molding that is over 100 years old.
There are a wide variety of treatment options; tailored pleat, pinch pleat, inverted pleat, grommets, etc. A ripple fold treatment was the perfect compliment to the pattern and reflected the overall feeling we wanted for the room, creating a relaxed and inviting space.
Hardware Selection
There are so many options when it comes to hardware, but ultimately I selected the Tribeca track system with a finish that pulls the warm wood tones from our dining table upwards while not dominating or distracting from the drapery or from the room.
The After
With the addition of roller shades, I can now control the amount of natural light as needed without making the room dark midday. The drapery panels not only add ambiance but movement, to draw your eye upwards and make the ceiling appear even higher.
While this pattern reminds me of the beach and the tide, it works perfectly year round and not just during the warmer months, as one might expect. This year is our first Christmas in our new home, and I love how it worked with our holiday decor.
For more design ideas and to check out patterns and hardware selections, visit The Shade Store online or in one of their store locations.
Thank you to The Shade Store for this collaboration, we hope you enjoyed this manicured post.
This post is in partnership with The Shade Store. All thoughts and options are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations we are excited about and keeping My Manicured Life’s doors open.
Photography by: Elena Graham
