4 min readWhen it comes to updating your home, there are just some things you shouldn’t skimp on. There are the obvious elements, like your kitchen appliances, plumbing, and other necessary features, that need to be dependable. However, many designers have specific opinions about splurging on the not-so-essential aspects, too, and your window treatments happen to fall into this category.
Though many may disagree, curtains aren’t technically a mandatory home feature. My childhood home, for instance, was out in the country, with miles of forest around it, and we didn’t have curtains in any of the living areas. While I’m a bit freaked out looking back at this, it was totally normal when I was a kid.
But your curtains, drapes, shades, or blinds aren’t just useful for privacy reasons; they can bring so much aesthetic value to a space. “There are very few other things in a room that stand alone like window treatments,” designer Mark Cutler of CutlerSchulze tells House Beautiful.
Cutler knows that the price of good quality window treatments is enough to send someone into a panic, but he argues that it’s completely worth the money. “A sofa will have pillows or a throw; a table has a lamp or accessories, but window treatments stand alone; so any drop in quality or mistakes in scale are impossible to hide, and that is why you spend to get it right the first time.”
Below, we delve deeper into why your window treatments are the most worthwhile splurge for your home and how to decide which kinds are right for your space.
Why You Should Invest in Window Treatments
If window treatments were only essential in your home for the privacy they provide, then everyone would have basic, cheap blinds or simple shades—but that’s not the only reason to have them. This feature is an extremely important and versatile one.
“They create a foreground to the view outside and a link between interior and exterior space,” Cutler explains. “Also, they can help make the view better, whether by framing and drawing attention to an amazing one or by filtering and obfuscating a less-than-desirable one.”
In terms of aesthetics, window treatments can help tie a room together, creating a connection between the wall space and the floor. The way you experience a space is affected by these features too, as they can make the ceiling feel taller or even scale down a top-heavy room.
Because Cutler understands that he’s recommending his clients invest in high-quality window treatments, he always walks through the budget with them at the beginning of the project and primes them for the expense of the treatments.
How to Decide on Window Treatment Styles
One of the most important considerations of your window treatment investment is to decide what style is best for your home. Choosing between shades and drapes, Cutler says, comes down to practicality and aesthetics.
“Shades can be great in areas where a drop to the floor is challenging or impossible—think like a radiator under a window or a countertop or furniture against the wall,” he adds. Whereas a drape or curtain can hide unevenly sized windows and make a space feel taller and more stately.
To the designer, Roman shades always feel more casual than curtains, which is necessary for some spaces. Shades can help tone down a room, while curtains tend to do the opposite and invite in more drama and elegance. Though this is all affected by the type of fabric one chooses, as well.
“A wonderful wool sheer can introduce that light, airy touch of summer to even the most formal room, while a delightful printed linen adds that unexpected splash of pattern that will lighten any mood,” Cutler explains.
If you really can’t decide between the two or want to find a way to layer in more textures, you can always use both a Roman shade and drapery for a single window. “It is a great way to fill the wall space above a window, correcting a peculiar proportion or creating the sense of a much taller window,” Cutler says. “Also, this allows our clients to drop the shade if they want to filter the view or close the drapes for a more blackout experience.”
Where to Buy Splurge-Worthy Window Treatments
Though Cutler almost exclusively opts for custom window treatments for his clients, there are a few things he’d look out for if shopping online for new drapery or shades.
Possibly the most important detail is finding a brand that allows for some level of customization. Whether you want shades or curtains, whatever you buy needs to be scaled just right for your windows. A few House Beautiful editors (myself included) have had a lot of luck customizing their drapes and shades through TWOPAGES, which lets you specify your size to the nearest ⅛ inch.
Cutler says it’s imperative to pay attention to how the drapes are hung. “Grommets can be less expensive and more modern looking, but if you want to open and close your drapes, rings will always work better.”
Lastly, make sure the site you’re shopping from allows you to request fabric samples. The color of a curtain or shade online will likely look different when it’s physically in your home under your lights. Even if you think samples aren’t worth a few dollars, we promise, they are.
