We have been watching what the best-dressed windows are wearing this season. Like all the best things in life, windows come in all shapes and sizes and how we adorn them is both a practical and decorative dilemma. From blinds and curtains to shutter solutions, here are a few tips and trends that we have spotted.
Windows aren’t always rectangle or square but depending on the architecture of the property they can be a variety of irregular shapes including arches, portholes, half circles, triangles, octagons, ovals and ellipses. This is why window dressing plays a crucial role in the success of a room’s interior scheme.
Windows are a key element in a living space, both in their architectural design and as a source of natural light. Recently there has been a resurgence of shutters used as an interior decoration as an alternative to blinds. Interior shutters add character to any room and can create a feature out of the window whilst highlighting practicalities such as privacy and light.
Does size matter? Well, designers are choosing statement shutters to create more of a feature and a trend we’ve spotted is for wider louvres, which have a more contemporary look. Also chic café shutters are creeping back for town houses, a good solution for rooms that don’t require full darkness and for street-level windows.
There is also a growing move away from stained natural wood to painted shutters in shades that echo the accents used throughout the whole space. AW15 colour trends include earthy greens, neutral greys, blues and pops of bright pink and orange. However the colour trend with shutters leans towards shades of white as it brightens up the window.
Painted shutters are also the perfect foil for patterned furnishings. Interior designer Emma Pocock chose tier-on-tier shutters, as she wanted a clean-lined antidote to the bold colour and big patterns that she has used in her sitting room. Yes, a decorative choice but practical as she says. ‘It’s a misconception that shutters block out light. I find that the reflection off the slats can actually increase it.’
Combining shutters and drapes is a great design choice for all year round. In the summer, shutters mean you can control light and fresh air whereas in the winter, you can shut them and draw the curtains creating a cosy ambiance, perfect for curling up by the fire. As shutters fit into the window, the combination of the two doesn’t overcrowd the window but makes it look full of character and allows for pattern to be injected into the design scheme.
The current trend for carved wooden shutters or using beautiful screens as an alternative to louvered or solid panel shutters is increasing. These can be handcrafted to create an intricate, lace look effect pattern or a more decorative style offers a bespoke element to design.
Window film is another popular way to address privacy without compromising the light. A patterned film on all or part of the window adds a delicate touch to bathrooms and street-facing windows. The designs are computer cut then applied to the window and there is a demand for the stained glass window effect, which can also be, imitated this way. Film is great for using on the bottom half of a window thus only allowing full light to flood in through to the top half and it is great because it also reduces glare and furniture fading. Take a look at The Window Film Company’s Frostbite range of frosted film.
Over the past years there has been phenomenal desire for people to build wet rooms in their homes, which make waterproof shutters an attractive solution for the windows in these bathrooms.
Interiors continue to follow fashion. Take a cue from the catwalks and layer window dressings. Sheers and voiles can be in crisp whites and naturals fin contrast to heavier, decorative drapes. During the daytime when the curtains are drawn back, the sheer material casts a soft light and mood in the room. There is also nothing prettier than a light breeze sweeping around full-length voile.
