The DRAPESCAPE
A JUDICIOUS APPLICATION OF TWO TYPES OF WINDOW TREATMENTS CAN SOLVE A COUPLE’S STYLE DISPARITY
Hi, Jeffrey,
My husband and I are moving into our new house next month. We currently rent a condo and are firsttime homeowners. When it comes to window coverings, I’m learning my husband and I have very different opinions. He thinks draperies are expensive and we should have California shutters installed so that we have immediate privacy upon moving in. I want draperies that add personality to each room. What is your opinion?
Heather Hi, Heather,
I’m sure the idea of choosing drapery panels for each room of your new house, coupled with his perceived expense of draperies, is more than your husband wants to take on as a new homeowner. In his mind, the easiest and most affordable option is to have someone come in and shutter every room in your house and be done with it. I get it. However, I tend to agree with you wanting to add personality to your new home by using draperies.
Draperies (and fabrics in general) add undeniable warmth and character to a room. Whether custom-made in a workroom or factorymade and purchased from a big-box store, draperies allow you the opportunity to add personality to a room with pattern, colour or texture.
When used in combination with sheers, drapes provide the ability to diffuse natural light during the day or to have total privacy when the drapes are closed at night. And in rooms in which you have no need to close the drapes, you can save money by hanging decorative side panels instead of fully functional drapes. I often use draperies to hide architectural flaws in a home, tricking the eye into believing a room is symmetrical or that a room appears to have wallto-wall windows.
To be fair to your husband, California (also called plantation) shutters work well for small awkward windows or kitchen and bathroom windows where draperies may not be an option. Windows above kitchen sinks or bathtubs can be easily (and sometimes more economically) covered with a shutter rather than a fabric roman blind. And when shutters are double hung, it allows the top panels to fold back against the wall and provide light while the bottom panels remain in place with the louvres closed to provide privacy. Alternatively, both top and bottom panels can fold back, depending on the time of day and how much light you want streaming into the room. There’s no denying that people love the ease and options that California shutters provide.
Your husband has probably made the case that shutters are more affordable than draperies (not only is it the expense of the actual drapery panel but also the hardware with which to hang the panels), and if he is comparing custom draperies to shutters, then he is correct but pre-made panels and offthe-rack hardware are very cost effective.
I suggest you and your husband compromise and use California shutters on windows that benefit from their use (the aforementioned bathroom, kitchen or awkward windows) and use draperies in rooms in which the visual and decorative payoff is worthwhile. Your living room, great room or your master bedroom may be spaces for which to consider draperies. (And remember, depending on the level of privacy needed, you may find you require only decorative side panels and not fully functional draperies.)
Your husband is going to say I’m biased toward drapery, and maybe I am, but I believe you can use both in your new home with great success.