WINDOW ON YOUR WORLD
Haley Weidenbaum changed gears from being an interior designer to founding the custom window treatment company Everhem after her experience showed that most of her clients had a hard time deciding on what kind of treatments to order. Weidenbaum answers qu
Q How difficult is it to install blinds yourself? We're not handy.
A Installing can be daunting, but we've tried to simplify the process. We have created online videos to show how to install our products (everhem.com/ learn), and we include a very helpful installation guide with each order. If DIY just isn't your thing, hiring a professional can be the best and safest option.
Q We've spent years trying to figure out window treatments for our family room. I don't want drapes, but our windows aren't deep enough for most blinds, so they and their mounting hardware stick out past the frames. We have a span of windows that is 180 inches wide; we don't want something heavy. What materials should we use to build the cornices? We want them to be sturdy, but lighter than wood.
A Every window is tricky and unique, which is exactly why most window coverings have to be custom to look just right. A cornice box is a great way to hide the headrail but make it look nice and esthetically pleasing. You can do a fabric cornice, which could match the fabric of the Roman shade. This would soften the entire look. Another option if you don't have enough depth is to outside-mount the shades. This means you mount on the drywall just above the window. This solves the issue of not having enough depth in your windows.
Q Should bedroom window treatments have a blackout feature?
A It's a personal preference. All of our window treatments can be made with blackout lining or privacy lining. People often like blackout lining for bedrooms because it helps darken the room the most. Privacy lining gives you privacy, but it allows natural light into your space. I like privacy lining in my bedroom, because I like to wake up with the sunlight. But if you have trouble sleeping or are designing a nursery, you might want to go with blackout.
Q How long should curtains be when there's a radiator in front of the window? My radiators come up to about two inches below the bottom of the apron. A Radiators are always troublesome with drapery. For safety, I don't recommend putting drapery in front of them. You can do drapery if the radiator is nonworking. I would act like the radiator isn't there and do drapery to the floor, which will frame the window nicely when it's open. It makes me feel like the job isn't finished when I see curtains that stop at the bottom of a window.
Q What window treatment is best for a nursery?
A I recommend layering drapery or shades. From a functional point of view, it's best to pick an option that will maximize darkness in the room. Drapery tends to do that best, but I recommend layering it on top of shades to ensure maximum darkness.
Q I have big 1920s Craftsman trim and moulding around my windows. It reaches a good six or seven inches above the window and five or six inches on each side. The previous owner put curtain rods on the flat part of the trim, which I'm not sure about. Should the rods go above or outside the trim?
A If you're opting for drapery, I would mount above the trim and moulding, about seven or eight inches above the trim. The window can appear more grand and show off that beautiful trim this way. If you don't have space above the window, try an inside-mount shade, which allows the trim to be shown and is a more seamless design. Make sure you have at least one inch of depth to do so.
Q What colours are stylish for window-treatment hardware? A There are so many finishes to choose from, but my favourites are matte black, oil-rubbed bronze and antique brass. You really can't go wrong with these options. It's best to match other finishes in your home to your drapery hardware, such as your light fixtures, door hardware and sink or faucet finishes.
Q What drapery fabrics work best for a nursery?
A I just designed my nursery for my twin girls, and I didn't want anything too babylike or girlie, but I wanted a hint of colour and pattern. Everhem has a collection for nurseries, and its offerings are timeless but tastefully playful. We have colours and stripes that include light pinks, greens and blues. We also have an option to add trim to your drapery or shade; it's a little custom addition that makes any nursery feel special and unique.
Q I have traditional white wooden blinds on most of our windows. I would love to change them out in my informal dining area to bring in more style and a maximum amount of light during the day. I still need privacy during the evening and night. Any suggestions?
A I highly recommend Everhem's woven wood shades for a kitchen or an informal dining area, because they add a great touch of style to any space. You can add privacy lining, which allows a lot of light into the room and still gives you privacy.
Q If you get honeycomb blinds on your living room windows, do you need to have curtains, too? It looks a bit industrial.
A I agree that honeycomb blinds can be a bit sterile-looking, but they sometimes do the trick and black out the room nicely. I highly recommend layering these with outside-mount shades, so the shades can block the honeycomb blinds.
Q I have several mid-century modern chairs and accessories such as clocks. Can you recommend a window covering that would go well with these? I also have two cats, in case that matters.
A Our woven wood shades would look quite good with a mid-century design. They are sleek and streamlined in design, but they have some texture, so they aren't too modern or sterile. If your chairs are walnut or some sort of wood, the woven wood shades would really complement the wood finish. Cats tend to scratch fabric, so avoiding fabric and opting for the woven wood material might be best.
Q I have a wall of six large windows in a living and dining room in a mid-century house. Privacy isn't an issue, because they look out on a backyard. But at night, the expanse of black glass can look raw. There is a cove above these windows, which I assume was designed for drapes, so I'm thinking about a ceiling-mounted track. Would you recommend sheer drapes or a fabric curtain?
A I love the idea of a ceiling-mounted track, especially in a mid-century house. Sheers would be a great option to soften the look, because such a long stretch of drapery can be a lot of fabric. Sheers add a layer of fabric, which will help make the room cosy, but they're still light and airy.
Q We desperately need a solution for covering three odd-shaped windows in our bedroom: a large “eyebrow with legs,” which is an arched window with smaller windows on either side. Together, they form a half arch and sit on top of three conventional rectangular windows. We don't want to use a curtain to cover the whole area, and we would ideally like a solution to sit within each window that blocks light and is nearly opaque. We also want dressings that are relatively easy to remove or that could be opened or closed. We are thinking of plantation shutters or honeycomb blinds. What are your ideas?
A Roman shades can be made for arched windows. It requires professional measurements and templates to be made to match the curvature of the arch. The arched part of the shades will be non-functional, but the rest of the shade will function just fine.