Absolute Journal
The Perfect Window Treatment Ideas for Your Living Room
What Window Treatment is Best for a Living Room?
How much time to you spend in your living room? If you are like most people, your living room (or sitting room, if you prefer) is probably a place where you and your family spend many hours. It is likely to be the first place to make an impression on your guests, too. Choosing the right window treatments, then, is important. However, the aesthetic impact of your living room window treatments is not the only thing to think about when you are choosing décor. Indeed, you should also determine your privacy needs, the desired level of light control, and the overall functionality of the window treatments you’re considering, in addition to the décor style.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Living Room Window Treatments
When it’s time to dress your living room windows, what do you need to consider? The decision you ultimately make will be subjective, based on your own preferences. However, some factors generally apply to all living room window treatment options.
- Light Control: Managing natural light in your living spaces is important, for a variety of reasons. First, flooding your home with natural light can boost your mood, improve focus, and even benefit your health. On the other hand, you may not always want your living room to be brightly lit. Different window treatments can affect light filtration, allowing you to have control over the amount of light in your living room. For example, if you want to allow most light in, but diffuse it so that it’s softer, sheer curtains may be your best option. There are other light filtering treatments, with a tighter weave than sheers, which will disperse light subtly while allowing privacy and preventing UV light from fading your furniture. On the other hand, if you want the option to block the light entirely, you may be better served with blackout curtains or room darkening shades.
- Privacy: Natural light is good for illuminating your space, but sometimes privacy is a more important concern. Balancing your desire for natural light with your need for privacy can be tricky, especially if you live with neighbours very nearby. As mentioned, light filtering window treatments can allow both light and privacy, but options like blinds and shades can also provide an “all or nothing” approach, with natural light or privacy, when you don’t necessarily need both at once. Shutters that have adjustable slats can be a good window treatment in a living room where you want better control over light and privacy, because the slats can be tilted to block the view from outside while allowing sunlight to stream through the shutters.
- Style and Décor: Of course, you will want your window treatments to complement your living room’s aesthetic. For instance, if you have a modern living room, you will want window treatments with sleek, clean lines, while a traditional living room might require the warmth and elegance of curtains in rich fabrics and colours. Sheer curtains can make a room feel cosy, and Roman shades can lend an open, airy ambiance to a large living room. Consider your living room’s colour scheme and existing patterns when looking for the right window treatments.
- Functionality: Above all, your window coverings should be highly functional, easy to use, and simple to maintain. Look for window treatments that combine style, energy-efficiency, and practicality, to ensure that your living room is enjoyable to use, comfortable and stylish.
Top Window Treatment Ideas for Living Rooms
Once you have assessed your living room, in order to determine your needs in terms of window treatments, what are your options? There is such a broad selection of window coverings on the market that you will have no trouble finding the perfect solution for your space. Ultimately, the choice will come down to your lifestyle, lighting needs, and design goals.
- Curtains and drapes provide the ultimate in versatility, with a wide range of style and fabric options. With a variety that runs from heavy, lush fabrics to light, breezy linens, to gauzy sheers, there’s something for every living room. Additionally, curtains and drapes can be made in a wide range of colours and styles, to match every décor. At Absolute Blinds, our custom curtain collection features made-to-measure curtains that can be layered over binds, and can be hung on manual or motorised tracks. Additionally, each fabric we carry has its own soft furnishings collection, making it easy for you to match your curtains to cushions, throws, and other features, for a cohesive design.
- Roller blinds are a wonderful modern, minimalist option. Available in a wide range of colour and pattern choices, they allow light control, but only have two basic settings. They can be open or closed, though you can also leave the half-open, if privacy is not as important as light control. Roller blinds can be made in blackout fabrics, to darken the room, or in “dim-out” options that will eliminate the glare on the television without depriving you of light. Absolute Blinds even has a collection of motorised roller blinds, which are as convenient as they are stylish.
- Roman blinds are both elegant and space-saving. This type of window treatment looks equally at home in a stately mansion or a suburban home. They add softness to a room, and have a timeless look that can be styled to fit any décor, from classic and traditional to modern and abstract. Because they are made from one piece of fabric, with no gaps or spaces, Roman blinds are perfect for those seeking privacy, and when they are properly lined, they can help make your home more energy efficient. They use less fabric than curtains, making them more affordable, and at Absolute Blinds, we offer Roman blinds in motorised styles for ultimate convenience.
- Venetian blinds are an excellent option for light control and privacy concerns. There is a reason that Venetian blinds have such enduring popularity. Their design is timeless and classic, and because they are not made of fabric, maintenance is a breeze. Absolute Blinds offers Venetian blinds in a wide range of colours and styles, in materials like wood, aluminium, and PVC. While Venetian blinds have traditionally been white, there are now options to match every colour scheme and room design, so that you can choose a style that makes your room stand out. Not only can you control light and privacy by manoeuvring the slats, but you can also close them completely to help insulate your windows, keeping your home comfortable while saving on energy costs. Absolute Blinds offers a wide range of Venetian blinds, including wooden blinds, which give a room a soft, natural look. We can also soften the finish of the blinds by customising them with fabric tapes.
- Cellular shades are a stylish, energy-efficient choice. This type of window treatment has a streamlined, minimalist design, so they are a good fit for many different aesthetic styles. Composed of pleated fabric cells that expand and contract when the shade is raised and lowered, cellular shades provide both insulation and light control. At Absolute Blinds, we offer custom honeycomb cellular shades, to help regulate the temperature in your home.
- Layering window treatments allows you to combine different types of window coverings for maximum functionality and style. Sometimes, the best way to maximise the functionality and style of your windows is to combine more than one type of window treatment. In some cases, curtains are layered over blinds or shades, while in others, the same type of window treatment in a different pattern or colour is layered, for a unique look. Talking to a design expert about your vision for your living room can help you determine whether layered window treatments are a good option for you. At Absolute Blinds, we offer custom layering solutions to fit with your décor and meet your needs.
Visit Absolute Blinds for the Best Window Treatment Options for Your Living Room
No matter which room you are decorating, you will find the window treatments you need at Absolute Blinds. Founded in 1998, we are a family owned company with a team that takes pride in offering guidance and expertise to our customers. Since 2008, we have been manufacturing our own roller blinds and vertical blinds, which means better quality control for us and reduced lead time for our customers. Today, our product lines have expanded to include a wide range of options, from traditional Roman blinds to contemporary conservatory blinds to private blackout blinds. We welcome both domestic and commercial clients, providing excellent service, regardless of the size of your project. To learn more about what we have to offer, view our blinds online, or book an appointment to visit our showroom in Welwyn Garden City. We welcome customers from St Albans, Hertford, and the surrounding areas, providing both ready-made and made-to-measure options. Visit our showroom or contact us through our website, and our friendly, knowledgeable staff will help you find the perfect window treatments to suit your space, style, and budget.
