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Choosing Contemporary Window Treatments for Your Home

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Contemporary design is a modern style that generally incorporates neutral colors, clean lines, and natural materials. It’s popular for its simplicity and classic elegance.

Oftentimes, “contemporary” and “modern” design styles are easily confused. While they bear some similarities (for example, both contemporary and modern styles are relatively minimalist), the major difference between the two styles is that “modern” refers to the design of a specific time or era, whereas “contemporary” refers to the aesthetic. This means that “contemporary” design is constantly changing.

Home elements such as furniture, paint selection, accessories, and, of course, window treatments, can help to play up the contemporary design look. For example, if you are looking to incorporate contemporary window treatments, you should choose white, grey, and natural colors, and lighter colored wood finishes. These design choices naturally lend themselves to the signature look of contemporary windows. Here are some other considerations for contemporary modern window treatments.

Contemporary Blinds

With their versatility and variety, blinds are a great choice for window treatments for contemporary homes. Gone are the days of plastic white blinds; now homeowners have thousands of options to choose from to fit their desired aesthetic. To incorporate contemporary style in your blinds, choose natural looking materials and colors, such as wood (or faux wood), complemented by bright accents.

Wood Blinds

wood blinds

Wood blinds are an excellent choice for contemporary design. The natural finish works well with a contemporary home, and pairs with neutrals and bright colors alike. Wood blinds are available in neutral colors and natural materials, so you can easily find a style that works for you, and fits your price range.

Panel Track Blinds

Panel track blinds work especially well with a contemporary home due to their lean lines and their ability to cover large, modern windows. If your perfect contemporary home has large, floor-to-ceiling windows, then panel track blinds are a good window treatment option.

Contemporary Drapes

Drapery is another versatile contemporary window treatment option. Despite having an “old-school” affiliation, there are many new styles of drapery that work perfectly in any contemporary home. When choosing drapery for a contemporary home, shoppers look for lighter fabrics and avoid dark, rich tones.

Grommet Drapery

Grommet drapery features strong features, clean lines and a symmetrical aesthetic to add a unique, modern, and stylish look to your home. Grommet drapery offers a welcome update to traditional drapery and can be the perfect window treatment for your contemporary home.

Ripple Fold Drapery

ripple fold drapery

Ripple fold drapery is another excellent drapery option that complements a contemporary style. Ripple fold drapes feature clean, even lines and are available in simple, neutral colors.

Contemporary Shades

In addition to drapery and blinds, shades are an excellent window treatment option for contemporary homes. If you’re shopping for shades for your contemporary design, choose light-colored fabrics to naturally brighten the look and feel of your space.

Woven Wood Shades

cascade woven wood shades

Woven wood shades offer clean lines and are made from natural materials in a neutral color scheme. Many woven wood shades are made from eco-friendly materials and woods such as bamboo.

Roller Shades

As the name implies, roller shades roll up for minimal visual impact. Roller shades offer simplicity and privacy, with the ability to choose sheer light fabrics or heavier dramatic prints. They are one of the least invasive window treatment styles, which makes them very popular for contemporary design aficionados.

Find the Best Window Treatments for Your Contemporary Home

Ready to find the perfect window treatments for your contemporary home? Reach out to The Shade Store’s design consultant team at one of our 85+ showroom locations to find the best window treatments for your space and your needs. You can also visit our website to view and order free swatches to choose the right materials for your space.

Draperies and Curtains: A Guide to Custom Drapery Types

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Tailored Pleat Drapery — Martyn Lawrence Bullard Nomad Stripe, Onyx

With so many options available, choosing draperies and curtains for your home may seem a bit overwhelming. There are many decisions to consider when it comes to form and function, so in this post we’ll go over the eight distinct drapery styles The Shade Store offers — each with its own design aesthetic and list of benefits. We are here to help you understand the different types of draperies and curtains and how to choose the perfect style for your windows.

Ripple Fold Drapery

ripplefold drapery style

Ripple Fold Drapery is one of our best-selling curtain styles. It’s sleek and modern, but also functional and easy to operate. This drapery design is a great selection if you plan on opening and closing your draperies and curtains every day, as it glides effortlessly along a track. It’s also a particularly popular choice for sliding glass doors because of its ease of movement along the track.

Inner Layer: Solar Shades — 10%, White / Outer Layer: Ripple Fold Drapery — Holland & Sherry Wool Flannel, Glacier

We are also seeing a layering trend with draperies and curtains, where sheer, solar or light-filtering materials are layered under a heavier drapery fabric as shown in the image above. This technique adds depth and dimension to your windows and enhances the visual appeal of the space.

Tailored Pleat Drapery

tailored pleat drapery style

Tailored Pleat Drapery is another best-selling drapery design at The Shade Store. It’s fuller and has an understated elegance. Its waterfall pleats are held stiff with a buckram stiffener, allowing this type of drapery to be functional and easy to operate. Similar to our Ripple Fold style, our Tailored Pleat draperies and curtains are available in many different colors, patterns and materials.

Tailored Pleat Drapery — Linen Sheers, White

If you are looking for a lighter material, our Linen Sheers may be a good solution for you. Alternatively, if you need something more substantial to help block a drafty window, our wools and blends collection is worth consideration for your draperies and curtains.

Pinch Pleat Drapery

pinch pleat drapery style

Our Pinch Pleat Drapery is classically beautiful. The pleats are pinched 4 inches from the top of the curtains, creating a simple but stunning shape. Similar to Tailored Pleat, this drapery style is held stiff with buckram fabric, making it easy to operate and functional.

Inner Layer: Roller Shades — Sullivan, Sand / Outer Layer: Pinch Pleat Drapery — Holland & Sherry Wool Flannel, Walnut

While the pinch pleat drapery style is more traditional, it’s easy to give it a contemporary upgrade with layers.

Inverted Pleat Drapery

inverted pleat drapery style

Inverted Pleat Drapery is a unique curtain design in that while it’s neatly pleated, it still has a casual and relaxed character.

Inner Layer: Solar Shades — 10%, Black / Outer Layer: Inverted Pleat Drapery — Wool Blend, Fleece

This drapery style is better suited for decoration — not ideal for frequent opening and closing. If you need to control light, we suggest layering it with a roller or solar shade.

Goblet Drapery

goblet drapery style

Goblet Drapery is designed with a sophisticated shape, showcasing large goblet pleats along the top of the panels.

Inner Layer: Roller Shade — Prince, Ivory / Outer Layer: Goblet Drapery — Silk Dupioni, Leaf

Similar to our Inverted Pleat Drapery style, our Goblet Drapery is best used as a decorative accent and is not ideal for frequent use. Goblet Drapery has a large stack, which means that when open, more fabric will cover your windows.

Grommet Drapery

grommet drapery style

Grommet Drapery, as its name suggests, is hung from a rod with grommet rings. In addition to the many material and color selections at your fingertips, our grommets come in attractive finishes. We recommend matching the color of the grommet to the drapery rod and hardware.

Inner Layer: Waterfall Woven Wood Shades — Artisan Weaves Cove, Ash / Outer Layer: Grommet Drapery — Velvet, Camel

Grommet Drapery has a dramatic appearance, thanks to its deep folds. It’s primarily a decorative curtain style — not ideal for frequent use. It’s important to note that the fabric of the grommet drapery measures one inch above the actual rod, due to the grommet inlay within the fabric.

Rod Pocket Drapery

rod pocket drapery style

Our Rod Pocket Drapery is a classic, casual and traditional choice. The fullness of this drapery design is created by the gathered fabric near the rod pocket. Rod Pocket Drapery works best as stationary panels, as they’re not ideal for frequent opening and closing.

Inner Layer: Roller Shades — Cora Blackout, Shell / Outer Layer: Rod Pocket Drapery — Shoreham Stripe, Oatmeal

The pocket for the drapery rod is able to accommodate up to a two-inch diameter pole. In contrast to the goblet and inverted pleat drapery styles, our rod pocket draperies and curtains have a medium stack.

Cubicle DraperyTSS2018_Drapery_20

Our Cubicle Drapery is a great option if you’re looking something a little more budget-friendly. This style is incredibly versatile and functional, making it perfect for everyday use. Small grommets attach to hook carriers, allowing the cubicle curtain to glide easily along its track. The cubicle drapery style has our most minimal stack.

Cubicle Drapery — Sheer Wool Blend, Grey Owl

Want to see how each of our draperies and curtains look installed on your windows? Request a complimentary rendering or explore our inspirational draperies and curtains photo gallery.

We’re Here to Help

Know exactly which draperies and curtains you want, or do you still have some questions? Either way, our expert Design Consultants are here to help. Visit one of our nationwide window treatment showrooms, give us a call, or email us at design@theshadestore.com to get started today!

Woven Wood Shades Shopping Guide

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Inner Layer: Roller Shades — Sullivan / Outer Layer: Waterfall Woven Wood Shades — Artisan Weaves Reed, Slate

What Are Woven Wood Shades?

Woven Wood Shades are woven shades for windows made from natural woods, reeds, bamboo or grasses. Woven Wood Shades add immediate visual interest to any room’s décor with their rich organic texture. They also provide a relaxed atmosphere, inviting the peace of the outdoors inside. Woven wood window treatments look beautiful layered with drapery or alone for a simple, natural look. If you’ve decided on woven wood window treatments for your home, we’re certain you’ve chosen a versatile window treatment style you’ll love for years.

Standard Woven Wood Shades — Artisan Weaves Coastline, Muslin

Different Types of Woven Wood Shades

At The Shade Store, we offer four styles of woven shades for windows: Waterfall, Standard, Cascade and Roller. Three of these styles — Waterfall, Standard, and Cascade — can be thought of as Roman-style Woven Wood Shades due to how they stack when raised. The fourth style — Roller — operates just like a our regular roller shades made of fabric or other materials.

We’ll explain the differences among woven shades for windows and help you choose the right type depending on your needs and taste.

Woven Roman Shades: Waterfall, Cascade and Standard

Waterfall, Cascade and Standard Woven Wood Shades function like Roman Shades. The Shade Store offers a wide selection of materials and colors to complement your home décor.

The Waterfall Woven Wood Shade is our most popular style. It embodies a clean, simple look and has neat stack when raised. Pictured: Waterfall Woven Wood Shades — Grassweave, Cafe

Our Standard Woven Wood Shades provide clean lines and include a custom valance. This option allows for further customization with decorative borders, as seen above. Pictured: Standard Woven Wood Shade — Artisan Weaves Bayshore, Sage

Finally, for even more visual interest in your shade, the Cascade Woven Wood Shade features aluminum dowels hand-sewn into the shade every 5-7”, creating a beautiful ‘cascading’ horizontal pattern. Pictured: Cascade Woven Wood Shade — Grassweave, Snow

Privacy

Similar to Roman Shades, the above three styles of woven shades for windows can be made with blackout and privacy linings, making them well-suited for bedrooms, bathrooms, rooms facing the street and other areas where privacy is essential. In addition, you can choose the Top Down Bottom Up option for Cascade, Waterfall and Standard Woven Wood Shades (this option is not available for Woven Wood Roller Shades). Top Down Bottom Up woven shades for windows let you lower the shade from the top and raise it from the bottom, letting in natural light while maintaining privacy.

Woven Wood Roller Shades

Woven Wood Roller Shade — Jackson, Grey

Unlike the previously mentioned styles of woven wood window treatments, our Roller Woven Wood Shades don’t stack at the top of the window when raised. Sophisticated and minimal, these woven shades for windows take up only a small amount of space at the top of the window when raised, making them ideal for spaces with beautiful views.

Woven Wood Roller Shades are light-filtering, meaning they let in a bit of ambient natural light even when the shades are lowered.

For the brackets that hold roller woven wood window treatments in place, you can choose from a variety of stylish finishes. We also offer upholstered valances in the same material as your roller shade, as well as sleek metal valances.

Cord vs. Cordless Wood Shades

The Shade Store offers woven wood window treatments with and without cords. Our cordless woven wood shades let you adjust your shades’ height with a simple pull. Our motorized woven shades for windows are the ultimate in smart home solution — letting you synchonize multiple window treatments, set your favorite positions and schedule timers with your remote, smartphone, tablet or home automation system.

What to Consider When Purchasing Woven Shades

Waterfall Woven Wood Shade — Artisan Weaves Del Rey, Taupe

You have lots of options when designing your perfect Woven Wood Shades. For rooms that need privacy, Roman-style Woven Wood Shades are your best bet due to the available lining options. For a more modern style that lets light filter in, we recommend our minimalist Roller Woven Wood Shades.

The Shade Store offers an extensive selection of woven wood textiles to suit your taste and complement your interior décor. Sustainably sourced and environmentally conscious, they are handcrafted from the finest natural materials, bamboos and grasses.

We invite you to explore our newly released Artisan Weaves collection. Mastering the art of simplicity, this distinct collection of all-natural materials is beautifully textured and made with only natural fibers to create a theater of light that softens every space.

Here to Help

Our Design Consultants are always ready to answer your questions about woven shades for windows. Visit us at your local showroom, give us a call at 800.754.1455 or request a complimentary design consultation today.

 

The Best Window Treatments for Sliding Glass Doors

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Tips for Selecting the Best Window Treatments for Sliding Glass Doors

  • Consider form and function: The Shade Store offers excellent sliding glass door window coverings that not only look great, but also reduce glare and protect your home interior from UV rays.
  • Layer sliding glass door window coverings for added depth and dimension: Sheer fabrics layered under heavier textiles or designer exclusives creates a stunning effect.
  • Get expert assistance: Our Design Consultants are here to make the entire window treatment process effortless. Request a complimentary design consultation today!

Solar Shades — 5% Metallic, Zinc

The Shade Store offers a wide selection of sliding door window treatment options — including blinds, drapes and shades — that not only add a layer of privacy, but also elevate your home décor. Because these types of windows (or doors, depending on how you look at them!) get lots of traffic, we recommend sliding glass door window coverings that open and close easily and can withstand frequent use.

Sliding glass doors can fill your home with natural light, so when you’re looking for the best window treatments for sliding glass doors, it’s important to consider how much light you would like to let in. Choosing the right sliding glass door window coverings will give you the ultimate ability to control the natural light in your space.

With custom sliding glass door window coverings from The Shade Store, it’s easy to add style to your home without sacrificing functionality. To make the selection process easier, we’ve included ideas and recommendations for the best window treatments for sliding glass doors. 

Shades for Sliding Glass Doors

Whether you’re looking for more privacy, better light control, or glare reduction, Shades are a versatile sliding door window treatment solution. Our Roller Shades, Solar Shades and Roman Shades are all excellent products that provide a custom fit and add distinct character to spaces of all types.

Solar Shades — 5% Orbit, White

Solar Shades

Our Design Consultants recommend Solar Shades if you would like to reduce glare and block UV rays. Available in a variety of transparencies to suit your needs, Solar Shades are some of the best window treatments for sliding glass doors if you would like to protect your interior while maintaining your beautiful view.

Roller Shades

Available in light filtering, blackout, solid and print options, our Roller Shades are excellent sliding glass door window coverings you can coordinate to your taste.

Roman Shades

Sleek, sophisticated, and highly functional, Roman Shades are a steadfast sliding door window treatment solution. The bottom fold of each Roman Shade ensures a clean look when the shade is lowered and a neat stack when the shade is raised. Roman Shades also function well with everyday use, so they’re great for high-traffic areas.

All shades and curtains for sliding glass doors can be crafted in widths up to 144”, so you can cover a wide set of sliding doors with one shade or opt for multiple shades to dress the space. 

Blinds for Sliding Glass Doors

Blinds are a versatile and functional window treatment for sliding glass doors. The Shade Store offers an extensive, stylish selection of handcrafted blinds, including vertical blinds, wood blinds, and panel track blinds.

Vertical Blinds

Custom vertical blinds for sliding glass doors are yet another option to consider for your home. Meticulously handcrafted, our vertical blinds are durable enough to withstand everyday use and offer a sleek alternative to drapery.

Panel Track Blinds

An incredible update to standard vertical blinds, our Panel Track Blinds are ideal sliding glass door window coverings. Best For Kids certified, our Cord and Baton control options slide effortlessly along your choice of a White or Silver track. You can also choose the opening direction: to the right, to the left, or split from the middle.

Panel Track Blinds — Park, Winter

Panel Track Blinds can be mounted on the ceiling, inside the sliding door frame (inside mount blinds have minimum depth requirements), or outside the sliding glass door frame. With a wide assortment of colors and privacy levels to choose from, Panel Track Blinds are a great option for sliding glass door window coverings. 

Drapes for Sliding Glass Doors

Blending beauty and functionality, drapery is a stylish and elegant solution for covering sliding doors. Our custom drapes glide effortlessly to allow you total privacy and light control. With 6 custom styles and more than 650 exclusive materials, you’ll be sure to find the perfect combination for your sliders.

Ripple Fold Drapery

Inner Layer: Waterfall Woven Wood Shades — Artisan Weaves Cove, Ash / Outer Layer: Ripple Fold Drapery — Holland & Sherry Andes, Castle Wall

Designed with soft folds of fabric that cascade beautifully, Ripple Fold Drapery is a stunning window treatment for sliding glass doors. Similar to Panel Track Blinds, Ripple Fold Drapery has sliding panels that glide along a track that’s mounted either to the ceiling or the wall. Choose between Cord, Baton, and even Motorized control options to fit your needs.

Tailored Pleat Drapery

Another elegant window treatment for sliding glass doors, Tailored Pleat Drapery is effortlessly elegant with a clean drape, thanks to its signature waterfall pleat. This drapery style is incredibly functional and easy to operate.

A great way to add depth and dimension to your sliding glass door window coverings and increase privacy is by layering curtain sheers under more substantial materials or a fabric from one of our exclusive designer collections.

Drapery Hardware and Curtain Rods For Sliding Glass Doors

No sliding glass door is complete without the proper hardware. Our exclusive hardware collections are designed to perfectly complement our custom drapery line. With a wide selection of styles and finishes to choose from, you’ll find the ideal hardware to tie the whole look together.

Discover More Ideas For Your Sliding Glass Doors

If you’re preparing to dress your sliding glass doors in custom window treatments, we are happy to help you choose the perfect products. Browse our online photo gallery for sliding door window ideas, order free swatches, or speak with an expert Design Consultant in one of our nationwide showrooms.

3 Window Treatments Your Indoor Plants Will Love

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Inner Layer: Solar Shades — 5%, Black / Outer Layer: Waterfall Woven Wood Shades — Artisan Weaves Cove, Beige

Indoor plants are a great way to add interest to your interiors. Traditionally, they require little maintenance, but there are a few things to keep your eye on. When it comes to sunlight, some plants thrive in indirect sunlight, while others need full sunny-day rays. Here are a few window treatment ideas to help you control the natural light that enters your home — your plants will thank you.

Solar Shades

Inner Layer: Solar Shades — SunbrellaⓇ Solar Collection 5% Solistico, Oatmeal / Outer Layer: Ripple Fold Drapery — SunbrellaⓇ Ventana CollectionⓇ Vitela, Heather Beige

Because Solar Shades come in a variety of transparencies (1, 3, 5, 7 and 10%), they’re the perfect window treatments to get the perfect amount of sunlight for your plants. With Solar Shades, the higher the openness percentage, the more transparent the material is — the lower the percentage, the more opaque the material is. So if you find your plants only need a little bit of sunlight, consider a 1% transparency. Do they need a little more sunlight? Then 10% is the way to go. Just remember: The lower the percentage, the tighter the weave. The tighter the weave, the less sunlight gets through.

Roller Shades in Light Filtering Materials

Venetian Roller Shade — Seaside, White

Similar to Solar Shades, our Venetian Roller Shades and Light Filtering Roller Shades will open up your home to gorgeous natural light. There are no percentages here, so we recommend ordering some free swatches, holding them up to your window and seeing which options provide the right amount for you and your plants. With a variety of beautiful materials to choose from, you’re sure to find something your plants will love.

Sheer Fabrics

Ripple Fold Drapery — Basket Sheer, Winter

Unbelievably soft with lovely texture, sheer fabrics will filter natural light into your home, saving your plants from harsh direct sunlight. Both Roman Shades and Drapery can be made with sheer fabrics, so there’s no shortage of styles to choose from. Browse our collection of beautiful sheer materials and visit our photo gallery for inspiration.

What to Consider When Choosing Window Treatments for Rooms with Plants

When choosing custom window treatments for rooms with plants, there are just a few things to consider:

The Direction Your Room Faces

If your room faces a direction that gets a lot of sunlight, we recommend Solar Shades for your windows. Not only do they allow natural light to filter in for your plants, but they also help protect your space — furniture, artwork, floors — from harmful UV rays.

The Effect You Would Like to Achieve

If you would like to fill your space with soft, comfortable natural light your plants will love, our Design Consultants recommend Light Filtering Roller Shades, as well as Roman Shades and Drapery in sheer materials. You may also want to consider a layered approach with shades and drapery — our Design Consultants are happy to help you with everything.

To learn more about controlling the natural light in your home, request a complimentary design consultation today.

 

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