Window Treatments: Less Is More...(Sometimes)

The word on curtains these days is that they are more minimalist in design.  This trend was highlighted in a Wall Street Journal article titled: The Comeback Curtain."  The article compared a popular design trend of multilayered etheral fabrics on windows  to the layering of  sheer blouses over camisoles.  "The window look is sexy", said Interior Designer Mindy Miles Greenberg.

As emphasized in the Journal, translucent, softly layered window treatments are showing up in suburban as well as urban homes, as energy and cost efficient alternatives to old-fashioned curtains and blinds.

The clean lines offer no frill, puddles, or decorative valences.

Less fussy, airy curtains in my opinion, are often appropriate in certain situations and are visually lovely, but they do not always replace the look, feel and value of a sumptuous traditional curtain.

A custom window treatment, well fabricated by a professional workroom, is a decorating investment, and will most likely last at least 10-15 years.  Spreading the cost over this time, therefore, is not as prohibitive as the Journal article suggests.

If well chosen, curtains in a room provide, color, pattern, and tactile warmth.  Windows dressed with a beautiful fabric provide visual impact.  When properly designed and sewn, curtains can become the Birken bag of a room.

Certainly, trends in curetains change, according to the decorating fashions of the moment.  Styles shift from very elaborate designs to more simplified veersions to none at all, and back again.

Both approaches to solving the window puzzle have their advantages and disadvantages, and can be tackled effectively with the help of a competent, professional Interior designer or architect.