What are the best window treatments for Colonial Revival homes?
The sunroom—a favorite for Colonial Revival homes. A Persian carpet, quintessential revival window treatments designed by the owner, and wicker furniture mix informally. No matter how proud you are of your refurbished old house, we’re willing to bet you don’t want passers-by to be able to constantly peer into your windows.
What are the different styles of window treatments?
From the turn of the century till World War II, window treatments moved from Victorian excess through Arts & Crafts simplicity and then settled into classic historical styles. Plain, semi-sheer curtains and roller shades are mounted inside the trim to show off woodwork.
What are the best window embellishments for old houses?
Here’s our guide to the best window embellishments for old houses. The sunroom—a favorite for Colonial Revival homes. A Persian carpet, quintessential revival window treatments designed by the owner, and wicker furniture mix informally.
What style of architecture was popular in the 1920s?
The informality of Arts & Crafts design gave way, during the 1920s, to the picturesque Historical Revival styles, Tudor and Spanish Colonial Revivals being the most familiar. European Medievalism returned; wrought-iron rods, often twisted and with spear finials, were in vogue.
How did they hang curtains in the 1800s?
The curtains are either attached to the inside of the cornice with tacks, or a better method was to have them “run on a small rod by brass rings, all concealed by the cornice”, according to an American book from 1850. The full window treatment in a Gothic-influenced 1856 home.
What are the three basic categories of window treatments?
Window treatments are divided in 3 categories: Hard window treatments are made of hard materials like wood or vinyl. Such as: shades, blinds and shutters. Soft window treatments: anything made of soft materials such as: sheers, curtains, drapes, swags, valances, roman shades - from flat to hobbled styles.
When were sheer curtains invented?
We see the birth of sheer fabrics come about after 1850 along with other fabrics resembling our modern-day lace or netting. Curtains became fancier and more elaborate as people used design and fabric choice to separate the upper class from the middle class.
What is the most common type of window treatment?
Among today's most popular window treatments, matchstick shades offer stylish texture and add natural warmth to your window design. They're easy to operate, look great when paired with drapes and come in a variety of weaves depending on the amount of light control you need.
What are wooden window treatments called?
Wooden blinds are generally known as Venetian blinds.
What is a cornice window treatment?
What is a Window Cornice? A cornice box is an ornamental element of window treatments that attach to your curtains or blinds. They are made out of solid materials (usually wood), and consist of fabric attached to a frame.
What did they use before curtain rods?
For those who could afford it, small pieces of glass joined by lead strips (leadlights) were used in the upper part of the window to let in light. Hinged wooden shutters were used in the lower half and these could be opened to let in the air.
What were Victorian curtains made of?
Fabrics such as muslin and dimity were used to create a fresh and clean design. The Victorians often combined these two curtain fabric types, with heavy curtains layered over frilly white net fabrics, all finished off with a massive curtain rod, and ornate brass curtain hold backs.
When were window blinds invented?
1769Have you ever wondered when window blinds were invented? Window blinds first appeared in 1769. The Englishman Edward Bevan patented the first-ever Venetian Blinds.
What's the difference between curtains and drapes?
Curtains are fabric panels used to cover windows, and are generally cut to fit a window or drop a few centimetres below it. Drapes are also fabric panels but are generally made from thicker fabrics and cut to floor length or to slightly puddle on the floor.
Are curtains out of style 2021?
Among the main curtain trends for 2021 is an ambiance that's airy or light. Heavy and thick curtains can make a room look and feel much smaller. Homeowners might not realise that some guests may even feel claustrophobic in a room treated with bulky curtains, especially if the room isn't large to begin with!
What is the difference between drapes and panels?
Curtains are sold in pairs or by panel, and are installed over blinds or shades. They hang from curtain rods, extend to the windowsill or floor, and are typically made from lighter fabrics, but can be room darkening or even blackout. Drapes are made from thicker fabrics and are lined to block out more light.
Where did window treatments originate?
Window Treatment Origins. One of the earliest recorded instances of window treatments was in Ancient Egypt, 3000 BC. Egyptians would weave papyrus strips together to hang over their windows to help keep homes cool. Around the same time, China was using bamboo reeds woven with twine to cover their windows.
What were the most popular blinds in the 80s?
Horizontal blinds were also now considered fresh and trendy. Mini blinds were already widespread, but became even more popular in the 80s. Faux wood blinds also began popping up in homes everywhere as an affordable alternative to real wood. The 80s were also to blame for the invention of mirrored vertical blinds.
What were the early 2000s?
The early 2000s were a time when the housing market was a bit turbulent, so many stuck to neutral colors and simple faux wood blinds to make homes easier to sell down the road, if needed. Faux wood could be embossed or sandblasted for a realistic look.
When did vertical blinds start?
Vertical blinds hit their peak in the 80s and began to fall out of style in the following years. Cellular shades hit the market for the first time in 1985. These shades brought saving energy further into the public consciousness - a trend that would slowly gain traction in residential decor over the next few decades.
What were the trends in the 20s?
The 20s saw tastes shift from victorian ruffles to the more geometric, art deco styles. Draperies remained popular window options, but with less fussy silhouettes. Boxy valances with sleek lines sat above windows to help disguise the newly invented adjustable, traverse drapery rod. Pull cords were also added to help make traversing draperies easier to operate.
What colors were used in the 60s?
60s to 70s. Geometric shapes carried over into the 60s and 70s but now in a range of bright, funky colors including hunter green and burnt orange. Aluminum mini blinds were introduced in 1946 but would not start gaining popularity until the 60s.
When did vertical blinds become popular?
Vertical blinds hit the market during the mid-sixties and quickly became a classic. They were marketed as easier to clean and maintain than fabric window treatments of the time. They also worked well for the large windows and sliding glass doors that appeared in mid-century homes. Hawaii became a US state in 1959.
Glass adds Privacy and Art
By the 17th century, glass makers were getting creative with their trade by turning windows into stained glass, tiny panes, and leaded artistic designs. Only the wealthy could afford such luxuries, but the statement has stayed true throughout the ages.
The Buzz of Manufacturing
Textiles changed everything for adding decorative beauty to almost every home in the late 1700s. Before, tradesmen would travel the world and bring back woven textiles of silk, cotton, wool, and linen from the orient to the Western world.
The 20th Century
Lace and sheers, along with lined curtains, could be found in almost every middle-class home in the 20th century. Decorators were busy with new ideas to give a window the appearance of length and showing customers how to layer fabric for depth.
When was lace used as a window dressing?
Although lace has been used in interior decoration for centuries, it only achieved its status as a window dressing in the 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution brought about manmade lace (known as Nottingham lace, after the city where it was widely produced).
What were curtains in Victorian times?
Mixed liberally and held in place with fringed, braided, or metal tiebacks, curtains were perhaps the most prominent symbol of Victoria n excess—no wonder, then, that the following eras (Arts & Crafts, early Modern) largely eschewed curtains in favor of showcasing decorative windows.
What are roller shades used for?
Roller shades were often used in concert with other window treatments, such as curtains and lace panels. Stenciling—historically used to decorate the wall around the window jamb—has been adapted as a decorative treatment on many a reproduction roller shade.
What are bifold shutters?
Bifold raised-panel shutters not only make a handsome frame for the window, as in this Georgian-era library, but they also help keep drafts at bay. Interior shutters were also popular in the colonial-era homes of New England, but in this case they were solid, designed to keep winter drafts at bay.
What is a louvered shutter?
Most commonly used in warmer climates, louvered shutters with wide blades, opened and closed via a central rod , were particularly popular in the deep South. (These “plantation shutters” have experienced somewhat of a renaissance in recent years, and now are readily available from many manufacturers.)
What color were Georgian blinds?
They could be painted or stained any color: Dark cherry and walnut stains were popular during the Georgian period, whereas Federal interiors often featured blinds painted white or gray to match window casings.
Do lace curtains have to be fussy?
Lace curtains don’t have to be overly fussy—simpler arrangements can be had by pairing them with just one other treatment, such as a fabric swag, as in this 1893 Queen Anne.
When were lambrequins first used?
History of pelmets and lambrequins starts in the 15th century during “Renaissance” period. At that time lambrequins were richly decorated with fringes and tassels. Originally lambrequins were used to decorate the bed, and later on they were applied on windows. Here lambrequin is used to decorate the door opening.
What is eyelets curtain?
Image source. Eyelets is a very contemporary curtain heading where metallic eyelets are fixed on the top of curtains which allow to move them freely on a pole.
What are Austrian blinds?
Austrian blinds represent a combination of two popular types of blinds – Festoon and Roman. From Festoon blinds they have inherited sumptuous and bunched look while Roman blinds gave them simplicity and neatness of mechanism. Austrian blinds appeared in the XVIII century on the base of Festoon blinds.
When were curtains popular?
Shutters stayed popular in England through the 1600s. Curtains weren’t used until the middle of the century, especially in modest households. Influenced by French and Italian designers, who has begun to incorporate symmetry into interior designs and architecture, born was the era of curtains being styled on both sides of a window.
When did curtains start appearing in shops?
With the turn of the century window treatments became far simpler. This was partly attributed to fabric rationing in WWI and WWII. By the 1940s, ready-made curtains started to appear in shops and home catalogues and were usually combined with plain pelments and later, Venetian blinds.
When did the silk industry come into its own?
It was in the 18th century when the British silk industry came into its own. Affluent homeowners were able to decorate their homes in spectacular flare. Roller and Venetian blinds were later introduced to allow the admission of light, but to also protect furniture from the sun’s harsh rays.
What is Austrian shade?
You can still find Austrian shade as an under-layer or stand-alone window treatment used today for a romantic design scheme.
What color was used in Victorian homes?
Victorian homes did not have central heating; coal was the preferred fuel for heating homes in cities, wood in the rural areas. The smoke and soot from these heat sources permeated clothing, furniture and window coverings. Except for lace under-curtains, which could be taken down for cleaning, fabric and trims used in window treatments were typically dark colored; navy blue, dark brown, burgundy and green. Purple was a rare and expensive color and not readily available. Artificial purple colorant did not come into use until after its invention in 1856, halfway through the Victorian Era, but it quickly gained massive popularity.
When was purple color invented?
Purple was a rare and expensive color and not readily available. Artificial purple colorant did not come into use until after its invention in 1856, halfway through the Victorian Era, but it quickly gained massive popularity.
What is layered treatment?
Layered treatments started with the lace curtain, followed by functioning over-drapes, stationary side panels, and topped with swags and jabots. While multiple layers spoke of the owner’s wealth, they also served to conserve heat in the winter and repel heat in the summer.
When were plastic scotties made?
Photo: William Wright. The Art Button Novelty Co. made all sorts of tieback ornaments in the 1920s–40s. These plastic Scotties are from the 1920s; like those depicting flowerpots and teapots, they were meant for the kitchen.
What is inside mounting on a window?
Inside mounting (within the trim, tight to the sash) is the only option for windows in tight corners such as dormers, where there isn’t space for a wall bracket. Inside-mount dressings are preferred when you don’t want to cover any trim.
Who invented traverse rods?
Hardware is by Kirsch, through Designer Drapery Hardware. For large casement or multiple windows, traverse rods (invented by Kirsch in 1928) allow curtains to stack off the window for the most unfettered view.
Do arts and crafts curtains need to be held back?
Arts & Crafts treatment s are not full and rarely need to be held back, with the exception of pleated or heavy-fabric treatments at wide windows. The ca. 1920 polychromed swing-arm holdbacks (right) corral pleated curtains over a kitchen sink. A mercury-glass pair of holdbacks (below) from Historic Houseparts is timeless.
