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Where to Start
Consider Your Needs
Whereas style is about form, need is about function. Whereas style is right brain (subjective
and intuitive), need is left brain (objective and logical). Need is what most people think of
first when they consider a window fashion. Does it provide privacy? Will it prevent heat from
escaping during the cold months and retain cool air during the warm ones? What degree of light
control does it offer?
Light Control & Privacy
Light control and privacy are closely related. Light control is about mood. It's about
modulating and diffusing light. It's about dramatically transforming the appearance and
ambience in a room. More than anything else, it can mean the difference between an ordinary
home and an exceptional one.
Every treatment provides a different degree of light control. Roller shades, for example,
provide minimal control. You can stop a traditional roller shade anywhere you want, but you
can't really control the varying levels of light.
Sheers and
louvers,
on the other hand, provide a high degree of control, since you can rotate or tilt the vane,
slat or louver to let in just the amount of light you want. Also keep an eye out for
translucent fabrics, which diffuse and soften natural light.
When it comes to privacy, geography matters. If you live in the city, privacy is first and
foremost about blocking unwanted views, such as the coffee shop next door. If you live in a
private place—on a densely wooded lot or on a secluded stretch of
beachfront—privacy is not about blocking views but about creating a sense of emotional
security.
If your top priority is blocking unwanted views, look for treatments that provide complete
privacy. Also consider
top-down/bottom-up
window fashions, which allow you to mask those coffee shops (and all curious onlookers
inside) while still giving you access to natural light. If you're looking to preserve your
views but want to ensure that no one on the outside can see in (especially at night),
consider a treatment that provides privacy on demand. One popular favorite: a translucent
fabric vane that allows you to rotate between an unobstructed open position to one that
closes for maximum privacy.
Roughly outlined, the sheerer the fabric—that is, the more translucent it is—the
less light control and privacy you'll have. The more
opacity
a fabric offers, the more privacy and light control you'll have.
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.jpg "Covington Collection")
