A Roundabout Post About My Quest for Window Treatments and an Atlanta Field Trip
Confession time. I’m totally embarrassed to admit that we still have temporary paper shades up on the second floor of the house.
As usual, the reason for this is indecision. I have not been able to make up my mind about what type of window treatment(s) I want. About a month ago, I thought I finally knew. I was going to go with white plantation shutters. They’re very Southern and would be in keeping with the style of the house.
But then a few weeks ago, I went on a very cool little outing to a gem of an Atlanta neighborhood called Glenwood Park, organized by our man-about-town, Terry of the Architectural Tourist.
Terry posted about our tour here and Angela of the Painted House wrote one here. Weeks ago, I might add. (Better late than never, right, gang?) Emmie of Aspirations of a Southern Housewife was also there. Three of the loveliest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in Atlanta, by the way. But I digress. The windows.
As part of the tour we visited several homes for sale with realtor Bruce Gaunt and one of the houses had . . . plantation shutters. While they looked good, they blocked out a lot of light even when open, making the house feel dark. So after that, I began rethinking the shutters. More time passed.
But I’ve reached a point now where I can’t stand it anymore. So I spent a good part of yesterday looking at all the options and I think I’ve decided on roman shades. Amanda Nisbet makes great use of roman shades in a lot of her spaces:
I’m leaning toward simple white ones and bringing in pattern/color through drapes but these examples are pretty attractive, too. Off the topic – I’m dying for the light fixture in the last picture, too.
Thoughts?
(Photos: 1.Unknown. 2-4.Glenwood Park 5-8.Amanda Nisbet Design)
Perfect choice, Ally! I have them in my bedroom and family room. They add softness and it is so easy to control the light!
Oh no! Now I am confused! We were thinking of doing white wood blinds (which you are calling plantation shutters)…We had them in our apartment and they let in a ton of light (b/c the are so wide)….so now I don't know…
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Ally!! love roman shades, completing five for my dining room, check out how I cheated making them, I think you'll dig it!! great choice!
http://johnsjournal-maria.blogspot.com/2010/05/ch…
.-= Maria´s last post ..Saras wedding inspirations =-.
That lighting is striking! I prefer a shade to a shutter any day…but that is just my opinion. Lauren from Pure Style Home used a simple Sears white roman shade in her bedroom. It looks so lovely and can be paired with anything.
.-= Milk and Honey Home´s last post ..Contrast- Maybe a decorators favorite word =-.
Great choice! I love how sophisticated these look, it's very modern though and needless to say that they'll look totally chic! xoxo
.-= Ludmila {creamylife.com}´s last post ..Clara’s nursery =-.
Have you thought about wood blinds? I have white wood blinds on almost every window in my house. They provide privacy, but in the daytime let in so much light. Also, when you want to add more interest later, you can layer curtains on top. I'll send you some pics and links via email.
.-= Helen Young´s last post ..Red Kitchens – love em or not =-.
Being a huge fan of as much light as possible in a space I've never installed plantation shutters, they bring down the size of the window opening and unless you pull the shutters open, block out a good portion of the light…as you've said. But, they look fabulous!
Love the roman shade option, a great way to bring in more style with color, and perhaps a little pattern?
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We almost always default to some version of venetians because of their versatility but I think the roman blinds are a great option. They are so elegant and easy to clean. Just pop them off and take them to the dry cleaner. It helps though if your windows are fairly tall because you lose light at the top and even when the blinds are fully opened.
LOVE your Tord curtain! Don't always love his stuff but if I'd known about those (and they'd been in a silver color) I might not have bought wallpaper in Paris! But that's another conversation…..
I love the roman shade option! And that light…. divine!
.-= Jane Flanagan´s last post ..Four Etsy faves =-.
I love roman shades, and I'm currently facing a similar dillema: I'm going to do a roman shade in the nursery, but my bedroom window has a weird shape I don't know how to treat and for the office I'm debating between a roman shade and a bamboo shade… Decisions, decisions.
.-= Belly´s last post ..giveaway time- domino =-.
Understandable indecision. I grew up with plantation shutters…and they are very Southern and very pretty. But, I would lean toward the romans. I feel they would give you a more current look. Good luck!! Elizabeth
.-= pretty pink tulips´s last post ..Pillow Talk =-.
Hi there,
Well, I have had roman shades in a few of my houses. I love them. But, they are either up or down. No other option for privacy. I have three inch white plantation shutters without the center style, so it is a cleaner look, in my entire house. I love them. I can have the top part fully open for light or partially shut if I want light and privacy.
I vote for shutters. I wonder if the shutter company I used has a web site to see the style…. magnolia shutters in Dallas.
Good luck.
mb from Dallas
I just looked at the pics again… the first photo has shutters without the center vertical bar… cleaner look, right?
mb from Dallas
Oooo! I just love all the built-ins!
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cara: I think it has to do with the size of the windows because as a unit, they eat up a good portion of the window opening. If you have large windows though, it should be okay, I bet.
Maria: Those are awesome!
Milk & Honey: It was Lauren's post that confirmed the choice for me.
Helen: You're giving me MORE options?!
Janell and Mary Beth: That was the problem that I saw. The shutters – not the slats but as a unit – take up so much of the opening.
I have always dreamed of having custom shades and curtains from The Shade Store…The cascade roman shade in gray is gorg! (This is not an advertisement, I have no affiliation with The Shade Store whatsoever.
http://www.theshadestore.com/
My boyfriend has plantation shutters throughout the house and I must say it gets tiresome to open the blinds to let in more light and the house can remain quite dark if they aren't open. Sometimes I really want a wide, open window.
J'adore Amanda's use of roman shades ~ that trim on the edges is perfection. Go for it !
thank you for letting me know I'm not alone!!! I've been wanting to make our sunroom into an office…the hold up? deciding on curtains or blinds or whatever for the space!! I just can't decide. thanks for all these great ideas though…loving the roman shades, hmm maybe that's it then
!
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I have been thinking of doing roman shades in my son’s nursery too because of their great light filtration ability! I think you’ve got yourself a winner, plus, you can style them in so many different ways. Also, thanks for such a lovely note on my blog yesterday:-).
.-= Stacey´s last post ..We got featured! =-.
I love roman shades. What beautiful examples too! That chandelier is pretty kickin' too. Love it.
.-= Aimee´s last post ..Can This Be Made Fabulous =-.
I love roman blinds, and I love how there are so many options to choose from within that style.
My mother has an older colonial/federal home from 1801 and she put roman blinds in the upstairs bedrooms without drapes. They look beautiful because there is really nice molding around the sils. The walls of the room are linen white and the molding and blinds are a sage like green. The blinds are a bit modern for the older home, but definitely bring the decor up to date.
In my apartment, I also have roman blinds, but I put up drapes as well because I think the curtains add a little more interest/architecture to the space.
My vote is for the Roman blinds. That way you'll have so much more opportunity to update and finesse them. Ie. adding drapes, accenting the molding, or adding a pop of color in the blinds.
Ps. That last room is divine. The lighting, blinds, bedspread! I'm obsessed with that mustard yellow color right now.
We inherited plantation shutters throughout our Auckland weatherboard villa – they look fabulous from the outside and are wonderfully streamlined and simple in the rooms too but they do block out a lot of light. They also mean you never see our lovely windows – good for windows without any period features though. I won't change them but I'd think twice about putting them in the next house… Those roman blinds are stunning… Ann x
We inherited plantation shutters throughout our Auckland weatherboard villa – they look fabulous from the outside and are wonderfully streamlined and simple in the rooms too but they do block out a lot of light. They also mean you never see our lovely windows – good for windows without any period features though. I won’t change them but I’d think twice about putting them in the next house… Those roman blinds are stunning… Ann x
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Plantation shutters are pretty but I love the Roman shades as well! I'm swooning over that last light fixture — ooh la la! Have fun at the Pieces event
.-= Design Darling´s last post ..sand art =-.
I adore the architectural look of plantation shutters, but you're right, they can be heavy and block a lot of sunlight. Roman shades are fabulous; love the texture of cloth and the potential to add color. I wonder if you could do some sort of top-down shade to allow even more light and keep privacy?
I love roman shades! Plantation Shutters are the best too.
.-= Jessica at Lavender and Lilies´s last post ..Book Worm =-.
My vote is for the roman shades! Classic and unfussy looking.
Although they are an up or down only option they still allow way more light in than a plantation shutter. Also less expensive depending on the fabric chosen.
.-= Lissa @ After Adornment´s last post ..Art Addiction Linda Monfort =-.
Yes! I do so agree about the shutters. Our house has a northern face. Our front windows needed something, yet I knew I didn't want shutters because they ate up too much window space and blocked the precious little light we did get. I ended up with large slat wooden blinds and do love them but like roman shades better for your application.
.-= a perfect gray´s last post ..our passion for design =-.
Thanks Ally, I have 2 more posts to go on Glenwood Park – a whole one on Historical Concepts. Keep another HC road trip on our to-do list.
.-= Terry´s last post ..Tiny modern house critiqued in a supurb video =-.
Roman shades I love! We have both roman shades and shutters (we inherited) in the house. I like both, but prefer an open window with the romans. I did all romans in the NC house, and that workroom in NC uses RollEase hardware. No strings to wind or anything! LOVE RollEase.
I'm smiling that you are still debating it. Doesn't it take forever to make decisions for ourselves?
(Thank you for the mention!)
.-= angela | the painted house´s last post ..Top of the World =-.
Great choice – soft , clean lines etc. I've seen them hung so that you can actually wind them down rather than up. Allows the light bu keeps the privacy for the bedrooms
While I love the use of color in the roman shades, I am rethinking plantation shutters after seeing yours in the first pix! They look amazing in your LR but then again, I suspect your RS's will too! Can't wait to see pix.
.-= LBDDiaries´s last post ..A treading we will go… =-.
Awesome choice…I really like roman shades in the right room of course.
madebygirl.blogspot.com
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