Vogue Interiors Media
Accessories complete the setting for models and home
SW Florida homes' expansive views present design challenges.
Interior Design - " Going Green" with new product offerings.
SW FLORIDA HOMES’ EXPANSIVE VIEWS PRESENT DESIGN CHALLENGE
by Tani Hurley
In Southwest Florida where new home designs feature high ceilings and emphasize expansive views, creating window treatments that work presents a design dilemma.
“There are multiple challenges in creating window treatments for new homes,” said Deborah Kreye, ASID, designer with Vogue Interiors. “You must deal with ceilings that in many homes are more than 20 feet high. They are often irregular in shape. Many homes have mitered, convex windows. And, while everyone wants sun exposure, there is still a need to create coverings that protect furnishings from the sun and that provide privacy when wanted.”
The challenge has prompted some creative solutions. In one custom home within Miromar Lakes, Kreye was called upon to respond to windows designed in a wide variety of architectural styles.
“All of the windows were custom, so each called for a different treatment,” she said. “Window treatments must not only respond to design but must also be structurally sound so the fabric doesn’t sag.”
Becky Graves, president of Raebecca, Drapery by Design, a Bonita Springs based company that fabricates custom draperies, emphasizes the importance of installation for safety reasons as well.
“Installation is extremely important,” she said. “Dealing with the many different densities of drywall and an oversized cornice, you must be certain that the treatment is securely mounted. The same holds true with drapery, assuring that the installation will hold the weight of the fabric and the rod. A custom pole that holds the draperies could easily weigh as much as 100 pounds.”
Add custom iron to a cornice, and the importance of weight is multiplied.
The windows in the living room of Kreye’s Miromar Lakes project featured panels of glass above the sliding glass doors stretching almost to the ceiling of the two-story living room. The long panels of fabric featured inset center panels of a different fabric in complementary colors to provide interest. In the master bedroom, behind the panels that framed the view, additional panels in a neutral color were hung to provide privacy at night.
In the dining area, drapery rods of custom iron work were used to accentuate the rich natural earth tones and materials of the home. The convex window of mitered glass in the bar area required special treatment - a custom cornice curved to mimic the curve of the glass.
A window in the game room was made to look taller with the addition of a cornice, while in a guest bedroom a custom cornice provided color for the room while concealing blinds that were used for privacy and sun block. In another guest bedroom, a mock balloon shade served the same purpose, hiding the privacy shades. In the upstairs theater, room-darkening draperies were utilized over the sliding glass doors that lead to the balcony, repeating the drapery design over the 96-inch screen to provide a true “theater” ambience.
The interest in window treatments is reflected in sales. According to Business Trends Analysts, American manufacturers sold more than $4.2 billion in window coverings five years ago, with an anticipated growth of 2 percent annually.
But window treatments don’t always mean draperies, Kreye said. In a guest bath, a stained-glass window offered the privacy of a drapery while providing a beautiful focal point and allowing natural light to filter in.
It is perhaps the renewed focus on views and natural light that has led to other changes in window treatment trends that focus on an appreciation of natural materials and new technology.
“People are putting an emphasis on a more straightforward approach to dressing a window,” said Graves of Raebecca Drapery by Design. “We have gone away from the trend of ‘puddling’ draperies on the floor. You still have a look that is very rich and elegant, but the design is more sleek and tailored.”
According to Graves, fabric manufacturers are responding to the growing preference for organic materials, natural fibers and environmentally friendly materials. Exposed wood grain blinds with accents of contrasting materials take their place along side of bamboo in popularity. Wood and bamboo are joining metals as materials of choice for hardware and finials.
Silks and similar luxurious fabrics remain a popular choice, Graves said, while trends lean toward fabrics with unusual textures – metallics, sheer fabrics with imprints, and combinations of fabrics such as sheer with suede.
“Trim, rather beads and raffia, or braids and fringe, add texture, interest and a more finished look to any treatment,” she said.
One particularly appealing fabric Graves used to create draperies for Vogue Interiors for a builder’s model incorporate tiny sea shells hand-sewn onto a sheer white fabric, a perfect complement for a Florida-themed home.
What’s behind the drapery is important as well, Graves notes. “As important as the drapery is the quality of the lining. The correct lining and interlining is necessary to create the appropriate look and to assure that the drapery will hang properly and continue to hang properly over time.”
While there are no hard and fast rules for style for window treatments, designers stress that the window treatment should enhance the architecture of the home and at the same time complement the style of the room and furnishings.
