Summer Window Treatments

Summer is around the corner, and that means blissful sunny days ahead! You’ll soon need to start redecorating your home to prepare it for the season. While your windows might not be your top priority, they’re a great way to maximize all the beautiful rays of light and elevate your seasonal decor. Here’s what you need to know about treating your windows for the summer.

What are summer window treatments?

Essentially, they’re shutters and drapery. Check out some of the best ones for summertime:

• Soft window treatments: These are your shades and drapery. Soft sheer drapery that allows sun to stream in are fabulous for this season because they’re light, which helps make a room more airy. If you opt for sheer drapery, you need to consider their fullness. A triple fullness not only looks great, but does a better job of blocking sun and creating privacy than single or double fullness drapery. Lace drapery is like traditional see-through ones, but also add some elegant flair if you want a more dramatic look. Roman shades also offer “soft” but they block light to a degree.

Lace drapery is great in the summer.

• Hard window treatments: Shutters and blinds fall into this category. Shades — honeycomb and roller, in particular — are opaque enough to somewhat shut out light, but they still let in some sun while softening it so it’s not too harsh.

We love these white and blue Roman shades for the summer.

Don’t fret if you’re having a hard time deciding between soft and hard treatments. You don’t need to choose between one or the other! You can always opt to place a soft treatment over a hard one, and close and open them as desired, based on the effect you want to achieve.

You don’t have to choose between hard or soft, you can have them both.

Why are they important?

Summer window treatments have a variety of welcome benefits for this time of the year:

1. They’re aesthetically pleasing and give you a chance to incorporate your personal style in a subtle way. They also make a room feel cheery and refreshed by getting rid of the stuffiness of heavier winter fabrics.
2. Summer window treatments are an excellent temperature regulation method that requires no energy. They ensure cool air won’t leave the room, keeping you comfortable all summer long.
3. Chances are, your furniture is susceptible to sun bleaching. Summer window treatments help prevent your upholstery and wood from becoming dull due to sunshine.

Tips and tricks for treating your windows

While installing blinds or drapery may seem like a straightforward enough process, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind:

• Think about the atmosphere you want to create. You need to balance your decor by choosing treatments that complement your furnishing and color scheme. Opulent treatments will be too much in a room that’s already heavily decorated. Conversely, plain shades will make a room boring if the rest of the space is minimalist or very lightly furnished.
• If you select blinds, make sure the material they’re made from is sun and heat resistant. Even shutters can be at risk of bleaching, so it’s advisable to go for white or other pale colors. This is true for drapery, too. Although it’s unlikely you’d choose sheer drapery in a bold or dark color, white remains a safe bet.

White shutters or blinds are naturally sun-resistant.