French doors bring charm to any room and flood it with natural light. The doors also offer easy access to patios, gardens, or adjacent rooms. However, they pose a problem for people who want their rooms to offer both privacy and light control while avoiding the drawbacks of blocking the view of the rooms or making the French doors feel heavy.
The solution to this problem is a pair of the right window treatments that create the desired outcome. Such treatments will transform the doors from potential drawbacks into focal points of the entire room. Choosing the right treatments for French doors is a different task from choosing treatments for standard windows in a home.
The treatment choices must accommodate the movement of the French doors and the location of there handles. Any treatment choice that is incorrect will pose difficulties for the owners when the doors are opened or closed. However, choosing the correct treatment for the doors will make the entire room feel finished, balanced, and uniquely yours.
The ideas listed below will help you choose the best treatment for your French doors.
Top Window Treatment Ideas For French Doors
1. Sheer Linen Curtains
Sheer linen curtains are a favorite of many people for several reasons. Placing sheer linen curtains on a rod that rests just above the door frame and extends a few inches beyond the side of the frame will allow you to allow sunlight to filter through the sheer linen curtains.
This treatment will allow you to see what is happening in the garden beyond the doors. The sheer linen curtains will allow the fabric to move when the doors are opened. They will move much like an exhale when the doors are opened.
The linen fabric will avoid the stiffness that is common with other fabrics. People choose sheer linen curtains to gain privacy in their homes during the day without sacrificing the amount of natural light that floods into the rooms. At night, the sheer linen curtains will hide the lights within the interiors of the home from people who view the rooms from outside the homes.
The only downside to sheer linen curtains is that they dont offer any insulation to the doors. In winter, this could be problematic. However, if you live in a climate that is not exposed to harsh winters, sheer linen curtains will do the job and allow the doors to remain light and airy.
2. Roman Shades
Roman shades that are mounted within the door frame offer crisp geometric designs that echo the design of the French doors. The Roman shades will leave the glass unobstructed when they are raised. When lowered, the Roman shades will but against the glass to block any glare from entering the home.
The design of the Roman shades will create an architectural feature in the home that appears to be added on purpose rather than added as an afterthought to the home’s design. Roman shades are perfect for formal dining rooms or home offices where you need to control the amount of light entering the rooms during specific hours of the day. There are also motorized versions of Roman shades if you are concerned about having cords for the shades near your French doors.
If you choose Roman shades, you must get the measurements of the door frames right. Even a half-inch error in the size of the shades will make them catch on the handles of the French doors. If you get it right, Roman shades will offer you tailored elegance to your doors that will not fight with the doors’ movement.
3. Cellular Shades
Cellular shades are also known as honeycomb shades. Cellular shades can be designed to offer natural light to the homes while also providing insulation for the windows that reduces the cost of heating or cooling the homes. Cellular shades come in fabrics that allow light into the rooms or those that do not allow light into the homes.
When the cellular shades are raised, the cellular shades will vanish from the windows because of the slim brackets that hold them on the doors. The biggest benefit of cellular shades is that they are quiet when they are opened and closed. There are no clattering cellular shades and no cords to fight with when the doors are opened.
Cellular shades can be gently lifted or pushed with a wand placed into the doors. This shade design is ideal for French doors that open onto kitchens or nurseries. The downside to cellular shades is that they are more contemporary in feel and may not be suitable for homes with Victorian architectural features.
4. Café-Style Curtains
Café-style curtains are only hung on the lower half of the French doors. This curtain style was first used in European bistros and works well in homes with French doors. By using café curtains, you will have privacy for your homes at eye level.
You will still have views of the sky and the ability to allow natural light into the homes from above the doors. Because the café-style curtains are short in length, there will be less fabric to push aside when opening the French doors. People often think that café curtains are out of date.
However, moddern café curtains use fabrics that give the curtains a fresh look and feel. Mount the rods that hold the café-style curtains at the center of the French doors so that they do not interfere with the doors’ movement. Café-style curtains work well in kitchens and living areas where a touch of charm is desired.
Additionally, café-style curtains are one of the most budget-friendly window treatments listed above.
5. Wooden Shutters
Wooden shutters can be hinged or bifold and provide texture to the space that fabric treatments cannot. Painting wooden shutters a crisp white or staining wooden shutters to coordinate with the existing wood trim in the home can provide architectural features that help the French doors seem like they are a part of the house itself.
Louvered wooden shutters allow for the control of how much light falls into the treated area and how much ventilation the space has. Although the investment in wooden shutters is higher than some of the other treatment options for French doors, wooden shutters will last for decades and add to the resale value of the home. Wooden shutters are ideal for spaces where you want to show off the old-world character of the space or if you need to block the light from entering the room.
One consideration with wooden shutters is the clearance that is available for the doors to swing open and accommodate the shutters. In these cases, slim-profile wooden shutters may be a better solution for the treatment of the doors.
6. Roller Shades
Roller shades have seen significant updates to better suit modern living spaces.
The fabrics available for roller shades are much more sophisticated and do not have the cheap feel of the older versions of roller shades. If privacy during the night is desired, blackout roller shades are available. Additionally, the latest roller shades come in a design that mounts to the door itself.
These shades will not create the gap between the roller shade and the door when the door is open. People who are looking for a more streamlined and subtle treatment for their French doors will find roller shades to be a suitable solution. The roller shades will roll up into a cassette at the top of the door when not in use.
This allows for the roller shade to be barely noticeable when in place. Additionally, you can manually or motorized controlled the roller shade to open and close the shade. However, roller shades will not offer the same level of softness as curtains.
Thus, they are better suited to modern and not traditional interiors.
7. Wooden Blinds and Sheer Curtains Combo
Using two treatment options for French doors may be the best solution to those who are struggling with the problems that a single treatment may cause. One common solution is using sheer curtains and wooden blinds that are mounted into the door itself.
During the height of the summer and during the afternoon, wooden blinds can be lowered to avoid adding heat to the home. During the evening, sheer curtains can be drawn for privacy. The two textures will contrast with one another and create a depth to the interior of the home.
To ensure that these two treatments do not create a conflict with the hardware for the doors, double rods for the curtains and wooden blinds can be used. Although this solution requires more effort and money upfront, the result will be more collected and custom looking treatments for the doors. Many interior designers will use this tactic with French doors because it provides total control over the treatment of the doors and the lighting that enters the home from outside.
8. Woven Wood Shades
Woven wood shades are a treatment for French doors that should not be overlooked. Woven wood shades are made from natural materials such as bamboo, reeds, and grasses. These shades will filter the light that enters the space and are easy to roll up when not in use.
Woven wood shades are ideal for doors that have access to patios and decks in warm months when the shades can be secured with ties. Woven wood shades will add warmth to any modern interior that has alot of glass components. The texture of woven wood shades will also soften the look of the metal frames for the doors.
Additionally, the material of the woven wood shades is lightweight and will not strain the hardware of the door. However, woven wood shades are more suitable for covered patios as they may be damaged by exposure to the rain.
9. Decorative Film
Finally, individuals can treat their French doors with decorative film that is applied directly to the glass.
Although decorative film is not considered one of the traditional treatments for French doors, modern films come in frosted, patterned, and textured varieties that will allow privacy for the interior of the home. These treatments will not have any moving parts that may catch individuals as they move through the doors. This treatment is perfect for renters or for older homes with architectural styles that cannot be altered.
The application of the film will take an afternoon and the removal of the film will be just as easy if the homeowner should change there minds about the treatment of the doors. Additionally, window films will block the UV rays from the outside of the home and will prevent the fading of rugs and furnitures in the treated area. The look of the film can be subtle or feature bold graphic designs.
Many individuals will begin with decorative film to treat their doors due to the relatively low cost of the treatment. After gaining an understanding of how the space will be used, they can then upgrade to fabric treatments. Regardless of the treatment of the French doors that is chosen for an interior, the best treatments will respect the architecture of the home.
The best treatments will work with the doors themselves rather than fight against the architecture of the door. The best treatments will enhance the natural light that enters the space through the doors, the best treatments will reflect the way that the individuals live within the space. Observe the area during different hours of the day to see what type of light falls into the interiors of the home.
Note the direction that the doors open and how often the doors are left ajar in these open positions. These observations will help to create the solution to the treatment of the doors that seems inevitable once in place rather than one that was discovered during a decorating trip. When found and installed correctly, the treatment of the French doors will make those glass panels the heart of the interior of the home, which is the desired outcome for these types of doors.
