Open floor plans offers the promise of freedom and the promise of flow. Open floor plans create one large space for kitchen, living rooms, and dining areas. The benefit of this type of floor plan is that conversations can occur throughout the room easy, and the light can fall onto the room without creating any barrier to visual appreciation of the space.
However, this same openness can make it difficult for an individual to define specific area within the room or to provide any softness to the space if they do choose to make the room feel more cozy. Window treatments can be used as a “secret weapon” to solve these issues associated with an open floor plan. Window treatments can provide definition to an open floor plan, allow for the addition of softness to the area, and provide personality to the entire room.
The method for choosing the appropriate treatments for an open floor plan is to choose window treatments that works with the sight lines in the room instead of choosing treatments that may work against those sight lines. For example, placing heavy drapes on every window in the open floor plan may create the visual of dropping curtains down the middle of a party. There are, however, several solution to this problem.
The following paragraphs will describe the solutions.
Top Window Treatment Solutions For Open Floor Plans
1. Layered Sheers and Drapes
One of the best solutions for an open floor plan is the use of layered sheers and drapes. By using floor-to-ceiling sheer panels made of a pale linen fabric or a voile fabric, the homeowner can allow the sunlight to filter into the area during the daytime.
Floor-to-ceiling sheer panels can, however, be replaced with heavier drapes that hangs on a separate rod and only are drawn into the areas in which the residents would like them to cover the windows. Additionally, this solution help to eliminate the most common problem of glare on the screens in the open floor plan when the lights are on in the area, and it also ensure that the residents have privacy in those areas after the sun sets. The only tradeoff for using layered sheers and drapes is that the fabrics must be of the same color family.
For example, drapes that are the same color as the sheer panels will create the appearance of the walls having one continuous surface instead of two separate fabrics.
2. Roman Shades
Roman shades offer the benefit of being able to fold and lie flat when needed to control the light in the open floor plan. These shades can be mounted into the window frame or into the frame of the windows, which will allow the windows to appear larger than they may otherwise appear in the area.
Additionally, the use of the same shade for every window in the open floor plan will provide visual definition to the entire area. Roman shades are perfect for areas above kitchen counters since the curtains would otherwise dangle into the cooking area. Additionally, the fabric for these shades should be a natural fiber to allow them to easily pull the shades without creasing them in the process of opening or closing the shades.
3. Motorized Roller Shades
Motorized roller shades will disappear completely from the open floor plan when not in use. These shades are perfect for open floor plans because the individual visible element in these areas must be important. The roller shade can be mounted into the ceiling lines into which the fabric will be held.
One command from a remote or an automated app that controls the shades can control all of the shades in the open plan. The benefit of using motorized shades is that they will scale to the tall windows that are common in open floor plans. Roller shades will effectively block the heat that enters the area during the summer months but will retain the warmth within the area during the winter months.
Additionally, if the open floor plan includes a kitchen area, this is an even greater benefit for the residents since they will not have to worry about the retention of warmth within that area. The only tradeoff is that true blackout shades may make the room feel as if it were a cave if all of the shades is lowered at once. Instead, shades that are used in the open floor plan may include solar shades that are used during the daytime and black shades that are used in sleeping areas of the residence.
4. Café Curtains
Café curtains can be used as a half-measure to allow for the residents to have privacy for activities at eye level while still permitting the light to enter the space from the area above the eye level of the residents in the open plan. By hanging café curtains midway down the window, the residents will have privacy from the outside world, but the upper portion of the window will remain open to the light. This solution originated in European bistros and may be used for the same reason in homes that contain lofts or renovated farmhouses.
Café curtains may be used if the open plan is at street level or faces another residence. Additionally, café curtains may be too much for any individual whose home feature too much formality since any frilly curtains may appear in the residence of a grandmother rather than an adult whose job is to entertain guests.
5. Wooden Shutters
Wooden shutters bring a sense of weight and presence to the open floor plan.
These shutters will not use any of the softness of fabric to provide coverage to the windows. The use of wooden shutters will provide a sense of substance to the area rather than the feeling of a glass box. Additionally, wooden shutters can be painted to the same color as the trim in the area or stained a dark color for contrast in that area.
Wooden shutters will last for decades and will require almost no maintenance compared to fabric shades that may yellow over time. Additionally, wooden shutters provide control over the light in the area by tilting the louvers to allow light into the area or by closing them complete for movie nights. The only tradeoff is the cost of these shutters.
High-quality wooden shutters will make an even greater contribution to the value of the residence. The benefit of wooden shutters is that they will pay for themselves in an open floor plan.
6. Sliding Panel Track Blinds
Sliding panel track blinds will allow for the fabric or wooden panels to glides along a track that is mounted to the ceiling.
The panels can be all stacked to one side of the window to allow for a maximum view of the area or spread across the windows to allow for the provision of light and privacy in the open floor plan. Additionally, since the blinds will move horizontally, they will not interfere with the vertical line in the area. These blinds are also useful for windows that are very wide or tall since a standard curtain rod may not be appropriate for such windows.
The panels can be made of any material. Additionally, the designer can use these blinds to provide partitions in the area that may be useful for creating a home office area or a reading nook in the open plan. However, there must be enough space beside the windows for the blinds.
7. Bamboo or Woven Wood Shades
Bamboo shades or woven wood shades will provide warmth to the open floor plan that may use an otherwise moddern and minimalist design. Additionally, since the shades are made of natural fibers, they will provide a soft light into the area. Additionally, when lowered, the shades will not cover the windows since the natural fibers will disappear into the headrail of the shade.
Additionally, if the area features many hard surfaces in the open floor plan, such as concrete floors, bamboo shades will provide contrast to the area. Additionally, bamboo shades are a sustainable option for these areas since they are made of natural materials. Additionally, since the shade will resist moisture, it will work especially well for kitchens in which the counter may become wet after individuals perform cooking task.
Additionally, if darker shades of bamboo fabric are used for the shades, they will reduce the amount of light entering the space compared to lighter shades of fabric for the blinds. Using colors or patterns that are bold and dramatic in the area will allow for the shades to define the open floor plan. The use of floor-length curtains of a color like terracotta will provide definition to the area that may otherwise be a visual dead spot in the residence.
The color of the curtains can be the same as the color of the accent items in the area to ensure that the entire floor plan has a sense of cohesion in its design. This solution will work best in a loft area that includes both wood and metal structures in the open floor plan. The downside to this solution is the commitment the individuals will have to make to a specific color since these curtains will remain in place in the residence for several year.
It is recommended, therefore, that the residents choose a shade for the curtains that they deeply love and appreciate instead of selecting a color that is popular at the moment. Your windows should feel like they are a part of the open floor plan rather than obstacles that were dropped into your floor plan design. Use sheers or motorized shades to cover your windows based off the desire to maintain the connection between the spaces while also adding comfort and character to the area.
Spend some time in the space you are designing for at various times of the day. Pay attention to the glare in the space, the need for privacy, and any window that you do not want to cover. These will give you a better understanding of the proper window treatment for the area.
When you are faced with the various available options for window treatments, take a moment to breathe and consider that the best solutions will include elements of both function and beauty. Consider the different options for dressing your windows while considering how each will make the open space in your home feel more like a home.
