The right window treatments have the ability to elevate any space by adding texture, color, and detail. We are sharing our favorites, woven wood shades, roman shades and drapery panels, and how to get the right look in your home.
Choosing window treatments for your home can sometimes feel overwhelming and a little bit daunting. There are so many different components to take into consideration, from the look you want to achieve to their function or purpose. Not to mention, if you’re choosing quality window coverings they are often an investment, so you want to be sure you’re making the right decision.
I’ll be honest, a few years ago I didn’t give much thought to our window coverings, so long as we had curtains or shades to close when it was dark, I was happy. Fast forward a few years and I am now obsessed. I’ve come to understand and appreciate just how much they can add to a space. But as I’ve mentioned there is a lot of thought that goes into choosing the right window treatments, so today I want to take some time to chat about the coverings we have throughout our home and answer some of the most common questions we see.
Bali Natural Shades in Beaches Sands (discontinued). Similar Options Faroe Oyster or Faroe Twine. Cordless + Privacy Liner + No Accent
We’ve partnered with Blindsgalore over the years to update many of the shades throughout our home and they very quickly became our favorite go-to for window treatments. They have an incredible selection to choose from and are always eager to help, they’ve answered endless questions from me so that I can be sure we are choosing the right shades for our home and lifestyle. If you’re considering new shades for your home, I know you’ll be happy choosing Blindsgalore.
Woven Wood Shades
Woven wood shades are an absolute favorite of mine. They are a great choice if you’re searching for a natural option, and they come in so many different materials and hues. One of the reasons I love woven wood shades so much is their ability to add texture and warmth to any space.
Bali Natural Shades in Faroe Oyster. Cordless + Privacy Liner + No Accent
We chose to layer our shades with drapery (except in our kitchen), but I also love woven wood shades on their own for a more streamlined look. They really fit with so many different aesthetics, from traditional to modern, and convey a relaxed and laid back feeling to any room. You can see them in our living room, bedroom, Zoe’s bedroom, and Ella’s nursery, that’s how much we love them!
And while woven wood shades come in a variety of colors, from rich cocoa to creamy whites, I tend to lean towards warmer honey tones. I also stick to grass-like materials, because I love their texture. These two elements add a lot of warmth and keep our home feeling laid back and fresh. The shades in our living room, bedroom and Zoe’s bedroom are Bali Natural Shades in Beaches Sands, however, that particular material has since been discontinued. We worked with Blindsgalore to find a very similar match and we discovered Faroe Oyster (seen in Ella’s nursery and our kitchen) and Faroe Twine are very similar. Faroe Oyster is a little lighter, while Faroe Twine has more warmth, but both are beautiful choices.
Bali Natural Shades in Faroe Oyster. Cordless + Blackout Liner + No Accent
There are a couple of things to consider when ordering your shades. First, you’ll need to consider privacy. If left unlined, they will be sheer, which is a great option for a kitchen, or even a living room. But if you’re looking for a little more privacy you’ll want to choose a privacy liner or even a blackout liner, which are perfect for bedrooms. We opted for the blackout liner in Ella’s nursery and it has been so great for naps and early bedtimes, while the rest of our shades are lined with a simple privacy liner.
You’ll also need to consider lift options. We chose the cordless lift because it gave us peace of mind, we never need to worry about our girls or pets becoming tangled in the cords. But I also love that it gives our windows a very streamlined look, without any clutter.
Roman Shades
As much as I love woven wood shades, I also have a soft spot for roman shades. They are a terrific way to incorporate the softness of drapery panels, combined with the clean lines of a custom shade. It’s the best of both worlds!
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Blindsgalore Designer Roman Shades (Solids) in Linen Texture (White) Plain Fold. Cordless + Privacy Liner + Accent in Pewter
And because Roman shades are available in so many different styles and fabric choices they look great with any design aesthetic, from airy and romantic to masculine and modern. It all depends on the material, color and fold you choose.
Recently we added a roman shade to our upstairs hallway window and I can’t get over how much it has elevated this little space. We chose the Blindsgalore Designer Roman Shades (Solids), in Linen Texture (White) with Pewter accent and the Plain Fold.
Drapery
Drapery panels are another great option when considering window coverings. We chose to add inexpensive drapery panels to all of our windows because I love the combination of the soft linen-like material with our beautiful woven wood shades. It’s such a nice contrast.
And curtain panels don’t have to be expensive, you can actually find a lot of really nice options in big box stores opposed to custom-made. An important element to remember when purchasing curtains is the length, in most cases you’ll want the panels to just touch the floor for a nice clean look.
Bali Natural Shades in Beaches Sands (discontinued). Similar Options Faroe Oyster or Faroe Twine. Cordless + Privacy Liner + No Accent
Now, we’ve covered woven wood shades, roman shades, and drapery panels, which leads me to another common question we are asked alot…do all of the window coverings in your home have to be the same?
The short answer is no! As you can see we’ve incorporated woven wood shades, roman shades, and drapery panels throughout our home. I think it’s important to take into consideration what you are trying to achieve in each space. Are the coverings purely for aesthetics? Or do you need privacy and/or darkness? Once you’ve been able to pinpoint your needs you can determine the best options for your home.
As long as there is a feeling of cohesion from room to room, your window coverings do not need to be the same throughout. In our case, our woven wood shades are a similar texture and color, we’ve carried the same drapery panels throughout our home, and the roman shade in our hallways closely matches the material and color of our curtains. Our hardware (curtain rods) are also the same from room to room. You don’t necessarily need to stick to these guidelines, but this is how we’ve created a consistent feeling in our home.
And one final thought, always, always, always order samples! I cannot stress how important it is to actually hold the fabric swatches in your hands to see the true color and texture of each material. You don’t want to ignore this step.
Well, I hope this post has helped guide you in choosing the right window coverings for your home. If you still have questions please comment below or send us an email, we are always happy to chat with you.
Katie Wilson says
Thanks for the tip about finding different window coverings. I like your advice about considering woven wood shades. I’m looking for new window shades, so I’ll have to consider wood ones.
Alicia says
I absolutely love woven wood shades, they are so beautiful and can add so much warmth to a room, especially if you like neutrals as I do. I think you’ll fall in love with them too. 🙂
jillian says
Hello, Love this post! Very helpful information! Do you have any tips on the drapery? I purchased the same Ikea curtains based on your recommendation and mine don’t look as sleek. Do you steam them? Do you have 2 panels per window or do you double up? (Hope that makes sense!)
Alicia says
Hi Jillian,
I’m not sure why they may look different? Did you buy the Ritvan curtain panels? We don’t do anything special to ours, took them straight from the package, hemmed the bottom using hem tape and hung them using the hidden tabs on the back. We only use one panel for each side of the window and I don’t think I’ve ever steamed them. The only difference I can think of would be that we are Canadian, they may differ from the style in the US? I’m sorry I’m not more help, maybe try to iron or steam them and see if that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂
Lauren says
Very informative post! I love the Roman shades, and the prices seem very reasonable. An off-topic question—what carpeting do you have in your stair landing area and bedrooms? We want to make a switch to a low-pile carpet, and I like how yours looks almost like jute.
Alicia says
Hi Lauren, I’m glad you found our post helpful. 🙂 The carpet question…one we get almost daily! Unfortunately, I don’t have a source. The carpet was installed by the previous owner before we moved in. I am trying to source it so that I can answer this question. Please keep checking in, I will post about it once/if I find the source. Thank you for visiting!
Erika Brady says
Thanks for the information on the different window treatment options, such as how Roman shades are available in various styles and choices. When choosing one, it could help to work with a professional that specializes in window treatment design. This could ensure that you figure out which style works best for the other design elements in your room and with the light and privacy control you want.
Alicia says
Hi Erika, working with a profession could definitely help. If you’re ordering from Blindsgalore, they have an incredible customer service team that will help with every single detail, so if you have any questions or need help with any aspect reach out to them and they will be more than happy to help!
Mandy Clause says
Your home is beautiful! I am ordering the same shades and am torn between ordering the Faroe Oyster or Faroe Twine. When the sun shines through the Faroe Oyster, does it have a yellow tint?? Could you post a picture with them down please? I would really appreciate it! Thanks for all of your tips.
Alicia says
Hi Mandy, you’ll love your new shades! We don’t have any yellow colouring coming through with the sun, but both of our Faroe Oyster shades are lined. The ones in Ella’s nursery are black-out and the kitchen shades have a white privacy liner. Give Blindsgalore a call and speak with their customer service team if you have any concerns. They are amazing and will be able to help with any questions you might have. You can also order samples which might help you decide. Let me know if you have any other questions as well, we are always happy to help!
Yani says
Hi Alicia.. Your home is a dream. So happy I came across your blog. I fell in love with your Window Treatment and I am so glad you referenced the company you used– Just ordered my samples. I wanted to ask you about the lining details mentioned both of the Faroe Oyster shades are lined– Did Blindsgalore line them for you or did you do that on your own? Let me know.
Thanks!
Yani
Alicia says
Hi Yani, thank you for your kind comment, it brightened our day! 🙂 We had all of our shades lined by Blindsgalore, and I’m glad we did. All of them have the privacy liner, with the exception of Ella’s nursery, which we chose the blackout liner to help with her naps during the day. I hope that helps, and please don’t hesitate to email us if you have any other questions, we’re always happy to chat!
Erica Richards says
Where did you buy the white curtains? So many times I buy curtains and they don’t look like the picture!
Alicia says
Hi Erica, these curtains are from Ikea and they are called Ritva. I used to have such a hard time finding curtains, but these ones are my favourite. They are inexpensive but such nice quality and I love the length (no more too short curtains!).
Isabel says
This was so helpful! I’m going back and forth on the cordless and continuous cord option (because apparently the palisade valence HAS to have binding if you choose cordless option – and I really don’t want the decorative binding). Under your photos it says “continuous cord” but in the text it says you went with cordless. Which did you end up with and/or which do you suggest? I want a simple horizontal valence, but it seems you can only have that with the corded options. Any advice on this would be super helpful!!
Alicia says
Hi Isabel, I’m so glad to hear you found this post helpful. 🙂 All of our shades are cordless (I will make the correction to the post). If you contact a Blindsgalore customer service rep (ask for Brian!), they will be able to walk you through ordering the shades without the decorative binding. We didn’t want it on ours either and it was something they worked with the manufacturer on. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I’m always happy to help!
Sarah D’alessandro says
Hello – Your home is beautiful! I am thrilled to have some tips on the shades but I also wanted to ask you about the chandelier in your daughter’s nursery? Thank you!
Alicia says
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your kind comment. 🙂 I think you’re referring to the gold chandelier in Zoe’s room? We purchased it from Lowes a few years ago, and unfortunately, it is showing as out of stock at all online retailers. If you visit our Shop – Our Home page, you can follow the link posted and enter your email address to be notified if it becomes available again.
Jordan says
Hi! I absolutely love reading all of your posts. Your home is beautiful! I was wondering if you had any advice for shades or treatments for door windows. We have a half window on our front door and I can’t seem to find any kind of window treatment that works there. I love the natural light that comes through it, but at night I would like something that gives some privacy. Any thoughts?
Alicia says
I absolutely get that, Jordan! I just pinned two ideas I love to our Pinterest board, I think either of these options would look so pretty. I hope that helps!
https://www.pinterest.ca/nickandalicialifestyle/farmhouse-style/
Jennifer Loving says
Hello, I am so happy I came across your blog- I have been looking all over for help with what color natural shades to buy and yours was the only place I could find pictures of the shades and the actual name of brands and colors! Question, have you done any of your rooms in pale blues? I’m looking to change my not-so-little-anymore girl’s bedroom from pink to pale blues and white.
Alicia says
Hi Jennifer, I’m so glad you found our post helpful! I haven’t done any of our rooms in pale blue, however, I do use a lot of blue accents throughout our home. I think a soft blue would look great with the natural shades if that’s what you’re curious about! 🙂