Illawarra Mercury

Earthy hues for windows

Window treatments are a much-needed addition to the home. The right drape, blind or shutter will help regulate internal temperatures throughout the year.

Keeping window furnishings closed during hot days will help keep a room cooler, the reverse can apply in cooler weather. Drapes or shutters can act as an insulation buffer to help keep warm air inside a room when heating is on.

Insulation properties aside, window furnishings also add the finishing touches to any room by completing a look or style with colour and texture.

A colour trend for winter is a natural and earthy palette influenced by nature - replacing the bright colors of previous seasons.

Jenny Brown from Luxaflex Window Fashion tips greys and dusty blues as the go-to colours of the season. The hues complement paint insiders forecasts of greens and browns that influence the botanical trend, which brings the outdoors in.

This will be seen in the paint colours and wallpaper in our homes this winter, with a strong move toward grey walls over beige, feature walls in soft blue tones and an array of furniture in charcoal grey and strong browns, Jenny says. These base colours can be dressed up with small amounts of colourful hue, like creamy yellows, rich maroons and muddy pinks.

One of the biggest trends in the home is strong texture. Layering in as many different - but complementary - textures as possible. For windows, textural trends include layering drapes or sheers over shutters or drapes over sheers.

For example, Jenny says, Luxaflexs Silhouette Shadings picks up on the textural look by combining the characteristics or curtains, shades and blinds in one design. They can be opened for a full, soft-focus view, closed for privacy or tiltes for light control, Jenny says..

Mix and matching colour palettes and textures is also key to give depth and an individual finish. For decor, throws in chunky cable knits are becoming prominent on sofas. Similarly, cushions have lots of detailing, while rugs are thicker and more fibrous. Textured wallpaper will become even bigger and textured window treatments - in plush fabrics - will also become more prominent, Jenny says.

With new colours and textures appearing in stores with innovative designs with energy saving properties the forecast is for sleek and contemporary design. Jenny offers the following insights into three of the most popular questions in choosing window furnishings for the home:

Which colours and window treatments work best in a small room? And a larger room?

Small rooms can be made to appear larger with the use of light-coloured materials, brightening up any dark areas. Larger rooms benefit from large-scale products such as privacy sheers, with matching fabrics and colours to achieve a similar feel throughout the home. When used floor-to-ceiling or wall-to-wall, to cover an entire side of a room, you create a dramatic style statement in addition to a highly functional window cover for light and privacy control.

For smaller windows is it best to go for drapes that fall to the ground to create an illusion of space or with shutters?

Most coverings are suitable for small windows and can look fantastic if the right colour, style and installation method is used. Generally in Australia we fit the window covering in the window reveal so that it sits flush with the wall, instead of covering the entire wall and window.

Is cutting curtains level with the bottom of a window a decorating no-no?

Most curtains and products, such as privacy sheers (a blind and curtain in one), are fitted onto the face of the window (the outside of the window frame). It looks much better to have full length, however, there are occasions when this isn't an option. In this instance, the best solution is to use a blind fitted inside the window reveal and flush with the wall so there is no depth protruding into the room space. You can achieve the soft appearance of curtains yet benefit from light, privacy and insulation.