When to Replace Your Window Treatments
FOUR SIGNS IT’S TIME FOR A REFRESH
You’ve decided to refresh your bedroom or living room, and you’re working on a plan—paint colors, light fixtures and a couple of pieces of new wall art. That begs the question: Should you stick with your current window treatments?
From a design aspect, window treatments add a finishing touch and bring a sense of cohesiveness to a space. They’re also extremely functional—enhancing daylight, blocking heat and glare, and even helping insulate a room. So it’s important to have blinds or shades that not only look great, but that work well, too.
Now’s the perfect opportunity to give your window treatments a careful once-over. If any of the following issues apply, it’s time to replace the old with the new.
CREATING INTERESTING CONTRASTS
Warped, Yellowed Wood Slats: Real wood blinds that have been exposed to years of sunlight or humidity can warp and yellow. In addition to looking worn out, warped blinds might also be cumbersome to raise and lower.
Solution: Look for composite wood blinds—which resist fading, yellowing, bowing or warping—making them a good choice for humid bathrooms and toasty sunrooms.
Frayed Cords: Frayed cords mean it’s definitely time to invest in new window treatments. Your cords might be fraying simply because they’re old, or because an internal mechanism in the window treatment housing is malfunctioning.
Solution: Go cordless! Look for shades with operating systems where you simply push up or pull down on the shade to open and close it. (Cordless solutions are also safer for small children than window treatments with cords.)
CONSIDER THESE DESIGN ELEMENTS
Frayed Fabric Edges: Frayed fabric edges could be a sign of inferior or old fabric, or fabric that’s too wide for the window opening and scraping along the frame when you raise and lower the shade.
Solution: Opt for high-quality fabric, so you can rest assured it will stand the test of time. Also consider using a professional window-treatment specialist for measuring and installation, to ensure a perfect fit.
Drafty Windows: While the best solution for drafty windows is to replace them, upgrading your window treatments in the interim can help.
Solution: Look for honeycomb shades. These shades are extremely energy-efficient, thanks to their cellular construction, which traps air in distinct pockets, creating a layer of insulation at the window.
