Knowing the window covering lexicon in Palo Alto, CA can help you as you consider the different window covering choices available and how they can help enhance the décor and beauty of your home.
Replacing the window coverings in your home can have a tremendous effect on how your home feels and looks. But much of the terminology of window coverings is unfamiliar to most of us because we don’t deal with window coverings very often. So here’s a quick guide to some of the terms you will encounter.
Blinds are window coverings that feature horizontal slats and can be raised or lowered with a corded or cordless option.
Curtains are made out of fabric and come in a wide range of color, patterns, and thicknesses. They hang on rods that are installed above the frames of the windows. Curtains can be motorized.
Drapes are made out of very heavy fabrics, such as velvet. Drapes are usually lined with a insulated backing, which makes them very energy efficient. Drapes can be motorized.
Shades come in all kinds of styles, patterns, and colors. Shades can be raised or lowered manually or can be motorized.
Interior shutters come in many different styles and are made out of either wood or faux wood. They feature louvers which can be raised or lowered, and the shutters themselves can be opened or closed.
Blinds and shades styles include a lot of options that can meet almost any need in your home.
Roman shades feature fabric folds that are created when the shade is raised. Cellular (also known as honeycomb) shades are multilayered shades that provide excellent light control and insulation. They come in several varieties of thicknesses.
Café curtains are an excellent choice for kitchens. They are installed on the lower half of the window, creating privacy and light control on the bottom, while letting full light in and giving a view of outside at the top.
Adding a blackout option to shades or curtains enables you to have a room completely dark when the shades or curtains are closed. This is an excellent option for bedrooms and for rooms with media centers.
Valances are decorative curtains that can be combine with shades, blinds, curtains, and shutters to give an elegant finishing touch to a window covering.
It’s also good to have a basic understanding of the hardware associated with window coverings, so that you understand what your options are for the window coverings you choose.
Tension rods are most often seen in bathrooms to hold shower curtains, but they can be used for window coverings as well. They are nice because they use tension for support and require no hardware to install.
Brackets are used for both curtain rods and for blinds. They are installed at either end of the window to hold the curtain rod or to insert the blinds into.
Drapery hooks are traditionally the way drapes are hung. Most drapes have slots in the back where the straight sides of these S-shaped hooks are inserted. The curved portion of the hook is hung on a curtain rod.
If you’d like to learn the window covering lexicon in Palo Alto, CA, you can speak with our experienced staff at Windows & Beyond, Inc. You can come to our showroom at 4020 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303, or you can call us at (650) 938-8822 for a free in-home estimate.