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Window Treatments for All Types of Bedrooms
August 12, 2024
One of the most essential rooms in a home is the bedroom. Some homeowners dream of massive kitchens for cooking, luxurious dining rooms for entertaining, cozy home offices, and so much more. It's easy for us to lose sight of the simple bedroom in these home wishlist conversations. Yet we all need our sleep, and sleep happens in the bedroom.
Let's look at how window treatments can enhance various bedroom setups.
Primary Bedroom
The primary bedroom is a big selling point for homes; this is the biggest room and often has a bathroom and exceptionally large closet attached to it. Because of the larger room area, multiple windows may need window treatments in the primary bedroom. Homeowners should ask themselves: How do I sleep best? Do I need total darkness, or do I like to have some light shining in through the windows each morning?
Lifestyle is also an essential factor to consider. While our bodies tend to do best when our circadian rhythm matches as closely as possible with sunrise and sunset, many folks may work night shifts or irregular hours, requiring them to sleep during the daytime. If this is the case, consider dark-colored drapery that covers the entire window, creating a "blackout" effect. There are also customized shades and shutters for this effect.
If you have typical working hours and enjoy filling the room with natural light, drapery from lighter colors and materials may be best for you. There are also exciting new technologies in motorized shades—you may be able to set up an automated timer to open your shades at a particular time. It's all worth a look, so be sure to consult with a window design specialist.
Teenager Bedroom
A teenager's bedroom has often become a stereotype of a black hole. Excessive clutter, half-drank water bottles, clothes everywhere—you get the picture! Many teenagers are known for having irregular sleeping habits, whether from busy schedules of sports and activities or hanging out with their friends late into the night.
While window treatments might not be a fix-all for the crazy, formative adolescent years, they can contribute positively to your teen's room. You can involve them in the design process if you can redecorate their room as they age. What colors and fabrics are they interested in? When teenagers and young adults are involved in decisions relating to their living space, they may take more ownership over the cleanliness and organization of their rooms.
If your teen sleeps irregularly, window treatments with a "blackout" effect may be best. While we recommended dark-colored, full-length drapery for irregular sleepers in the primary bedroom, shades or shutters with a similar effect could be a better choice for teens. Whichever choice parents make with their teens, they should focus on a window treatment that is easy to clean. Then, the teens can add this to their household chore list, and it won't be the end of the world if a messy accident affects the windows.
Nursery
Sleep is incredibly crucial for a newborn's development. While expecting parents are getting excited decorating the nursery, it's vital to remember practicality. The nursery should have window treatments that allow for privacy, lots of naps, and some natural light exposure when the sun is out.
Many new parents have a specific theme in mind for the nursery; this is all well and good, but it's important to remember that newborn brains do not process
all visual information like color right away. It can take up to six or eight months for a baby to process all the colors we process as adults. The trick is to strike a balance between color and design schemes that will be visually stimulating without being overwhelming. Consulting color psychology can help parents choose.
Once you've set the color scheme, parents can move on to their window treatments and decide what's best. When the baby is in their crib or playpen, they likely won't interact with the window treatments. However, as they grow and become curious toddlers, they might start tugging on drapes or grabbing what they can reach. Keep this in mind as you plan out the nursery.
Children's Bedroom
Similar to teenage bedrooms, child bedrooms can be a wildcard. Some parents may encourage young children to play in other parts of the house, while others may encourage playtime in the child's bedroom, giving the room multiple purposes. It's also common for young children to share bedrooms with their siblings.
Given these factors, it's no surprise that any window treatment should be sturdy, easy to clean, and flexible, given children's unpredictable nature. If siblings share a room and are old enough to give an opinion, consider having them help with color and patterns. Sharing a room can be challenging, and children can feel proud telling their playmates that they picked out the pink curtains on their side of the room, and their sister chose yellow with stripes.
While motorized shades can work great throughout the house, a child's room may not be the best place for them. If they have motorized shades in their room, parents should teach them how to use the remote properly or keep it tucked away to avoid constant "button pressing" behavior.
Guest Bedroom/Multi-Purpose
A good host wants all overnight guests to have a restful sleep in their home. However, some guests will always toss and turn, regardless of how well the guest room is set up, simply because it's not their own bedroom. All homeowners can do is keep the guest room simple, cozy, comfortable, and hope for the best.
Draperies, shades, and shutters with a "blackout effect" can be smart choices for the guest bedroom since guests may come in from traveling and want to nap. In terms of colors and designs, the guest room is usually not the place for outgoing patterns or unique color combinations; keep it simple and calming.
If you don't anticipate having many guests and use this extra bedroom for another purpose, more options open up. Spare bedrooms can be home offices, craft spaces, gaming rooms, and more. Be sure to check in with a window design specialist for ideas on maximizing the space – they might have just what you've been looking for.
Work With Proctor Drapery and Blinds
At Proctor Drapery, we believe in the power of personalized service and collaboration. Michael Proctor is our Window Design Specialist with 50 years of experience. He knows this business inside and out and is ready to work directly with homeowners, interior designers, and property managers from the initial concept to the completion of your next project.
Contact us today if you're looking for custom drapery, blinds, shutters, and more in Greater St. Louis!
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