By Rosemary Sadez Friedmann
Scripps Howard News Service
Your window coverings set the mood for the room. You can go formal, you can go casual or the look can be contemporary or traditional; in short, it can be just about any description you can conceive.
But it stands to reason that a formal window treatment in a casual room would look out of place. So let's take a look at how to make the various combinations work
The formal look emits an impression of luxury. The draperies are usually floor-length and full. Most often the treatment is layered with a sheer underneath, a heavier over-drapery, often tied back, then finished with a top treatment. The top treatment is the one that really sets the mood.
A formal treatment as mentioned above, and then finished with a straightedge cornice across the top, will look contemporary. But a top treatment that is scalloped with jabots on the ends will be more traditional looking.
Formal window treatments look best in a room with high ceilings and tall windows. They work well in less grandiose rooms as well, so long as they are made in proportion to the room's size. In other words, be sure there is enough wall and ceiling to balance the display of fabric. Putting this formal treatment in a room that is too narrow, too small or has a low ceiling will look like a little child dressed up in mommy or daddy's shoes and clothes. Get the picture?
The window covering does not need to be heavy to be impressive. A simple treatment sometimes enhances the room's motif better than a layered look. A Roman shade, for example, can be quite sharp. The impression here is one of crisp organization, a clean, no-nonsense look. That doesn't mean you can't have fun in this room. It's more like 'let's cut the small talk and get down to having fun.' Balloon shades send out a similar signal, though in a more frilly tone.
There was a time when fabric overpowered the home. Rooms were divided with draperies, draperies were hung on walls where there were no windows and you couldn't get into your bed without swishing fabric out of your way. Today, the look is simpler. Listen to your room; then listen to your drapes. Are they talking the same language?
— For related information on window treatments, send $2 plus a long, self-addressed stamped envelope to L&M, PMB 229, PO Box 413005, Naples, Florida 34103-3005.
(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann,a Naples, Fla., interior designer, is the author of the Mystery of Color. It is available for $34.95, plus $4 for shipping and handling, from the publisher at L&M Publications, PMB 229, PO Box 413004, Naples, FL 34101-3005, or online from Amazon.com.)
