The Ultimate Guide To Creating Beautiful Windows On A Budget
We are all about window furnishings at Feather and Oak Interiors and believe they not only provide practical function but also character and style to your room.
There are many beautiful window furnishing options out there and although there are stunning bespoke fabrics and premium shading solutions today we wanted to talk about the ways you can approach your windows with a cost-conscious mind-set.
I believe there are two key ideas here - there is more to your window furnishings than the initial purchase price. If selected well and fit-for-purpose your window furnishings should save you money over time through your heating and cooling bills. Effective window solutions should help you maintain heat in your home during the cooler months and assist with keeping the hot sun out during the summer.
A second key point is that your fabric does not need to be in the upper price bracket to look beautiful. We place much importance on the manufacturing and placement of your curtains - an expensive fabric that is poorly manufactured and ill-suited to the room will cheapen the overall effect whereas our highly skilled workroom can sew a cost-conscious fabric to look beautiful.
I have asked Liv, our windows furnishings expert, to talk us through some of her top tips for cost saving solutions for your window treatments. Not only does Liv have lots of experience consulting about the best window solutions she has recently built her own first home and has used lots of the advice below to create lovely window furnishings in her home.
Take it away, Liv!
01. BUDGET FROM THE BEGINNING
If you are planning a new build, the earlier you consider your window furnishings the better! Many of our clients don’t consider their window furnishings until the end of their build, but rather just a few weeks before they receive the keys to their new home. By this stage your budget might be under pressure and we won’t be able to get anything installed by the time you move in.
It is best to contact us right at the beginning of your project when designing your floor plan. This will allow you to plan financially and ensure there is enough time to tweak things such as the wall space for stacking curtains or fitting blinds to stacking sliders. Planning ahead will determine your decision on the size and placement of your windows and doors and also the type of ceiling you have.
For example, if you would like your curtains mounted from floor to ceiling, you will need a flat ceiling with no coving/scotia and perhaps with some extra blocking for the tracks to be fixed to. It is a good idea to get a quote for different types of window treatments as early as possible (we can quote off your plans) to get an idea of the costs and how much you will need to set aside in your budget as well as any building recommendations.
Planning ahead will definitely save you $$$ in the long term and ensure that you ‘do it once and do it well’ without having to make alterations down the track that could cost you a lot of money!
02. COST EFFECTIVE BLINDS
Keeping the window furnishings throughout your home ‘blind heavy’ is the most cost effective way to cover your windows. Take a peek at some of our favourite blind solutions:
Roller Blinds
Roller blinds are the most cost-effective treatment for your windows. They are sleek, simple and work in almost any interior space. They come in Blockout, Light Filtering and Sunscreen fabrics in a variety of colours and textures to suit any room in the house. There are also twin bracket options which allow you to screen or filter the sun during the day and as well as privacy and blockout at night time.
Venetian Blinds
Venetians allow you to have control over the amount of light entering your room and the level of privacy you need simply by tilting the blades, as well as achieving total privacy and blockout when the blades are completely closed. They suit any interior space with a clean, modern look. It’s best to choose faux/synthetic ‘wood-look’ venetians rather than timber venetians so that they won’t warp, discolour, or fade when exposed to moisture and UV rays. They will last a lot longer and also cost less than timber venetians.
Pocket Blinds
Pocket (or Honeycomb) blinds are the best blinds for insulation – especially if you have single glazed windows. They provide energy efficiency and sound absorption properties, while looking smart and modern. Pocket Blinds are great for reducing heat loss in winter and help to keep your room cool in Summer. They are available in Translucent and Blockout fabrics in a variety of colours. When pulled up they only take up a very small amount of space at the top of your window, allowing for a clear view outside. Although this treatment is more pricey than roller blinds the insulating benefits can provide significant savings to your heating bills.
03. STYLE & TYPE OF CURTAIN
There are two main things to consider when choosing the style of your curtains to help reduce costs. The first is the style of the pleat/heading. The pleat style will determine how full your curtains are and how many meters of fabric you will require. The more fabric you need, the more expensive your curtains will be. Our two most popular styles, the New York pleat and the Inverted pleat, use less fabric than most other styles. The New York also stacks back really neatly, reducing the amount of wall space you need either side of your window.
The second thing to consider is having floor to ceiling curtains – this not only looks fabulous but is great for insulation as it prevents airflow from over the top of the curtain and also reduces light seepage. Having a ‘puddle’ (gather on the floor) also helps to prevent airflow from underneath the curtain and creates a lovely relaxed and luxurious look. If you select a continuous curtain fabric, extending them up to the ceiling actually won’t cost you any more in fabric price than it would having them just above the window, in fact it could save you money by helping to reduce your power bills in winter!
04. CHOOSE A CONTINUOUS FABRIC
Be sure to select a 300cm+ wide, continuous fabric for your curtains as you won’t have any seams and you’ll get ‘more bang for your buck!’ It won’t cost you any extra in fabric to take your curtains up to the ceiling because that extra fabric at the top is usually just cut off and not used. Standard width 140cm wide fabrics can get quite expensive as you require a lot more fabric and there is more manufacturing time involved in joining widths together.
Also, consider the pattern repeat if choosing a patterned fabric – the larger the repeat the more fabric you will need so that it can be matched up! This can add up to significantly more fabric being required and therefore more $$.
The majority of continuous fabrics are sheer but keep in mind they will still look like a solid curtain once the lining is attached, just a little softer, lighter, and floatier than a solid fabric. We have a huge selection of cost effective continuous fabrics to choose from. No matter the cost of the fabric, as long as your curtains are manufactured beautifully, they will look a million dollars and last for years to come!
Here are some of my top picks for the most cost effective curtain fabrics, all under $100 p/m:
05. THE SILVER LINING
Ensuring you have good quality lining on your curtains will also impact the energy efficiency and the longevity of your curtains. We recommend a 3 Pass Blockout lining or Triple Weave to provide the best insulation and to protect your curtain fabric from UV rays, dust and mildew. Read more about linings here.
06. COST EFFECTIVE DOUBLE TRACK SYSTEMS
Double track curtain systems are fantastic! Having a sheer curtain on a separate track is great to provide privacy during the day while filtering light and still being able to enjoy your view outdoors. A sheer curtain will help to reduce heat and protect your flooring, furniture and furnishings from our harsh UV rays.
A cost effective way of doing double tracks is having the sheer fabric on the front track and lining on the rear track. (You won’t see the lining on its own as the sheer will always be in front of it.) This will cost a lot less than having a lined curtain + sheer curtain!
07. CREATE HARMONY
The rule is simple – the more neutral and plain your curtain fabric is, the less you will be restricted when it comes to adding pops of colour and texture throughout your home such as in cushions, throws and duvets etc. Curtains are something you will only replace every 10-20+ years so you must ensure not to choose a fabric that will restrict you if you are wanting to update your home with the latest trends every season. Sticking with a consistent fabric will help each room flow together throughout your home!
Thanks Liv for the advice above! We really do love helping you to have beautiful rooms and windows - come in and chat to us about your needs and see how we can create cost-effective solutions for your spaces.
Katy x
