Houston Specialty Window Treatment Guide
Each Houston home is unique, every one with its own aesthetic and individual needs. Likewise, each of the windows in your Houston home are unique as well. Their size, shape, the way they face and more will differ and influence the style of window treatment that fits them best.
But more than any other factor, the style of window is often the most important for determining your perfect window treatment. Here are our recommendations for window treatments to match the specialty window varieties found in Houston houses.
Sidelight Window Treatments
Sidelights are those tall, thin windows typically found on the sides of the front door in Houston homes. Choosing the best window treatment for sidelight windows is particularly important for a few reasons. First, sidelights are a focal point of your home, since most people's gaze is naturally drawn to the front door of the house. Second, people–from the mailman to guests to traveling salesmen–will see them up close, which means that a sidelight window covering all the more important to ensure you keep your privacy.
The Sunburst recommendation for sidelight window treatments: Plantation shutters. Not only do they offer your home classy looks and top-notch privacy, but they’re also easily customized for long, thin sidelight windows.
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French Door Window Treatments
The Sunburst recommendation for French door window treatments: Plantation shutters. Because they’re installed directly onto the window frame and are extremely damage-resistant, shutters are the perfect window treatment for French doors. Their timeless looks and energy-efficiency are added benefits for your French door.
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Window Treatments for Octagonal Windows
Octagon-shaped windows are some of the most appealing and visually striking windows there are in Houston homes. With their special geometry, you would be careless to obscure them with a run-of-the-mill window treatment like curtains or blinds. Alternatively, pick a window treatment that you can custom-built to the window’s unique shape so your home will reap the benefits of your octagon window.
The Sunburst recommendation for octagonal window treatments: Plantation shutters or window film. Shutters are customized to fit perfectly within an octagonal window frame, bolstering its unique shape and style. Similarly, window film applies directly to the window pane, maintaining the octagonal window’s awesome shape on full display.
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Window Treatments for Wide Windows
The Sunburst recommendation for wide window treatments: Roller shades, panel tracks or plantation shutters. Roller shades operate easily, and their subdued look works great with wide windows. Panel tracks are a type of shade with large panels of fabric that slide on a track that are perfect for wide windows. Plantation shutters offer a bit more energy efficiency and privacy compared to shades, so if keeping your home cool is a priority, shutters might be your best bet.
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Rake & Angled Window Treatments
Rake or angled windows are appearing more and more in contemporary home design. The trouble with angled window treatments, similar to octagon windows, is getting one that matches your unique window geometry. Remember also that several angled windows are in harder-to-reach places, like where the ceiling meets the wall at a corner, so a window treatment that doesn’t have to open and shut often is oftentimes best for rake windows.
The Sunburst recommendation for angled and rake windows: Plantation shutters. Not only are they 100% customizable to fit the precise angles and shape of your rake windows, but plantation shutters can usually be set at a single, perfect angle without ever needing to be readjusted - ideal for windows in hard to reach spots.
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Window Treatments for Sliding Glass Doors
Similar to french doors, the window treatment you purchase for a sliding glass door needs to let you open and shut the door without any hassle whatsoever. Additionally, a sliding glass door treatment should be durable and able to stand up to the frequent usage a sliding door sees. Lastly, sliding glass doors are some of the least energy-efficient windows, since they not only let energy pass through the pane but through the door opening as well. A window treatment that can block energy transfer should also be a top priority for sliding glass doors.
The Sunburst recommendation for sliding glass doors: Plantation shutters or panel tracks. Shutters and panel tracks both make opening a shutting a sliding door easy. Panel tracks also give you a range of patterns and textures to choose from, opening up your options and giving you a lot more room to express yourself. Plantation shutters can be installed in different configurations to fit any sliding glass door, and offer the most energy efficiency of any window covering.
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Window Treatments for Bay Windows
Bay windows are unmistakable. The long panes, convex layout, and ample view offered by bay windows are distinct from any other window, and thus require some special consideration when deciding on a window treatment. Houston homeowners should focus on window treatments that complement a bay window’s eye-catching geometry, protect your privacy, and look gorgeous in your living or family room. Fortunately, there are a couple of window treatments that can do all of these.
The Sunburst recommendation for bay windows: Roman shades, cellular shades, or plantation shutters. Both cellular and roman shades work well with bay windows because each shade can cover a single pane, giving you some flexibility in how much surface area you need to cover. Likewise, plantation shutters can be installed on each separate pane on bay windows, but can still give you even more freedom in window coverage with their easily adjustable louvers.
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Tall & High Ceiling Window Treatments
No matter their shape or style, windows that are positioned near your ceiling can be hard to put window treatments on. Normally, the tops of the windows are outside normal reach, and breaking out a stepladder every day becomes a hassle. That means that Houston homeowners with taller windows might want to go with a window treatment that you can either keep in a single position, or open and close from far away. It would be a bonus if that window treatment could also effectively block sunlight from coming through.
The Sunburst recommendation for tall & high ceiling windows: Motorized shades or plantation shutters. Automated shades can operate with the quick push of a button, eliminating any hassle whatsoever. On the other hand, with plantation shutters many homeowners opt to tilt the louvers to a single ideal position, and seldom, if ever move them from that spot. Both choices tackle the biggest problem of tall windows!
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Window Treatments for Eyebrow Windows
The Sunburst recommendation for eyebrow windows: Plantation shutters. Basically any other window treatment has serious disadvantages when combined with eyebrow windows. Shades, blinds, and drapes obscure the unique shape and a long window treatment may cover the empty space between the eyebrow window and the square window underneath it. Since shutters are custom-manufactured to perfectly fit in the frame of your window, they’re far and away the best option for this unique window style.
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Casement Window Treatments
The Sunburst recommendation for casement windows: Plantation shutters or shades. Plantation shutters can be fit to your frame to make room for a lever or crank–which means you can open and shut your window without any hassle. Both Roman and cellular shades will also work well on casement windows, although you might have to pull aside the shade when you want to open and shut it.
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Find More Houston Window Treatment Recommendations
There may be more to consider than just the window style when shopping for window treatments in Houston. Check out our recommendations for window treatments for each room in your house with Sunburst’s Ultimate Room Guide, or get some personal tips by scheduling a free in-home consultation by calling 713-853-9629 today.
