I promise I will stop moaning about the packing we have to do.
At the earliest possible opportunity I will be heading out to Ikea to pick out something to cover up the bathroom window in our apartment, because as it stands right now we’d be like Peking ducks on Somerset Street whenever we walked in here, ON FULL SAUCY DISPLAY:
I’m no expert window dresser but I am pretty sure we’ll pick out something really simple like this panel from Ikea.
I have actually been thinking about windows lately, and how the window covering trends have changed so radically over the past years. Do you remember the curtains our parents used to hang? I’m sure the thermoplastic tendencies of the polyester used back then pretty much guaranteed they could stand up on their own. No rods required! (Just kidding.)
I’ve never really liked overly fussy curtains – the BOWS, and the artfully draping ruffles, tassels and frilly valances – and DON’T EVEN TALK to me about how long curtains are supposed to be, because I have no idea.
Some people have tricked out curtains that masquerade as the second cousins of prom dresses whereas other people are satisfied with an old bed sheet hung up with a couple of thumbtacks. We are somewhere in the middle.
From that I’ve seen the trend is not to overdress modern windows in areas where privacy isn’t a major concern. Maybe this trend is limited to houses of a certain size and price range, in a place where windows are tiptoeing into territory of art. Some windows are gorgeous things that don’t deserve to be covered up with a blind or a panel or a billowing chartreuse sheer with ribbon ties.
These windows, for example, belong to local artist Christina Lovisa, who I profiled for the Spring 2012 issue of Our Homes Magazine. Christina insisted on French windows (these ones are from Théo Mineault) that open inwards and lack a centre bar (HELLO unobstructed views). In the summer she has window boxes on them. Isn’t that nice?
Le sigh. So why would you want to put a curtain on these beauties? :)
When we walk around Westboro I’ve noticed that many new homes with larger windows just don’t bother covering them up anymore. At first I wondered about it, I mean, if we lived in that kind of home we wouldn’t be able to walk around in our housecoats (!!), but now I kind of get it. Some windows are just too pretty to cover up. And who cares if someone can see into our living room/addition/whatever? As long as no one can peek into our bedrooms and bathrooms it’s ok, isn’t it? On the flip side, window coverings can definitely be a way of injecting some personality into a room. Fabric can be just as artful as a gorgeous window. We have some custom-made roman blinds that accentuate a nice frame and I’ve always liked them (although custom doesn’t come cheap)! Window coverings can cut down on heating and cooling costs too.
What about you? Are you a curtain person, or not? :)