Give sliding glass doors the vertical treatment
Q. We’ve recently replaced all of the windows in our home, and we don’t want to put the old window coverings back up. We know what we want for most of the windows, but the sliding glass doors have us stumped. Can you offer some suggestions for window treatments for sliding glass doors?
A. Sliding glass doors can be a challenge, but luckily there are several options.
I know some people have an aversion to vertical blinds, but I ask you to take another look at verticals, as they are very practical and can be very attractive and stylish.
You can get verticals in a great variety of colors, patterns and textures. People like verticals because they allow you to control the amount of light entering your room. The vanes can be adjusted in any number of positions, letting in light, reducing glare, or maximizing privacy. Adding a beautiful fabric valance or a crown molding cornice can enhance vertical blind head rails.
If you’d like something softer than vertical blinds on your slider, how about drapes? Fabric drapes offer privacy, color, style and practicality. There are many ready-made draperies available these days, but you just can’t beat custom-made drapes for their workmanship and quality. And you’ll have an endless variety of fabrics to choose from.
In one client’s home, I designed drapery panels in cream-colored linen with a wide burgundy band at the bottom to repeat the burgundy color of the walls. For another client, we installed floor-to- ceiling gold silk drapes along the entire wall to give the living room an elegant, formal feel.
Luminette Privacy Sheers are another beautiful choice for sliders. They function like a vertical blind, but are as lovely as sheer draperies. The vanes can be opened or closed, and the sheer fabric allows beautiful, soft filtered light to enter the room. Luminette Privacy Sheers are at home in casual as well as formal settings.
Quite a few of my clients have opted for a Duette Vertiglide on their sliding glass door. The Vertiglide is a version of Duette Honeycomb Shades made especially for sliders. The Vertiglide offers privacy, filtered light, and a large selection of colors and fabrics. It gives a room a streamlined, clean look, and can also be enhanced by adding a valance.
Another alternative is to hang a shade or blind above each of the sliding door panels. Each shade or blind would have its own set of lift cords, which offers flexibility. For example, you could leave one side completely open for access to the outdoors, leave both sides open for maximum view, or close both for maximum privacy. If you like this idea, you have many products to choose from, including aluminum mini-blinds, wood blinds, Duettes, Silhouettes, Roman shades, woven wood blinds and many more.
Anna Jacoby of Anna Jacoby Interiors is a local interior decorator. Send your design questions or dilemmas to her at info@annajacobyinteriors.com. Call or fax her at (510) 490-0379 or visit www.annajacobyinteriors.com.
c2005 ANG Newspapers. Cannot be used or repurposed without prior written permission.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.