by Simon Temprell

Created on: April 26, 2008   Last Updated: April 30, 2008

When I first started decorating homes in London in the mid eighties the status symbol of the well-dressed window was the Austrian blind (sometimes called a festoon blind or, in the US, a balloon shade). Huge, ruffled, interlined monstrosities sometimes edged with frills and usually married to a massive pair of tied-back draperies so heavily lined that they resembled comforters. Of course, this was England and the English have a reputation for over-stuffed upholstery, floral wallpaper and window treatments that look as though a month on the Atkins' diet would do them the world of good!

These days window shades are simpler, less ostentatious and quite often used alone rather than paired with fabric treatments of any kind. Everyone in America has at least one window shade in their home, ranging from the crooked, slightly bent and discoloured aluminium antique in the storage room to the remote-controlled, dust-repellent blackout cellular shade in the media room. Window shades are an American institution.

I am a huge fan of 2" slatted wooden shades with colored fabric tapes and I use them as often as possible. When it comes to wooden horizontals it is always best to opt for quality rather than economy. Cheap wooden shades will warp with time, especially in humid climates, and because they can be quite heavy, you may have problems with the mechanism over time. Don't bother with the imitation wood' shades unless you're using them in a particularly damp bathroom.

I have absolutely no time for aluminium shades. They used to be cool' in the eighties when something called industrialism' was in vogue but now they merely suggest to me rented accommodation and student housing. PVC shades are probably the most ghastly of all! If you want affordable, simple privacy at your windows then go with the pleated or cellular shades that virtually disappear when pulled up. These types of shades are also available with clever mechanisms allowing them to rise upwards from your windowsill, offering you the opportunity to cover just the bottom half of your window: Perfect for ground floor powder rooms or over-looked bedrooms.

Of course, being an Englishman, I still prefer my shades hidden behind a beautifully made pair of curtains but if simple, clean lines are your goal then maybe Roman shades would be more suitable? Roman shades are basically one panel of fabric pierced through with narrow rods so that, when elevated, they form a series of neat pleats. If they are fully lined they can offer a good measure of light reduction and they have the added advantage of bringing some color or pattern in to your room without having to spend a small fortune of draperies.
And finally, because column space is limited and because there are so many choices out there, I just want to mention one more option when dressing your naked windows: bamboo and grass cloth. In tropical climes these once-primitive alternatives are now smart and sophisticated in a huge variety of colors, styles and prices and if left unlined they create a wonderful filter for sunlight, creating a look that is both unexpected and romantic.

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