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Finding Window Treatments in San Diego for a Contemporary Room

May 02, 2016

When your home is decorated in contemporary style, you want your window treatments to be that same style as well. We talked to Room Resolutions’ principal designer, Jane Cunningham, to help our customers understand how to choose window treatments for contemporary rooms in San Diego.

Contemporary décor covers a range of styles which are inspired by the second half of the 20th century. Its main features are its softer, cleaner lines. Jane has found that everyone has a slightly different definition of contemporary. The majority of the time, homeowners are looking to open up the space. She’s heard people say things like, “I don’t need an ottoman by every chair.” Or “I don’t have to have 15 items on the counter of my house.”

Contemporary spaces “give you the freedom to move.” You can bring the outdoors in - even in a small condo situation - by opening up your view of the sun, the sky, and the rain in San Diego.

First, unclutter your windows. If you think about your grandparents’ windows, they probably had multiple layers: shades on top of draperies, shutters, valances, and sheers. It can be claustrophobic. Get rid of the layers. By going for window treatments that are built with clean lines, you can get the contemporary look you’ve always wanted.

Contemporary Window Treatment Options In San Diego:

Shutters For Contemporary Rooms

 Contemporary room with white plantation shutters

Plantation shutters are great for contemporary homes in San Diego. The 4.5” louvers reflect a contemporary style. And when you combine their wide louvers with a rear mount tilt rod, your windows have clean lines across them from the shutters.

Shutters offer you light control. The panels can be swung open to the side so that you’ll have access to your entire window. Another option is to install divided shutters where the light streams in through the top.

It’s easy to clean shutters, which is especially helpful if the room quickly gets dusty. Contemporary décor shines best when every surface is polished.

Cunningham recommends Polywood shutters to clients who are searching for window treatments for contemporary rooms. She prefers them because they don’t get dingy and they won’t warp over the years.

She also notes that more contemporary spaces have reclaimed wood shutters. They give a little bit of nostalgia. They highlight the restorative use of hardware. They complement hardwood flooring to tie in the entire room. With reclaimed wood shutters, you can revisit and reuse something from the past. The novel idea of using reclaimed wood as shutters goes right along with the contemporary style.

Modern Barn Doors

[White modern barn door|Modern barn door in bedroom|Bedroom with white modern barn door]466]

Barn doors are a full scale piece of artwork on the wall. Go with as bold of a color as you desire. You can get the restorative look. You can make it look exactly like a traditional barn door. And you can give it a contemporary look like the hotel you just stayed at.

Modern barn doors become room separators in spaces that often don’t have full doors. An example would be when you want to close off your kitchen part of the time.

Barn doors as window coverings are perfect for large windows with big enough wall space. Shaker doors exhibit an openness that goes along with a more contemporary style. The hardware makes a large difference. Pick stainless steel for a more contemporary look. Or choose paint in a bold color. For example, if the entire room is varying shades of white, a bright red barn door would pop on the wall and contributes to the space.

“Barn doors add a conversation piece. The next gathering you have, I guarantee someone is going to have a comment. That’s because people aren’t expecting a barn door on a window.” - Jane Cunningham

Cunningham has learned from experience that our homes are part of who we areand also an experience our guests can share with us. And a barn door is part of that experience. Your guests will definitely be talking about them.

Roller Shades

Contemporary room with patterned roller shades 

Roller shades are a great option for contemporary rooms which have large scale windows and doors that can be folded into themselves. They’re tucked away and help you bring in the outside view.

If you need to sleep in total darkness in order to get a peaceful night’s sleep, roller shades can be ordered with room darkening add-ons. If you want to dampen noise, combine them with draperies which you can hide on the window’s sides.

Window Film

 A modern home with window film

A lot of contemporary rooms in the San Diego area contain large windows that can be 25-30 feet tall. And if they’re west-facing windows, the sun can take a toll on the items inside.

Jane suggests window film to her clients with large windows. It allows you a wide view of outside, which is perfect for a contemporary room.

The film also blocks the sun’s UV rays, and means your carpeting and furniture hold true to their color longer. And it contributes to the energy efficiency of your home.

Find Contemporary Window Treatments For Your San Diego Home

Call us at 760-405-8887 to schedule your free in-home design consultation. Our window treatment experts come to your home and show you samples of the contemporary window treatment options you’re interested in. Now you can buy the window treatment that fits your rooms!

To learn more about Jane Cunningham and Room Resolutions, browse through RoomResolutions.com.