Tips for" Softening" your Rooms - Part Four

Happy Saturday!  Do you have big plans for the weekend?  We certainly do, but after a week of non-stop design on client projects I decided to pop in this morning and bring you more tips for "softening" your rooms.  So grab you another cup of coffee or tea...and let's get started, shall we!

Today I'm going to talk about my very FAVORITE way to "soften" your room....can you guess what this is?  If you've been around forever then you will know...WINDOW TREATMENTS!  I simply love each and every opportunity I have to work with clients on window treatments for their home.  I do!  We mostly do custom treatments, but have on many occasions helped clients with ready-made ones too...so no matter which way YOU choose to go...the after-effect will be well worth it!!!  Your room will be instantly..."softened".

Here is a lovely room that is beautifully 'softened' but notice that the windows are also softened.  Even though the fabric color is a neutral and a close match to the walls (except up top)...they are dressed.  Why, you may ask.  Imagine this room otherwise for just a moment - can you?  The wall area would NOT be as 'warm and cozy' nor would it really be captured as a 'part' of this room...can you see that?  The walls would remain COLD and HARD (see Part One here for explanation of these terms in relation to interior design) while the rest of the furnishings on the floor were cozy from the other ways they've been 'softened'.  I hope I am explaining this in words the way I hope to!!  Another thing to notice is that this simple look of stationary pleated drapery panels can be achieved easily...whether custom or ready-made. Custom panels aren't that expensive really.  It will take some fabric yardage, of course, but the labor on panels is not outrageous as it can be with all the fancy window treatment designs that can be created.  So, maybe this is a great start for you....STATIONARY PANELS.

Here is the same pleated panel style but with a roman shade topper added.  This is a great look especially if you'd like to bring in another color on the window.  I like to layer the treatments especially when we have those ugly headrails showing from blinds...this is the perfect easy solution...to even 'soften' up those hard headrails too.  This valance style can also be found ready-made.  Do YOU have any headrails that need to be covered?  Just a thought!

I love this room!  It has all of our elements we've discussed thus far to perfectly 'soften' the room...florals, greenery, pillows and rug.  The ceiling in this room are really high...even more of a need to dress those windows.  They are indeed dressed...with white roman shades.  Again, not much fabric or color added...but 'softened'.  So now we see that no matter how much...or how little...it does help with the entire "feel" of the room.  Are ya with me?

This one should definitely wake you up this morning -Ha!  It's yellow, bright and cheerful.  Almost a breath of Spring, isn't it?  Once again, the many elements of 'softening' are in this room but notice the window is also softened.  Now, imagine with me again if you will.  Otherwise, with no window treatment we'd have... hard door, hard wall, hard window, hard bookcases...that is what that one wall and corner area would be...HARD.  With this lovely window treatment mimicking the colors in the room and stripes on the walls it comfortably blends in with the rest of the room AND does the trick of...'softening', cozying up, warming up that area...thus effecting this entire room!

Here is a room that is beautiful...no doubt, however, it has very little 'softening' going on in here.  I know this is a clean, crisp look that some of you may adore, but the one 'softening' element in here...adds alot in and of itself...otherwise it would be incredibly COLD AND HARD.  With a lovely shaped valance in yellow (to go with these great yellow accessories) and pleated drapery panels...voila!  It is 'softened' indeed.

And the best for the last...only because it's view is THE OCEAN...and there is PINK in this room!  So refreshing and inspiring to me!!  This is an easy one to imagine it not having any window treatments, right?  Yes, the view is magnificent, but oh my, how COLD and HARD this room would look and feel...without these lovely drapery panels all around.  Job well done - superbly 'softened' with a little pop of color on the side-trim and at the bottom.  I could drop my plans for the day and spend the entire weekend in this one room (wonder why - Ha!).

So that my friends is yet another simple way to 'soften' your room.  Will you try it?  If so, I'm almost certain you will instantly see and feel the effects of...WINDOW TREATMENTS!

Have a "Simply Irresistible" Weekend!

Ta-Ta!

Image Credits:  Houzz, Traditional Home, House Beautiful, and the last two I forgot (if you know then I am more than happy to give credit where credit is due.)

*I TRY TO CREDIT ALL IMAGES, IF THERE ARE ANY PHOTOS OR IMAGES HERE THAT ARE NOT CREDITED CORRECTLY OR YOU WISH THEM TO BE REMOVED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL GLADLY OBLIGE. THEY ARE BEING USED HERE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING INTERIOR DESIGN. THANK YOU!