Large windows are the most striking feature of a room. If you have a room that is dominated by large, full-length windows, you will have no trouble making them the focal point of the room. When they are in the living room, they hold a commanding influence on the ambience of the room. On a gloomy day, your wide windows will save the room from slipping into moody darkness, while on a sunny day, the breeze that comes through the wide windows will breathe a fresh life in it.
Dressing these windows, however, is another matter. There are a lot of things that need to be taken into consideration before selecting a covering your gorgeous windows.
5 Important Features Essential for Large Living Room Windows
Most window treatments would not work on large living room windows. The width and extraordinary height of large windows deserve specialized treatment so that you get most out of your beautiful windows.
UV Ray Blockage:Perhaps the most pressing concern around large windows is the light. Big windows automatically bring in loads of light. This is a great feature during the winter months, when the sun lies low on the sky and you would love to get as much sun as possible. However, in summer the situation is reversed, and large windows end up letting in more light than necessary. While sunlight naturally warms up and cleanses the surrounding, it also brings in harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays that are extremely harmful for your skin and your furnishings.
To save your interiors from harmful UV rays, you need to have UV blocking feature in your window treatment solution. This is a must have feature that allows you to enjoy the delights of your living room without having to worry about the damage UV rays are casing to your skin and surroundings.
Room Darkening:Another aspect of light-filtering centers around the glare of the sun. Can you imagine how disruptive the glare would be if you are subjected to it for long periods? The constant glare would spoil any digital experience. Moreover, any area of the wall or furniture subjected to prolonged exposure to sun-glare would sustain discoloration and surface damage. To avoid these issues, you have to include glare-reduction features into you window coverings. Some window treatment solutions come with glare-reduction feature, which cuts off the glare significantly or allows you to turn the glare away from certain parts of the room. For a more relaxing experience, cut off the light completely with room-darkening features that would bring in a night-like effect even during the day.
View:It would be a pity if you are unable to enjoy the full view of the summer glory outside. Even in the heights of winter, your large windows are the passport to the natural world outside. They allow you to be one with the splendours of nature from within the shelter and comforts of your living room. Why should your window coverings take it away?
Having some flexibility with regards to the view is an absolutely vital feature for large window coverings. Either the solution should afford a clear view, alongside other features, or should give you the operational ease to easily access the gorgeous views without compromising on the comfort element.
Privacy: Privacy is one factor that really gets in the way of spending some quality time in the living room. If your room opens to a busy street or neighbourhood, you would want your window treatment to maintain the privacy of the room. The vast expanse of the windows demands a window treatment solution that gives you a lot of options when it comes to preserving the privacy of your interiors.
Insulation: As you navigate through so many demands, do not forget to take the insulation factor into account. After all most of the heat loss takes place through the windows and your window covering should bring in some insulating features. In the winter, you need something that keeps the heat in, while in the summer, you need to keep the heat out. As most families tend to spend a lot of time in the living room, insulating your large windows would end up saving you lots of money on your energy bills.
Window Coverings for Large Living Room Windows
Fortunately, there a quite a few numbers of window treatment solutions that fit the bill.
Curtains: Curtains are a favorite candidate for such windows. If you are aiming for a cosy décor, you can hang your curtains really high to cover the entire length and breadth of the windows. The fluid grace of curtains would go with any décor style. The single fabric design would provide excellent insulation and UV blocking properties. You can have total room-darkening with blackout fabric, or glare reduction and UV rays blocking with sheers. Sheer curtains will also allow you the benefit of the view, while keeping your interiors partially hidden from the outside. If you have a combination of both blackout and sheer curtains, you can have all the features all together.
Panel Track Blinds: For extremely big windows, you can consider panel track blinds. These blinds run on tracks, which makes their operation a breeze. The fabric can be customized to suit your insulation and light-filtering requirements. Keep the panels open or partially closed to take advantage of the view and to maintain privacy.
Top-Down-Bottom-Up Cellular Shades:Top-Down-Bottom-Up cellular shades are a great solution for living rooms. You can position these blinds somewhere in the middle of the window pane, leaving the top and bottom parts open. This way your windows let in plenty of light and you get to enjoy the view, while the privacy remains intact. Cellular shades are great for insulation, and come with excellent light-filtering or room-darkening features. Close these blinds completely when you need a break from the sun and the heat.
With these wonderful window treatment solutions, create the perfect blend of comfort and functionality needed to maintain the cosy atmosphere of your living room.
