Highlight your View
Our home has the most gorgeous backyard view of a nationally protected forest. It’s one of the primary reasons we bought the house. I’m a tree lover so the view is spectacular!
I’ll never forget when we bought our home and I showed it to my Dad for the first time. Not that this is any of your business, but my house and its level of fanciness is not the way I grew up! I grew up nicely, but this house was beyond my wildest dreams. My Dad’s mouth dropped when he saw it and was very excited for us!
Only issue? Because of how the sun shines into our windows it’s VERY difficult to ever see the TV in the family room. So plantation shutters were on every window that looked on to our gorgeous view. My Dad, upon his first visit, heard me talk to myself about likely removing the plantation shutters that blocked the view. “DO NOT remove those plantation shutters! Do you know how much those things cost? You’re crazy to remove them.”
Why Plantation Shutters Are Great
I understood. Having had plantation shutters in our previous home I knew the expense of them. I also very, very much love the look of them. They are charming and easy to function. I am not knocking plantation shutters at all. But they do block a lot of window view and sunlight, which didn’t serve our view well. However, sometimes you need exactly that – less light and more privacy all the time.
Last year we finally decided (after 7 years of living in our home!) to remove the shutters and replace with electronic Hunter Douglas roller shades. BEST decision we ever made because our view fully opened up and we could enjoy the lot we fell in love with. And the shades work great.
When to remove Plantation Shutters
This is my husbands home office. The house came with the plantation shutters and there weren’t any draperies hung. The windows with the plantation shutters don’t let nearly enough light in, and the room was lacking warmth with all of the wood.
It’s a very masculine space, with a lot of wood panelling and wood color echoed on the stained plantation shutters. The entire feeling is dramatic and moody. Problem? It felt, well, dark and cold.
New Custom Drapery from Calico!
I removed the plantation shutters and replaced them with gorgeous custom drapery panels from Calico!
Take a look and what a huge difference in warmth this made! Plus don’t you know see the windows more than when the shutters were on? Your eye is drawn to them and the view!
What Drapes did to the Space!
Calico is a national retailer with in store designers who can help you design the space, measure the project and see it all the way through installation. Together, I worked with Calico designers to choose the right look. Carney Fabric in Platinum from the Luxe collection fabric was chosen for the primary fabric and we added a tape trim to create an even more custom look. Think of trim as that final topping on the cake – you can do so much with trim and create so many effects in the design. Calico has a huge range of trims to choose from! I chose a pattern called AD220/01 in silver. I actually liked the reverse side of the trim, so I requested they have the back side show.
Calico also has hardware selections. We used iron hardware in oil rubbed bonze and mounted it close to the ceiling.
My goal was to add a bit of modern glam to the space. We had already put in the rug with its geometric pattern and the clean lined desk. The drapes continued the story of a clean, modern vibe meshed with traditional wood paneling. A perfectly transitional vibe!
I love Calico so much — they are so helpful and make decorating so easy! The design is free and I have peace of mind it’s being done right.
Tip
Tip: mount your drapery as close to the ceiling as you can. I typically have mine mounted 2″ below the molding. Your walls will look so much larger than if you hang them too close to the window frame!
A pinch pleat was used to create a tailored look and acrylic wands added to close the drapes. Calico was very careful to measure the windows to be sure the fabric would both look right when open and closed. These are the details you need from experts! I would have had no idea how much yardage I needed!
The entire effect is stunning. Someone once described custom draperies to me as the standout earrings. They are what pulls the whole room together. They add softness, personality and a finished look to every room. They don’t block the window – they actually draw your eye to the window.
So the days of plantation shutters in that room are gone. I certainly think plantation shutters serve their place in some rooms, but in this room, where you want to enjoy the view, the sunlight and add warmth, nothing beats custom draperies!
I highly encourage you to visit a Calico store for any design projects you’re doing. Click here to find a store near you!
What color are the walls painted? I love it.
Benjamin Moore Temptation
That room is wow. Would love to see the rest of the house. Is all that woodwork a lot of upkeep?