Austin Specialty Window Treatment Guide
Each Austin home is unique, every one with its own style and its own needs. Similarly, all the windows in your Austin home are different as well. Their size, shape, the way they face and more will vary and influence which window treatment that suits them best.
But more than any other factor, the style of window is often the most important for choosing your perfect window treatment. Below are our team’s recommendations for window treatments to match the specialty window varieties found in Austin homes.
Sidelight Window Treatments
Sidelights are the tall, thin windows found on either side of the front door in several homes. Choosing the best window treatment for sidelight windows is especially important for a couple of reasons. One, they’re a focal point of your house, since most people's gaze is naturally drawn to the front door of the house. Two, people–from the mail carrier to guests to traveling salesmen–will see them up close, which makes a sidelight window treatment all the more important to ensure you keep your privacy.
The Sunburst recommendation for sidelight window treatments: Plantation shutters. Not only do shutters offer your home classy looks and unmatched privacy, but they’re also the easiest window treatment to get customized for tall, thin sidelight windows.
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French Door Window Treatments
The Sunburst recommendation for French door window treatments: Plantation shutters. Since they can be installed directly onto the frame and are super resilient, shutters are a great solution for French doors. Their timeless style and energy-efficiency are added benefits for your French door.
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Octagon Window Treatments
Octagon-shaped windows are some of the most interesting and visually striking windows there are in Austin homes. With their unique geometry, homeowners would be remiss to cover them up with a standard shaped window treatment like curtains or blinds. Rather, pick a window treatment that’s able to be customized to the window’s unique shape so you can always get the benefits of your octagonal window.
The Sunburst recommendation for octagonal window treatments: Plantation shutters and window film. Shutters are built to fit seamlessly within an octagon frame, keeping its unique shape and style. Likewise, window film adheres directly to the glass, keeping the awesome shape of your octagon window on full display.
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Window Treatments for Wide Windows
The Sunburst recommendation for wide window treatments: Roller shades, panel tracks or plantation shutters. Roller shades operate easily, and their simple look works well with wide windows. A panel track is a type of shade with large fabric panels that move back and forth on a track making them perfect for wide windows. Plantation shutters offer a little better privacy and energy efficiency compared to shades, so if keeping your home cool is a priority, shutters might be your go-to.
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Window Treatments for Angled & Rake Windows
Angled or rake windows are popping up a lot more in contemporary home design. A problem with rake window treatments, similar to octagonal windows, is finding one that matches your unique window geometry. Bear in mind as well that many angled windows are in harder-to-reach places, such as where the ceiling meets the wall at a corner, so a window treatment that you won’t need to open and shut often is typically best for rake windows.
The Sunburst recommendation for angled and rake windows: Plantation shutters. Not only are they completely customizable to fit the exact angles and shape of your angled windows, but plantation shutters can often be set at a single, preferred angle so you won’t need to readjust them - perfect for windows that are hard to reach.
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Window Treatments for Sliding Glass Doors
Like with french doors, the window treatment you choose for a sliding glass door needs to let you open and shut the door without any hassle whatsoever. Additionally, a sliding glass door treatment needs to be durable and able to withstand the frequent usage a sliding door sees. Finally, sliding glass doors are some of the least energy-efficient window styles, since they not only let heat transfer through the pane but through the door opening as well. A window treatment that can reduce energy transfer should also be a top priority for sliding glass doors.
The Sunburst recommendation for sliding glass doors: Plantation shutters or panel tracks. Shutters and panel tracks both make opening a shutting a sliding door easy. Panel tracks also give you a range of designs and textures to choose from, opening up your options and giving you a bigger palette to work with. Plantation shutters can be built in numerous configurations to fit any sliding glass door, and are more energy-efficient than any other window covering available.
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Window Treatments for Bay Windows
Bay windows can’t be missed. The long panes, convex layout, and extensive view offered by bay windows are distinct from other windows, and thus need some special consideration when deciding on a window treatment. Austin homeowners should consider window treatments that enhance a bay window’s eye-catching geometry, offer privacy, and look stunning in your living or family room. Fortunately, there are a couple of window treatments that can do all of these.
The Sunburst recommendation for bay windows: Cellular shades, Roman shades, or plantation shutters. Both roman and cellular shades work well with bay windows because each shade covers a single pane, offering a lot of flexibility in how much surface area you’d like covered. Similarly, plantation shutters can be installed on each individual pane on your bay windows, but can still give you even more flexibility in window coverage with their easily adjustable louvers.
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Tall & High Ceiling Window Treatments
Regardless of their shape or style, windows that are positioned close to your ceiling can be difficult to treat. Normally, the window tops are outside normal reach, and breaking out a stepladder every day becomes a hassle. So Austin homeowners with taller windows should go with a window treatment that can either stay in a single position, or operate from far away. It would be even better if that window treatment could also effectively block light from coming in.
The Sunburst recommendation for tall & high ceiling windows: Automated shades or plantation shutters. Motorized shades can open or shut with the simple flip of a switch, without any hassle. Alternatively, with plantation shutters several homeowners opt to position the louvers in a single perfect position, and rarely if ever reposition the louvers. Both options solve the biggest problem of high ceiling windows!
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Window Treatments for Eyebrow Windows
The Sunburst recommendation for eyebrow windows: Plantation shutters. Just about every other window treatment has serious disadvantages when paired with eyebrow windows. Drapes, shades, and blinds mask the unique shape and any long window treatment might cover the negative space between the eyebrow window and the square window under it. Because shutters can be custom-built to perfectly fit in your eyebrow window frame, they’re definitely the best option for this window shape.
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Window Treatments for Casement Windows
The Sunburst recommendation for casement windows: Plantation shutters or shades. Plantation shutters can be fit to your frame to make room for a lever or crank–which means you can open and close your window without any troubled. Both cellular and Roman shades can also pair well with casement windows, although you might have to pull aside the fabric when you want to open or close it.
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Find More Austin Window Treatment Picks
There may be more to consider than just the type of window when searching for window treatments in Austin. Check out our recommendations for window treatments for every room in your house with Sunburst’s Ultimate Room Guide, or get some in-person help by setting up a free in-home consultation by calling 512-549-6077 now.
