We’ve discussed the necessity of conservatory roof blinds in one of our past articles. We are going to take a deeper look today at a few creative ideas of conservatory roof shading.

First of all, you need to be aware that the conservatory roof needs special treatments, because it’s exposed to the winter chills as well as to the summer heats, much more than ordinary windows in a home. This is why conservatory roof shading solutions should be more than simple, decorative accessories, but also very good thermal insulators, resistant to UV rays and easy to handle from a distance. Their function is to offer you a comfortable space in your conservatory and to protect the carpets and the furniture, which otherwise would fade and get damaged by UV in a very short time. This functionality comes with a high price tag, so adding a conservatory to your house is not the cheapest thing you can do in this world.

Shades with reflective backings: this is maybe the most inexpensive solution for covering your conservatory roof. Basically, window shades made of common fabrics are lined with a reflective coating which won’t be visible from the inside, but which would act as a barrier for the thermal exchange and as a temperature regulator. One of the most efficient backing materials is Aluminized Mylar, which is a thing that was firs used by NASA for reflecting the solar heat. I found an interesting article on how to make your own sunlight reflective linings for window blinds. I don’t know if you can apply it for the conservatory roof shadings, but at least you could save some money on the other windows in your home.

External shade netting: this is a kind of plastic net which is wrapped around the conservatory roof, dimming the light transmission with 50%. Personally, I don’t like it very much, because I like to be able to allow full light to enter at special occasions, but there are people who think this solution is better than interior shades.

Polycool Solar Control Inserts: these are suitable for polycarbonate conservatory roofs and they reduce up to 85% of the solar heat amount and up to 87% of blinding glare, without a significant light loss. These inserts are available in two finishes: silver and gold. I know Polycool is a trademark, but I don’t know the generic term for this kind of shading. However, if you’re interested, you can search the net and see it for yourself what brands are available within your area. I think it’s called window film technology.

Do you know any other unusual conservatory roof shading solutions? I’d be happy if you shared them with all our readers in the comments. Thank you.

Kitchen window treatments are very important, because some families spend a lot of time in their kitchen on a daily basis, therefore the look of this room matters. On the other hand, kitchens are subject to tough conditions, because of the steam and food odors that may penetrate decorations and accessories and remain there, being very hard to get rid of.

Here are a few tips to help you choose your kitchen window treatments wisely:

1. Kitchen window treatments need to be washable. If you like to cook, your window treatments would get dirty very easily, therefore you need to be able to clean them often. Machine washable fabrics are the best, as you don’t have to invest time and energy in cleaning them.
2. Sheer cotton cafe curtains or Venetian aluminum blinds are the best. Cotton is easy to clean and aluminum doesn’t retain odors. Besides, you can find them for cheap.
3. Thick fabrics should be avoided. Thick fabric drapes or pleated curtains aren’t suitable for kitchen windows because they’d soon become the home of mold and mildew, because of the steam and high humidity, so you’ll end up with stinky window treatments. Molds are not good for health.
4. Kitchen window treatments need to be easy to take down for cleaning. You don’t want to need a specialized person to help you each time you want to wash your window curtains or shades, would you?
5. Swags, privacy tiers and valances are nice in every kitchen. Remember to keep them as simple as possible, and you’ll be able to obtain the look you’re after without cluttering your windows.
6. You don’t need complete blackout in the kitchen. If you cook, then why would you want to do it in the dark? Choose merry, light shades of color and sheer fabrics for your kitchen windows coverings.
7. Light fabrics with cheerful motives are a good, inexpensive choice. Fruits, veggies, rabbits, plaid patterns, everything goes here. If you have kids, you can let them choose the fabrics for your window kitchen treatments.

There are some of us who enjoy the privilege of having bay windows. If the landscape outside is something relaxing, like the beach or a mountain, it’s even better for the lucky ones. It’s great to sip your morning coffee enjoying the morning light in a room with bay windows. However, later on in the day, you may want some privacy and light filtering, so you need to install some bay window treatments in place. There are many solutions that fit this type of windows, from the Venetian blinds we all know, to Roman shades or pleated shades, or even plantation shutters. Everything goes, provided that you use the appropriate hardware. The main element that makes bay window treatments be a perfect fit is the curved track which has to follow the curves of your windows. This is why most of the times, this part needs to be custom-made, especially for your windows.

Tips For Elegant Bay Window Treatments

If you can, try to install your hardware as close to the ceiling as possible and don’t forget to use a valance to mask the rails. In case of bay windows, treatments that touch the floor such as vertical blinds or curtains and draperies will create a dramatic effect when fully shut, especially if you get some extra fabric to use it for decorative pillows or a table cloth, or at least a few napkins. Although you can make your own window shades without needing special skills, in case of bay windows you’d better address to a specialist installer, so you can be sure they’d be a perfect fit. Otherwise, you could easily spoil the effect, if your shades would hang unevenly at your windows. Bad measurements for window blinds are very easy to take and mistakes are costly to correct after your blinds have been produced.

When it comes to bay window treatments, try to avoid vertical blinds. There are two reasons for this. The first one is that verticals look very formal, office-style, so they can’t help you in giving your home that personal touch that makes great interiors. The second reason is that because of the bay windows architecture, such blinds may be difficult to operate and get tangled.

Pairing bay window treatments allows for more creativity. Consider, for instance, installing shades paired with panels, or sheer curtains paired with thick, heavy drapes. Bay window shutters are beautiful when used without any additional treatment, but you can consider pairing them with see-through shades.