Contemporary window treatments are an excellent way to give your home a more modern feel. What exactly are we talking about when we refer to contemporary window treatment? The answer can often be somewhat elusive. The word is often used interchangeably with the word “modern.” Modern doesn’t always refer to the same thing, however. In most cases, it is used to refer to architectural rather than the interior design elements that we are discussing here. Despite this slight vagueness of definition most people seem to have an idea of what we are talking about when it comes to contemporary window coverings. They somehow appear more sleek, current, and fashionable than other styles. Here are some contemporary window treatment ideas that you may want to implement to bring a more current sense of design into your surroundings.
One key element that seems to make drapes and other treatments appear more modern is the element of simplicity. While modern and minimalist are not necessarily synonymous with one another, they do appear to be closely related with each other. Modern furnishings tend to be fairly simple with what’s often referred to as having “clean lines”. This is one of the key differences that they have with the more formal or traditional Victorian displays of days gone by. The Victorian style was heavily decorated with tassels, trims, and all sorts of other elaborate details.
Contemporary window curtains can also be thought of in terms of their shape. Modern decor tends to consist of very simple shapes, without the elaborate tendencies of earlier styles. They are neat and tidy, with nothing extra or superfluous. They don’t flow and fold in an extravagant manner. At the same time, it’s wouldn’t quite be right to describe them as utilitarian. There is clearly something attractive about them that goes beyond mere functionality.
The colors chosen are typically somewhat muted. This isn’t to say that the colors are dull. This is a very important distinction. Bright, flashy colors are typically ignored. At the same time, the colors can be quite adventurous and challenge our conceptions of what drapery should look like. A common choice is to choose a color that matches one of the dominant colors in the room. Modern drapery can be thought of more like trim than as a centerpiece. It is used to accent a room rather than to decorate or transform it.
As mentioned above, simplicity is a key element of the modern window dressing. This is equally true of the pattern used in the material. More traditional patterns tend to use a wider variety of colors. They might consist of dozens of colors or more. A modern dressing would tend to use four, three, or even two colors instead. The pattern itself might consist of stripes, repeating shapes, or a reductionist representation of something more tangible such as flowers. Generally, the colors tend to be somewhat similar to each other. If they contrast with one another, it is typically because of shade rather than tone. An obvious example of this is the popularity of white on black, where all of the contrast comes from the spectrum of dark to light, rather than the spectrum of color.
In addition to curtains, some of the options include roller shades, Roman shades, and horizontal shades. If you would like to add some extra decoration that is attractive but doesn’t draw too much attention to itself, you can further accent the dressing through the use of contemporary window valances. If the top of the window seems oddly empty, this is likely the right choice.
As you can see, there are a wide variety of contemporary window treatments that you can take advantage of in order to improve the appearance of your home. If you stick to fairly simple shapes and patterns, colors that accent the room rather than draw attention to themselves, and choose the right styles to work with, your home will take on a very modern appearance.
