Window Treatments Add Color to Rooms

Q: I’m in doubt as to what kind of window treatment I should use in my living and dining room. Color is what I need in both rooms, the walls are beige. My sofa has thin stripes of white, kiwi green, mauve, and pale pink. The carpet is kiwi green. Could I bring in a floral print? The sofa is near the wall and a big window. Should I use tie backs or a valance treatment in the two rooms, same print of course. You see both rooms as you enter the home, should one room have a valance only, while the other one has tie backs or whatever. Could I get away with a semi-large floral? Please offer some suggestions.

A: The style of the architecture should dictate the style of the window treatment as well as furnishings for your house. From the photographs you enclosed, I can tell the house is quite contemporary with clean lines and angles and vaulted ceilings.

Because both rooms’ windows are visible from the entry, you should use the same treatment in both rooms. I would recommend using Roman Shades to achieve the contemporary feeling to harmonize with the lines of the house.

If you are trying to achieve a more traditional look, I would recommend using contemporary main pieces like sofas and chairs and mix in some period accent pieces to achieve an eclectic look. Valances and tie backs will be much too heavy in this contemporary setting.

It is possible to mix florals and stripes, but it must be done with care and attention to the size and proportion and feeling (style) of both. One should complement the other. If you use Roman Shades, a solid color would be more appropriate than florals.

MARY ANN JORDAN, ASID

Santa Monica