Minimalist Window Treatments For A Minimalist Design In Washington DC

October 08, 2019

Minimalist design gives a pared down harmony to a space through defined lines, unassuming colors, and large, open spaces. The idea is to strip your possessiveness to irrelevant personal items, furniture, and room elements until you’ve stripped down your rooms to the essentials. When you only surround yourself with useful, simple items, you create a calming environment where you can live simply without distraction.

Needless to say, light is important in a minimalist design. When you bring in outside light through your windows, you make the room seem larger and get a serenity that’s hard -- if not impossible -- to have with a lightbulb. Of course, your window coverings will still have to block sun glare and provide privacy as you deem necessary. A good deal of minimalists in Washington DC install plantation shutters or sheer cellular shades over fabrics found in curtains or drapes.

Plantation Shutters Work Well In A Minimalist Design

Polywood shutters in a minimalist bedroom in Washington DC.

When you want to install a minimalist treatment, search out clean lines and multi-use practicality of plantation shutters. Style-wise, they hang snugly within the window opening without long swaths of cloth or unwieldy cords hanging down. This creates an uncluttered look, where your coverings are on the same plane as the rest of the wall.

Plantation shutters are known to be practical, which is the other benchmark of a minimalist style. While light is fundamental for minimalists, unfettered sunlight can bring headaches like glare and privacy concerns. With plantation shutters, just close the louvers when the glare hurts your eyes until you find the right angle. You can even shut them completely to block out everything to get the energy-efficiency benefits.

Reclaimed wood shutters near a brick wall.

We have some plantation shutter fashions that can enhance your minimalist decor. First, you might consider shutters constructed from reclaimed wood. These have the same level of quality of a wood or faux wood plantation shutter but they also give a more natural element to the space. If you need a more energy-efficient treatment, you’ll want to use our Polywood® shutter. These faux-wood shutters come in different shades of white, can be easily dusted, and are one of the most practical window coverings you can get.

Alternative Window Coverings For Minimalist Decor

While many people choose plantation shutters for their design needs, there are some alternative window treatments that will work:

Cellular shades in a minimalistic apartment.

Sheer cellular shades: These treatments hang close to the window and are available in different colors and patterns. A few minimalist designs use sheer cellular shades so you can block out the outside world while still bringing in light.
Barn door shutters: A barn door uses an overhead track, completely shutting off the window or door frame. As each side is just one large panel, barn door shutters are well suited for a minimalistic design.
Panel tracks: Panel tracks also slide back and forth on an above track and have floor length panels that overlap as they open and close. These coverings are great at hiding a sliding glass door or assuming the role of a stylish room divider that can section off areas when needed.

What NOT To Use In Your Minimalist Design

White shutters in Washington DC dining room.

There’s plenty of window treatments that embrace minimalist design, but then again there are plenty of treatments that fail to meet minimalist standards. Don’t look at heavy treatments like drapes, as they will disturb the minimalistic style of the surrounding environment. Curtains or layered window treatments should also be avoided for the same reason. Ornate treatments will make your decor look unbalanced, with your focus directing to the window treatments.

Blinds are also an iffy treatment. There are a few situations where a blind fits the essential lifestyle, but only if they are of exemplary quality. Unfortunately, blinds tend to bang and sway against the window, upending your feeling of composure. And any missing slats or tangled cords from a cheap blind makes your windows seem messy and disorganized.

Sunburst Can Help You Pick Your Window Coverings For Minimalist Design

As you pare down your home to the essentials, bring in Sunburst to help you find the best window treatments for your minimalist design. We will bring samples to your home and show you our selection of Polywood and reclaimed wood plantation shutters, as well as some additional treatments that are functional and stylish. Contact your rep at 240-339-2588 or fill out the form below.

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