While on a consultation a couple of days ago the above question was raised. What was decided on that job is not important, but the thought process behind it, is.
Do this little self-test: Look around your home. Determine how long you’ve lived in it. Did you buy the house new? Did you buy an existing house? The answers to these questions probably will determine whether all your window coverings are the same.
In the era of turning or flipping homes, people tended to make everything as homogenized as possible with the thought of appealing to as many potential buyers as possible. This applied to window coverings, as well as flooring, tile, paint and any other finishes in the home. So, if you bought your home new within the last few years, you will probably notice that most of your window coverings are all the same, with the exception of the slider doors.
If you purchased your home on the secondary market, especially if it is more than about 15 years old, you will probably notice that as the blinds or shades or shutters or drapes or whatever are replaced, they tend to be replaced by products that are less designed on matching the other window coverings as they are designed on the functional needs of that particular room.
So, when you go into older homes, like the ones in the Old Southwest part of Reno, you can really notice huge variances in types of window coverings. This is because over the years, they have designed rooms to have their own individual style. Not only the window coverings, but also flooring, wall finishes and the like have very different looks. Because of the individuality of the rooms and how well they are coordinated, no one seems to mind that they are different.
When people talk about curb appeal, they are usually discussing what the home looks like from the street. Some people want to make sure that the window coverings on the front of the house are all the same. As a rule, I think that this is a good idea with some exceptions. One thing that can cause issues is the color of the window coverings. For example, white blinds and wood colored blinds tend to show as a glaring difference. Direction of the pattern of the blinds can be distracting too. For example, vertical blinds next to horizontal blinds can look out of place.
How about the mullions on your windows? If the right type of window coverings aren’t chosen, you can end up with “lines” running everywhere. Not only distracting, but possibly even dizzifying. Is that a word?
On the back of your home, if it doesn’t bother you, it shouldn’t bother anyone else. Do what you want.
So much of the window covering world is being taken over by products that are designed around their function. Some people really like to have a flow in their home, but it is possible to design rooms individually without having styles that clash. Because every home is different, it is super important that all options are considered. This is why our clients use our services. Contact your trusted window coverings specialist to see what works best for you.