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Give sliding glass doors the vertical
treatment
Q. We’ve recently replaced all of the windows
in our home and we don’t want to put the old window
coverings back up. We know what we want for most of
the windows, but the sliding glass doors have us stumped.
Can you offer some suggestions for window treatments
for sliding glass doors?
A. Sliding glass doors can be a challenge, but luckily
there are several options. I know some people have an
aversion to vertical blinds, but I ask you to take another
look at verticals, as they are very practical and can
be very attractive and stylish. You can get verticals
in a great variety of colors, patterns and textures.
People like verticals because they allow you to control
the amount of light entering your room. The vanes can
be adjusted in any number of positions, letting in light,
reducing glare, or maximizing privacy. Adding a beautiful
fabric valance or a crown molding cornice can enhance
vertical blind head rails.
If you’d like something softer than vertical
blinds on your slider, how about drapes? Fabric drapes
offer privacy, color, style and practicality. There
are many ready-made draperies available these days,
but you just can’t beat custom-made drapes for
their workmanship and quality. Not to mention that you
have an endless variety of fabrics to choose from. In
one client’s home, I designed drapery panels in
cream-colored linen with a wide burgundy band at the
bottom to repeat the burgundy color of the walls. For
another client, we installed floor-to-ceiling gold silk
drapes along the entire wall to give the living room
an elegant, formal feel.
Luminette Privacy Sheers are another beautiful choice
for sliders. They function like a vertical blind, but
are as lovely as sheer draperies. The vanes can be opened
or closed, and the sheer fabric allows beautiful, soft
filtered light to enter the room. Luminette Privacy
Sheers are at home in casual as well as formal settings.
Quite a few of my clients have opted for a Duette Vertiglide
on their sliding glass door. The Vertiglide is a version
of Duette Honeycomb Shades made especially for sliders.
The Vertiglide offers privacy, filtered light, and a
large selection of colors and fabrics. It gives a room
a streamlined, clean look, and can also be enhanced
by adding a valance.
Another alternative is to hang a shade or blind above
each of the sliding door panels. Each shade or blind
would have its own set of lift cords, which offers flexibility.
For example, you could leave one side completely open
for access to the outdoors, leave both sides open for
maximum view, or close both for maximum privacy. If
you like this idea, you have many products to choose
from, including aluminum mini-blinds, wood blinds, Duettes,
Silhouettes, Roman shades, woven wood blinds and many
more.
This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper
Group papers on April 16, 2005.
Go
back to the list of decorating columns.
All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna
Jacoby.
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