The Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century rebelled against the mechanization of the Industrial Age, focusing rather on handmade craftsmanship in architectural and ornamental arts. Heavily influenced by temperament, Arts and Crafts architecturally styled homes contain an abundance of wood and wainscoting together with the usage of natural stones and materials across the home. In case you’ve got an Arts and Crafts home, or only want to decorate your windows following this style, then think organic.
Let in the Light
A majority of Arts and Crafts-styled homes do not use window treatments at all, letting the window function as cosmetic therapy. A number of these homes included windows with a run of wood-framed lites at the top of the window for a decorative effect and a large pane at the bottom for watching. A number of these homes even contained leaded windows with coloured panes or stained glass. To a bay window in the dining room area of such a home, add four hand-designed windows which have stained and clear glass since your own window treatment.
Woven Shades
For a natural window treatment which complements the Arts and Crafts-style home, select a shade woven from an organic material like bamboo or other natural fibers. Select layouts that include a flat fold, where the shades fold up rather than roll, or a nest shade, where the organic material hides the operating mechanisms and the pull wires to get a tidy, but simple look.
Simple Panel Curtains
When you want the privacy that drapes afford, look to simple panel drapes made from natural substances in solid colors. Stick to colors found in nature: green, browns, beiges, gold, dusty rose or ocean blue. Of course, the colour of your window treatments should match the colour palette within the room. Look to fabrics made from hemp, cotton, silk or bamboo to remain true to the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Wood Blinds or Shutters
Bi-fold wood shutters paired to the wood in the home create a one-of-a-kind look within an Arts and Crafts-styled residence. These kinds of window treatments cost more because they have to be crafted to match the individual windows in the home, but they not only add a natural look to the window, they function as an insulator to keep the chilly from the window. Wood-slatted blinds offer a less-costly variation on the wood shutters which stick to this principle of natural substances in an Arts and Crafts home.