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The Delights of Hard and Soft Window Treatments

Classify any window treatment, and it falls into one of two categories: soft or hard. Soft window treatments include Roman shades, roller shades, honeycomb shades, sheer shadings, and drapery. They have a flowing movement and natural grace characteristic of softer shades. Hard window treatments include classic styles like blinds and shutters. Their aesthetic has more authoritative undertones with clean lines and precise movement. And while both styles of window shades have their benefits, determining which is best for you means considering all your options and choosing the features that best suit your household.

Duette® Honeycomb Shades Edmond, Oklahoma (OK) the benefits of hard and soft window treatments.

Benefits of Hard Window Treatments

  1. Clean Lines: The louvers on shutters and the slats on blinds create rigid straight lines that are kept in line with unified, precise movement; the overall effect reads clean and chic with a sophisticated sense of control.
  2. Absolute Light Blockage: Sunlight cannot penetrate the naturally hard materials that shutters and blinds are constructed from (such as woods, metals, and faux-wood composites), so these hard window treatments can completely block light for room-darkening or blackout effects.
  3. Ventilation: While many styles of window treatments, both soft and hard, can control light, the slatted construction of hard treatments like blinds and shutters allow for light control that doesn’t prohibit natural ventilation as air can flow between louvers even if those same louvers are engaged.
  4. View-Through Visibility: More privacy when needed, more view when wanted; hard treatments can easily balance the needs of homeowners with the smooth tilting of their louvers or slats.

Benefits of Soft Window Treatments

  1. Flowing Aesthetic: The more pliable fabrics and textiles used in soft window treatments have a flowing aesthetic that creates graceful motion for interior design and helps to revitalize window décor with dimensional movement.
  2. Layering Options: Soft window shades provide for multi-treatment designs because they partner well with many other styles of window shades, both hard and soft; poplar layering pairs include drapery and sheer shadings, shutters, and side panels, or honeycomb shades and drapery.
  3. Fabric-Forward Style: Soft window treatments are eye-catching canvases for fantastic design based on fabric. Modern fabric choices are nearly endless, from silks and velvet to woven bamboos and performance-enhanced textiles, so homeowners can find soft window treatments to meet their specific design tastes.
  4. Energy Efficiency: Many soft window treatments have been engineered to be more insulating by using a cellular construction that traps a layer of air in its honeycomb design. Hunter Douglas makes several styles of soft window treatment with insulating power to improve a home’s energy efficiency, including Duette® Honeycomb ShadesSolera® Soft Shades, and Sonnette® Cellular Roller Shades.

Weigh your hard or soft window treatments options with the helpful team at Premier Blinds. Serving communities in Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills, and Edmond, Oklahoma, Premier Blinds helps homeowners find their ideal window covering, including hard or soft window treatments that suit their design tastes and match existing décor. Request a consultation or visit the showroom location near Edmond, OK.