Our Window Treatment Details

My window treatments may be the single most asked-about aspect of my home. I’m excited to share a little more about their functionality, and the process of choosing & installing mine!

When we first moved into this home there were old outdated window treatments covering the windows, half of which were falling down. We knew every room needed to be updated which is a big investment but viewed it as a way to add value to our property. Selecting the right window treatments for your home not only adds to the beauty and design impact but can make a huge difference to buyers when selling.

Many of you may remember that I had the same collection in my last home, with a few exceptions. All of my window treatments then and now come from Wendy Bellissimo’s collection at Smith & Noble. I love the quality, design, and features so much. Of course, Santa Barbara has a different feel and vibe than Pleasanton so I chose a few new styles that reflect the area and this house. Everything still feels true to my taste however.. Here’s how it went!

This post is not sponsored by the way, I’m just a big fan of my friend’s product :)

The Design Process

Sheers

Material

I am so lucky to be friends with the designer, Wendy Bellissimo. Right when we moved in she was sweet enough to come over and show me all of the window options in person- so fun! Let me tell you, these fabrics are gorgeous. We started with drapes, our last home had the single pleated Siatka Drapes (#18317.) I love the look of linen and the way it delicately lets light in, this particular fabric is very romantic and hangs very well too. We decided to go with this same style throughout our home as it frames the window so beautifully.

The collection has quite a few heavier linens that I think would go well in cooler climates too. The embroidered fabrics pay homage to a traditional look but the patterns give the style new life. You can also purchase her fabrics by the yard on the website if you want to make matching pillows!

Style

These drapes come in several different hanging styles. We went with the clean single pleat look throughout, I like that it’s tailored yet elegant at the same time. The single pleat leaves little opportunity for wrinkles and bunching.

Shades

Style

I love the soft shape of waterfall woven shades so that’s the style we went with for all of the interior windows. We also had this look in our last home. For the doors (and Jeff’s office) we switched it up to a flat fold style which gives them more a finished look up top.

Material

As for the shade material, I was torn between the Santa Barbara White Sands (which I had in my last home) & the new Avalon White. Both beautiful, the Santa Barbara offers a bit more color variation and the Avalon a pretty cane texture with a simple overall white design.

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I ultimately chose the Avalon white (#19141) for the entire home with the exception of Jeff’s office. We decided to switch up the design in the office to give Jeff a more masculine space. He chose the Zuma/Natural wood shades (#19119)

One significant change in this house versus our last is the openness of the floor plan, which I took into account when making material choices. Our last home had a tall open dining room that was visible from every corner of our house. For that reason, I went with the same shades and sheers throughout for a cohesive look. Some spaces in our new home follow a more traditional floor plan, including Jeff’s office, which gives me a bit more grace design-wise to customize each space. Love that!

Kitchen Roman Shade

In our kitchen we added an entirely different shade than the rest of the house. The window sits above the sink so I wanted to add something that softened and framed the view. The roman shade was perfect for this spot. I chose the Calabasas fabric in soft white. (#19001)
We also added the privacy lining so the shade has a finished backing on the outside which we see from the deck side.

Controls

The reason I love this collection is the fabrics — the reason Jeff loves it is because of the tech capability. All of our shades are motorized smart shades with remote access. They can be programmed to open and close on a schedule & they are cord-free so they are safe for kids and pets. They come with a battery that only needs to be charged 3 or 4 times a year for few hours when you notice the blinds moving a little slower. Super easy to handle. This motorization aspect is so convenient when you have as many windows as we do and in my last home many of our windows were too high (14′ high) to physically reach.

Mounts

All of our shades are outside mounts because our windows aren’t cased in and because we have handles located within each window frame. The outside mount gives each window a more finished look and the shades falls over the handle without catching on it. Our last home was newer and each window was cased in so I was able to go with inside mounts in that home.

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Installation

I strongly suggest booking a free measure appointment with Smith and Noble when choosing their window treatments. Their team knows exactly how to measure everything with all types of windows which is so important. Each shade has a specific style, material, mount, lining, measurements and controls — that leaves a lot of room for error. When you get expert advice it’s less stress, less work and if a mistake is made, it will fall on their team to make it right.

Once we made our design choices, we had the Smith and Noble team measure all of the windows and place the order. Once those specifics were sent in it took about 3.5 weeks for everything to be made, and a few more weeks for shipping. We were alerted by email that they left the factory and it was time to schedule the installation which took just one afternoon. The time frame from scheduling our design team to complete installation was about 2 months — this is a typical timeline for this type of project.

Specifics

If you’re wondering where to put shades, sheers, or curtains.. the truth is, it’s completely up to you! These were my preferences in our home but it all depends on where the light comes in, your privacy needs, and the style of home you have. I love having as many layers as possible on each window for a more complete look. One more mention.. all rods are from the Deco Metal Collection in Champagne with crystal finial. I find the combination of shades and drapes/sheers with a rod overtop takes my home to a whole different level.

All my shades are an outside mount, Motorized Smart Shades.

• Front Door: Flat Fold Shade, Avalon White with Privacy Lining
• Laundry Room Door: Flat Fold Shade, Avalon White with Privacy Lining
• Sliding Glass Doors: Waterfall Shade, Avalon White – no Lining & Single Pleat Soft Top Siatka Drape Pair, Rod – Deco Metal Wall Mount Collection in Champagne
• Kitchen: Relaxed Roman Shade – Calabasas in Soft White #19001 with privacy lining
• Large Living Room Window: Waterfall Shade, Avalon White with No Lining & Single Pleat Soft Top Siatka Drape Pair, Rod – Deco Metal Wall Mount Collection in Champagne
• Dining Room Window: Waterfall Shade, Avalon White with No Lining & Single Pleat Soft Top Siatka Drape Pair, Rod – Deco Metal Wall Mount Collection in Champagne
• Bedroom Window: Waterfall Shade, Avalon White Blackout & Single Pleat Soft Top Siatka Drape Pair, Rod – Deco Metal Wall Mount Collection in Champagne
• Guest Bedroom window: Waterfall Shade, Avalon White Blackout & Single Pleat Soft Top Siatka Drape Pair
• Office: Waterfall Shade, Zuma/Natural Privacy lining & Single Pleat Soft Top Siatka Drape Pair

I hope you found this information helpful! I really do love my window treatments & they feel that they’ve made a world of difference in our home. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to share in the comments below.

xoxo,
Kristy

For more of our home improvement journey, click here!