Shades made of woven bamboo complement Craftsman windows.
As part of the Arts and Crafts Movement of 1890 to 1915, Craftsman homes have a distinctive history and architecture. The Arts and Crafts Movement--a rejection of Victorian excess and mass production--emphasized artisan-quality craftsmanship, natural materials and pure, simple design. Dress your Craftsman home with window treatments that complement the architecture and honor the spirit of the era. Does this Spark an idea?
Styles
Unlike the light-blocking layers of fabric that covered Victorian windows, Craftsman window treatments opened to flood the home with sunshine, according to "In the Arts and Crafts Style" author Barbara Mayer. Simple curtains and shades, used in combination or alone, fit the architectural style.
Traditional Craftsman curtain styles include panels hung from visible rings, hidden back tabs or rings and casement pockets. Homeowners used cafe, sill and floor lengths. Modern styles with tab, tie and grommet tops blend well into Craftsman homes. Appropriate shades include woven bamboo or jute shades, structured Roman shades and fabric roller shades.
Fabric Content
Because of the Arts and Crafts emphasis on natural materials, natural fiber fabrics fit Craftsman windows. Choose cotton, linen, burlap, bamboo or wool with tight, loose or nubby weaves. Natural fiber blends are fine, but avoid synthetics and anything with sheen. Linen scrim (once known as "net") and canvas woven from flax and jute were historical favorites, according to Craftsman Style.
Fabric Patterns
Though solids were a common curtain choice, the Arts and Crafts movement inspired a new category of fabric patterns. William Morris, along with other textile designers of the era, designed heavily stylized patterns based on organic subject matter. Common motifs included flowers, trees, birds and animals. Some of these fabric patterns remain in production for upholstery and window coverings.
Craftsman homeowners in the American West often collected Native American and Southwestern art. Fabrics featuring those designs look good with Craftsman architecture and furnishings, while continuing the tradition.
Embellishments
Craftsman textiles made from solid fabrics often had stenciled, appliqued, pattern-darned or embroidered embellishments. For window treatments, such embellishments decorated the bottoms of roller shades, and the bottoms and leading edges of curtain panels. Patterns included geometric designs and organic, stylized designs like those used for fabric patterns. Textiles by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and tiles by William De Morgan--both influential period designers--translate well into applique and embroidery patterns.
Colors
Though decorating magazines often show Craftsman decor as mostly neutral, period Craftsman homes also featured the bright colors of flowers, birds and marine life. Bright colors were muted slightly to harmonize with the warm wood tones of millwork and floors.
Hardware
Historically, Craftsman window treatments were mounted inside or outside the window frame on thin brass rods. Curtain rods made from other metals or stained wood also work well. Copper and iron rods with hand-wrought finials and brackets complement Craftsman style especially well, echoing the metalwork used on doors, cabinetry and lighting. Keep curtain hardware small and simple to avoid competing with the architecture.
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