Minimalist Window Coverings For A Minimalist Design In Chicago

October 08, 2019

Minimalist design gives a essential harmony to a space through orderly lines, gentle colors, and large, open spaces. The mission is to strip down your possessiveness to nonessential personal items, furniture, and room elements until you’ve stripped down the decor to the essentials. When you only surround yourself with functional, uncomplicated items, you create a calming environment where you can let go of stress without distraction.

Of course, light plays a huge role in a minimalist design. When you bring in natural light through your windows, you expand the profile of your space and get a serenity that’s hard -- if not impossible -- to have with a lighting fixture. However, sun glare and privacy are still dilemmas that should be taken care of through minimalist window treatments that keep the simple, practical aesthetic. Most minimalists in Chicago rely on plantation shutters or sheer cellular shades over fabrics found in curtains or drapes.

Plantation Shutters Are Perfect In A Minimalist Design

Polywood shutters in a minimalist bedroom in Chicago.

To choose the most useful window treatment for minimalist design, you may appreciate the clean lines and multi-use practicality of plantation shutters. Aesthetically, they sit snugly within the window opening without dusty fabrics or unwieldy cords hanging down. This creates an ordered aesthetic, where your treatments are on the same plane as the rest of the wall.

Plantation shutters are known to be easy to use, which is the other criteria of a minimalist ideal. While light is essential for minimalists, unfettered sunlight can have issues like glare and privacy concerns. With plantation shutters, just close the louvers when the glare hurts your eyes until you discover the right angle. You can even shut them completely to block the entire window so you can use the energy-efficiency benefits.

Reclaimed wood shutters next to brick wall.

We have some plantation shutter fashions that can work well in your minimalist decor. For instance, you might try shutters made from reclaimed wood. Our reclaimed wood shutters have the same quality construction of a normal plantation shutter but they also give a environmental element to the room. If you are looking for a more energy-efficient treatment, may want to use our Polywood® shutter. These faux-wood treatments are available in three different shades of white, can be easily dusted, and are some of the most practical treatments you can get.

Other Window Coverings For Minimalism

While some homeowners may choose plantation shutters for their design needs, there are some alternative window treatments that will work:

Sheer cellular shades: Cellular shade hang close to the window and are available in many colors and patterns. Many minimalist designs call for sheer cellular shades so you can create spaces filled with soft light.
Barn door shutters: A barn door uses an overhead track, fully obscuring the window or door frame. As each treatment is just a large panel, barn door shutters are made for a minimalistic design.
Panel tracks: Panel tracks also use an above track and use large panels that overlap as they slide back and forth. These coverings are great at shielding a sliding glass door or assuming the role of a simple room divider that can section off different spaces when needed.

What Doesn’t Work In Your Minimalist Design

Plantation shutters in Chicago dining room.

There’s plenty of window coverings that can work within minimalist design, but then there are plenty of treatments that fail to meet minimalist standards. Beware of bulky treatments like drapes, as they will stick out from the minimalistic style of the surrounding environment. Curtains or layered window coverings should also be shunned for the same issues. Ornate treatments will make your decor seem unbalanced, with your focus pointing to the window coverings.

Blinds are also a capricious choice. There are a few situations where a blind works well with the minimalist lifestyle, but only if they are of exemplary quality. The main problem is that they bang and sway against the window, upending your peaceful mood. And any hanging slats or tangled cords from a cheap blind just makes your windows seem messy and disorganized.

Sunburst Can Help You Find Your Window Treatments For Minimalist Design

As you pare down your space to the essentials, call on Sunburst to guide you to the optimal window coverings for your minimalist design. We will bring our showroom to your house and show you our lines of Polywood and reclaimed wood plantation shutters, as well as some additional treatments that are perfect for minimalism. Just call 847-250-6544 or fill out the form below.

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