If you know anything about interior design, you’ve likely heard about minimalism.
The “less is more” mindset has revolutionized modern design. It doesn’t matter if you are decorating a college dorm or a full-sized home. Minimalism is a popular method to cut back and make each inch of your living space count.
The same philosophy is relevant to your choice of window treatments. If you want to simplify your home, finding the right window coverings is a good place to start.
Luckily, we’ve done the hard work for you. Here are the top five minimalist window coverings we recommend. We’ll also give you some style tips to help you modernize your home along the way.
What is minimalism in interior design?
Though minimalism is popular today, it sparked attention for the first time in the 1960s. The style strayed away from the frilly and superfluous designs of the past. Clean and simple were the new modern. Minimalist designs began to appear in graphic design, art, theater, and fashion worldwide. However, minimalism has had the most lasting impact in architecture and interior design.
A minimalist home strips everything down to the bare essentials. Each item has a purpose, and anything unnecessary or overcrowded can go. Minimalism can even appear in the architecture of the home. Many people remove dividing walls to create open, livable space. Natural light and neutral tones are also common threads in minimalist design.
Here are some of the core characteristics behind modern minimalism:
- Less is more — Don’t need an item? Get rid of it. Fill your space with only a few pieces, but make sure they are quality.
- Functionality and simplicity are key — Every little item should have a specific purpose or use. Even if it is decorative.
- Clean, straight lines — Use geometric shapes for sleek finishes and a well organized space.
- No clutter or busy decorations — Kiss all your old knick knacks and souvenirs away. Clutter distracts from the beauty and simplicity of the home.
- Monochromatic, neutral colors — Neutral colors both ground and brighten a room. The more consistent the look, the better. To add a bit of personality or boldness to your home, feel free to add one or two accent colors that pop.
- Limited, specially-chosen materials — Use high quality wood, metal, or glass as defining features in your room. These materials are good for your walls, floors, or furniture.
- Lots of natural light and open space — Large windows that cast natural light and shadows are a minimalist’s dream. Remove any dividing barriers in your home to create open space that gives more room to live and breathe.
- One or two statement pieces — Not all decorations are bad. But when you do decide to decorate, pick only a couple items that showcase your personal taste.
If you apply these strategies, your home will look effortlessly simple and beautiful. The best thing is that minimalism can be applied to any room in your house. You can cut back on items in your bedroom, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and more. Your home should feel calming, balanced, and thoughtful. Minimalism is intentional and exact, and your decorative taste will reflect that.
How do you choose minimalist window treatments?
It’s easy to find modern minimalist window treatments when you know the styles to look for. You want to keep your window coverings simple, clean, and purposeful. The more busy your window treatment designs are, the more they will distract from the unity of your room.
If you don’t know where to start, here are a couple minimalist characteristics to help narrow your options. Color, functionality, and design are all important for crafting your perfect, simple windows.
Color
Neutrals are the name of the game here. Most minimalists tend to use the same color palette throughout their home. Whites, greys, light blues, and browns are the most common. These colors are usually in light tones that reflect natural light and brighten the home.
If you worry about your space looking too bland or sterile, you can always add a couple accents of bolder color. If the rest of your room is white or tan, make your window shades, blinds, or draperies a fun color to add contrast. Be careful to only add one or two accent colors to your room’s design, though. You don’t want to add so many colors that it distracts from the simplicity you desire.
If you want to combine colors, we love the mix of whites and light blues. The two colors will give your home an ethereal glow — especially if you include natural light.
Functionality
As we said before, every item in a minimalist home has a purpose. This includes your window treatments. Luckily, most window coverings are already functional in design, which make them a great fit for a simple home.
If you want minimalist window treatments, then you need to look for options that are easy to use. You want window treatments that have great light control. This means you can adjust your brightness and shadows to your liking. Your window treatment should also protect your home. Look for coverings that are energy-efficient, insulated, and block harmful UV rays.
If you truly want to upgrade your windows, you should consider motorized window treatments. With the simple touch of a button, you can alter your covering to let in more or less light depending on the time of day. Contact one of our consultants to see if motorized shades are a good fit for your home.
Design
Design is one of the most important elements to consider. Whether you want shades, draperies, blinds, or shutters, choose a design that is not overly busy or decorative.
When thinking about design, one thing to choose is the fullness of your window treatments. A drapery or shade’s fullness is how much fabric is used compared to the width. Greater fullness gives your treatment a fluffy, draped look. Less fullness is more sleek, resembling a flat fabric over your window.
Pleats are another style that compliment the minimalist theme. Easy yet elegant, pleats fold to give your windows depth without being too busy or ornamental. To gain a more textured appearance, add more pleats for a stylish backdrop.
Our top five modern minimalist window treatments
There are many window treatments that can look great in a minimalist home. To help narrow your options, here’s our top five choices for minimalist window treatments.
Roman shades
If simplicity is what you are going for, it will be hard to go wrong with Roman shades. Made from a single panel of fabric, Roman shades are a roller shade that perfectly fits the window frame. With straight, horizontal pleats, they are both elegant and modern. Roman shades also lie flat against the window, which optimizes space and gives a clean background appearance on your wall. They can also soften the look of a room if you want fuller shades with more fabric.
Roman shades are also functional in that they won’t have any dangling cords. This makes the shades both safer for children and more effective in design.
Floor to ceiling window treatments
There’s no doubt about it — floor to ceiling window treatments are stunning. These large window treatments are one of the best ways to fill a minimalist home with natural light. Plus, they provide great visibility to the outdoors. The extra view can make a space look more airy, spacious, and open.
Floor to ceiling window treatments are also incredibly customizable. Roller shades, draperies, or solar shades are a great choice for these large windows. You can also combine a blackout curtain with a simple window treatment if you worry about UV rays harming your furniture.
Woven wood shades
Natural shades are a great addition to any minimalist home. The beautiful material is a woven combination of fine wood and natural bamboo. Woven wood shades give your home the neutral tones that are popular in minimalist style. Plus, they add a warmth and richness to any room, keeping your aesthetic relaxed and simple. You can even customize your design and color by choosing which wood you prefer for your shades.
Not only are woven shades charming in appearance, but they are durable and functional too. Plus, the organic window treatment is more eco-friendly than many window covering options.
Drapes
Drapes are classic, period. So it only makes sense that they should also be a staple when it comes to minimalist window coverings. Drapes are easy, elegant, and traditional. They will never go out of style — which makes them a great choice for minimalists who want their window treatments to stay in their home for a long time.
When it comes to drapes, we have two favorites we recommend for your uncomplicated home.
- Wave pleated drapes — This drapery design is neat and suited for a well-organized home. With precise folds, this simple window covering looks lovely on large windows. Wave pleated drapes are also incredibly user friendly, with no need to tie them back. You can push these drapes to the side or leave them open for visibility outside. Either way, they will make a great addition to your home.
- Ring clip drapes — Ring clip drapes are understated yet striking. These simple drapes are the opposite of flashy. Installing this drapery in your home is as easy as attaching the rings to a curtain rod of your choice. With a neutral color like white or a light gray, ring clip drapes are a great way to keep your windows clean and neat.
Plantation shutters
Last but not least, plantation shutters are gorgeous when paired with minimalist design. Whether made from faux wood or painted white, these interior shutters fit perfectly to the window frame. The wide louvers can be adjusted to control light streaming in. This means you can have privacy or a view whenever you want.
Not only are plantation shutters functional in design, they also add value to your home. Shutters are permanently built into window frames. This means your home’s value will increase if you ever choose to move. Thus, plantation shutters aren’t only simple in style, but they are an investment too.
Are you interested in cutting back and jumping into the minimalist lifestyle? If so, these top five window treatments would be a great fit for your home. But if you want more options, check out Made in the Shade’s other window treatments to find one that is perfect for you.
