There are many different decorative options you can use for your bathroom window treatments, from shutters to curtains to Venetian blinds. The main difference between curtains and blinds is that curtains open horizontally whereas blinds open and close vertically. Not only do blinds provide privacy and regulate the natural light into your lavatory, they also add an important decorative appeal to the room. Other things that you should consider are the function of your window treatments, if for example they are purely decorative, then you don’t need to purchase a more costly hanging system. Your budget and overall theme of your bathroom will also determine your stylistic choice.

Are your blinds aiding in your relaxation, improving lighting conditions or there to increase privacy? Before choosing the type of blinds you will use, first look at the shape and style of your particular bathroom window in order to determine your decorative alternatives. Some common window types are sash windows, French windows, casement windows, picture windows and bay windows. These all vary in size and scope so you need to adapt your window treatment accordingly.

The four main styles of blinds are:

Venetian Blinds: are slatted blinds. These are the most common when people think of blinds and can be made of plastic, wood or metal and can hang both inside and outside the windows frame.

Roman Blinds: some subtlety overhang the window frame and are made from gently folded layers or material.

Roller Blinds: hang inside the window frame. They are flat simple pieces of material that you roll up or unroll to open or close.

Gathered Blinds: are made of gathered folds of fabric ( forming a number of scallop shapes at the bottom) to give your bathroom a more sophisticated feel.

Before you begin measuring for blinds you first need to decide on the position of the hanging track. It should be noted here that it is better to overestimate when calculating the amount of material you will need because it’s easier and more economical to trim the material than to buy anew. If you prefer to have your blinds outside the window recess then start your measurement at the tract, add approximately 1 ½ inches overlap from the outside of the windows frame on the horizontal and vertical axis of your window to below the sill. Add another 2 inches to the bottom if you are attaching fabric to a dowel. If on the other hand you prefer to hang your blinds on the inside of the window frame then calculations are much simpler as all you need to do is calculate the inside horizontal and vertical measurement of your window frame leaving about ¼ of an inch space inside the frame to facilitate movement of your roller or Venetian blinds.

When measuring for gathered blinds remember that an odd number of scallops are visually more appealing than an even number. Measure as above but add twelve inches to the basic height measurement to accommodate for the depth of the scalloped bottom edge when the blind is drawn down.

Read more about how important bathroom window treatments are to the decorative appeal of your bathroom in this related article!

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