One of the biggest ways to transform a space and to make it instantly look finished is with window treatments. I’m always looking for resources that I can share with you that are accessible, high-impact, and elevate your home, so when I had the opportunity to partner with Calico on custom window treatments, it seemed like the perfect fit and experience to share.
*This post is sponsored by Calico. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow us to create helpful content while featuring products we use and love!
As I’ve detailed before, one of our biggest challenges in our home is our open-concept living, dining, and entry room. Over the summer, we painstakingly added recessed panel moulding to the room, which helped to make the large room feel cozier, more intentional, and better differentiate the zones. However, I knew that this open concept space could benefit tremendously from adding window treatments, where they are a really great way to unify an open concept space that contains multiple different zones and types of windows.
The process of working with Calico couldn’t be easier! First, I went into the showroom for a private appointment (wearing a mask!) and worked with a designer at Calico to pick out my favourite fabrics and trims. My designer, Jane, was so helpful in pulling fabrics that met what I was looking for, as well as some that I never would have thought to pull. I ended up narrowing it down to a white linen with a fabulous patterned tape trim edge detail and a light grey on white block print. After much deliberation, I decided to embrace being more bold and couldn’t walk away from the opportunity to layer pattern in a big way, settling on the Tosho Stripe block print. Once I decided on the fabric, we discussed the details of the window treatments, and I was able to see the exact different options for types of Roman shades and drapery panels on the floor in the showroom, so the options were very clear. The Calico design services are free, and such a big value add in ensuring you make the most of the custom options and pick the right window treatment to suit your space.
In the dining room, we previously added built in bookshelves and a ledge under the window, so the best choice here was one super long Roman shade. The team at my local Calico (Wesport, CT: now in a brand new space from the above photos!) worked with me to make sure the Roman shade was shallow enough to sit seamlessly within the window casing (a perk of custom window treatments!) and discussed how the pattern matching would work on such a wide shade.
On the other side of the room, with the way that the furniture backs up against the wall, the windows were better suited for drapery panels. My Calico designer advised that a fan pleat was the more casual sibling to traditional pinch pleat drapery, and would be a great fit for our space.
Once I made my selections, a Calico professional installer safely came out to my house to measure. It was a relief to know that the window treatments would be perfectly sized, and that it wasn’t on me to figure out the exact measurements. It was so nice to know that they were measured perfectly, and that the install would be flawless (not always the case when you’re doing your own measuring!). He then returned after the window treatments were completed to install them, and as expected, they were a perfect fit. As people who are always DIYing, it was such a wonderful experience to have a professional do the installation, and to just walk into a room with perfect window treatments.
The key to making different types of window treatments work in one space is to use the same fabric and trim across them all. I love how different the pattern lays out on the Roman shade compared to the drapery panels, and yet, it’s clear they are the same fabric. It adds an extra layer of interest and depth to the room.
I love the softness that the Calico Roman shade adds to the dining room, which features a lot of hard surfaces. Immediately following install, the dining room felt like it took a huge leap closer to being complete.
Here’s the dining room before window treatments:
And here it is after:
I also love how the drapery panels elongate the windows on the other side of the room.
I couldn’t be more thrilled with how my window treatments turned out, and even more, Calico made the process so simple and easy. Working with Calico allows you to get custom window treatments without going through an interior designer and to have confidence that everything will turn out exactly as planned.
Here’s how you can get started:
- Make an appointment at your local Calico showroom here
- Request a measure here
- Check out the window treatment brochure here
And if you’re looking to use the same fabric as we used (which I highly recommend!), here’s the link.
I love Calico (Corners)! I’ve had customer bedding, re-upholstery, and curtains done through them. The fabric you chose is simply devine – it works so well in your rooms. I would have never have be drawn to that fabric just looking online, so there is something to be said about seeing it in person and I’m so glad you were to to do that. Calico’s design services are great.