Not all rooms require window coverings for your vacation rental, but all bedrooms and bathrooms need to have them. So let's start with the basics of window coverings for bedrooms.
The priority for bedroom window coverings is privacy. Privacy can be achieved with shades, blinds, or curtains. Levels of opacity are the next decision or choice. There is light-filtering or room-darkening opacities. Light-filtering is great for spaces that need daytime privacy without blocking out the daylight. Room-darkening is a nice amenity for east facing (morning sun) windows and rooms that have intense outdoor night lighting, such as street lights.
A way to achieve light filtering, room darkening, and day and nighttime privacy is with wood blinds or shutters. The louvers and slats can be slightly tilted for daytime privacy and still allow for daylight to stream through. For nighttime, closing the louvers or slats all the way will block intense light.
When daytime privacy is desired but you don't want the whole window to be covered all day, choose the option that allows for the top to be lowered. This option is available on many shade types such as honeycomb or Roman style shades.
Roller shades are another option that come in the two opacities. Options include a cover over the shade roll or an exposed shade roll, and cordless and corded lift. We'll address the operating systems down below.
Window covering for bathrooms are a must as well, and usually all day. Here are options for different styles and privacy needs.
A honeycomb shade with the cordless top-down feature is perfect for this second floor bathroom. Daylight can pour in and there is still a view to the outdoors.
Bathrooms with tubs at the window are best covered with a top-down shade or café curtain in locations where there it is tough to reach the covering to operate it if motorized is out of your budget. However, if there is a building very close to the window you may need to splurge for motorized or have a permanent covering for privacy.
Roman shades with continuous cord in this example demonstrate that a variety of positions are available. Also available covering the whole window, I just forgot to get a shot of that.
In the bathroom below a café curtain and valance are installed, and a privacy film was added to the glass of the top sash.
For powder rooms shutters are ideal. The lower portion of the window is covered all of the time. The window can also be opened for fresh air and still offer privacy.
For other spaces you can mix or combine decorative and functional window coverings based on the privacy needs. If your rental is in an urban setting or in a condo community window coverings on the windows in the living spaces will offer a privacy for your guests in the evenings. Some people feel exposed when the windows are bare.
Here are examples of coverings for living spaces.
For a sunroom a tab top café curtain on a spring rod closes the lower portion of the window.
A tab top panel on a rod combined with a wood blind offers a decorative element and a privacy covering. Even if you didn't have the wood blinds the curtains could be closed to provide privacy.
This is rod with two tab top panels that are closed by hand to cover the picture window.
Decorative pleated panels with rings flank a window that is covered in wood blinds. In this space the blinds are down most of the time and the slats are operated to control the light and privacy.
These decorative panels with rings on a rod flank windows with a semi-sheer Roman shade. These woven wood style Roman shades offer filtered privacy. Someone outside the window may see movement but would not be able to see detail.
Functional drapery panels are great for sliders. Stack panels as far off to the side as able to keep as much glass as possible to stay exposed. Panels like this are operated by hand with a rugged wand attached to the second ring to make operation easy.
Operating systems, cords, cordless, etc. For window shades and blinds the most popular lifting is cordless. However, cordless lift is not always the best option if the window is behind a bed or furniture, or if the window is tall. These circumstances make it difficult to reach the bottom rail to operate the shades or blinds.
Therefore, the next best budget option is a continuous cord lift. This is cord that mounts to the side of the shade and makes it easy to reach.
Motorized shades are amazing. However, they are meant for higher end properties. They are pricey and require a guest that may have experience with this level of product.
This post is a good start to get you thinking of the options. Once you choose the best window covering option for your property be sure to install securely. Guests are rough on stuff be certain that rods, shades, and blinds are installed property.
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