Raleigh Specialty Window Treatment Guide
Each Raleigh home is unique, every one with its own aesthetic and individual needs. Similarly, each of the windows in your Raleigh home are unique too. Their dimensions, shape, the direction they face and more will differ and affect which window treatment complements them best.
But more than any other factor, the style of window is often the most important for determining your ideal window treatment. These are our team’s picks for window treatments to match the specialty window varieties found in Raleigh houses.
Sidelight Window Treatments
Sidelights are the tall, thin windows typically found on the sides of the front door in several homes. Getting the right window treatment for sidelight windows is distinctly important for a few reasons. First, sidelights are a focal point of your home, since most visitors’ eyes are naturally drawn to the front door when looking at a house. Second, people–from the postman to guests to door-to-door salespeople–are going to see them up close, which makes a great window treatment that much more important to ensure you maintain your privacy.
The Sunburst recommendation for sidelight window treatments: Plantation shutters. Shutters don’t just give your home classy looks and top-notch privacy, but they’re also easily customized for long, thin sidelight windows.
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French Door Window Treatments
The Sunburst recommendation for French door window treatments: Plantation shutters. As they’re installed directly onto the frame and are super durable, shutters are the perfect window treatment for French doors. Their timeless style and energy-efficiency are added benefits for your French door.
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Window Treatments for Octagonal Windows
Octagonal windows are some of the most interesting and attention-grabbing windows there are in Raleigh homes. With their special geometry, you would be careless to cover them up with a square window treatment like blinds or curtains. Instead, choose a window treatment that’s able to be custom-fit to the window’s unique geometry so you’re always able to get the benefits of your octagon window.
The Sunburst recommendation for octagonal window treatments: Plantation shutters or window film. Shutters are customized to fit perfectly within an octagonal window frame, bolstering its unique shape and looks. Similarly, window film adheres directly to the window pane, maintaining the octagonal window’s awesome shape on full display.
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Window Treatments for Wide Windows
The Sunburst recommendation for wide window treatments: Roller shades, panel tracks or plantation shutters. Roller shades are easy to operate, and their simple look works great with wider windows. A panel track is a kind of shade with wide panels of fabric that slide across a track making them perfect for wide windows. Plantation shutters offer a tad more energy efficiency and privacy compared to shades, so if maintaining a consistent temperature is a priority, shutters might be your best bet.
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Rake & Angled Window Treatments
Rake or angled windows are appearing more and more in Raleigh home design. The problem with rake window treatments, similar to octagon windows, is getting one that fits your window’s unique geometry. Remember also that several angled windows are in harder-to-reach spots, like where the ceiling and wall meet at a corner, so a window treatment that doesn’t have to open and close often is often best for angled windows.
The Sunburst recommendation for angled and rake windows: Plantation shutters. Not only are they completely customizable to fit the exact angles and shape of your angled windows, but the shutter louvers can typically be set at a single, perfect angle so you won’t need to readjust them - awesome for windows that are hard to reach.
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Window Treatments for Sliding Glass Doors
Similar to french doors, the window treatment you buy for a sliding glass door needs to let you open and shut the door without any hassle whatsoever. Moreover, a sliding glass door treatment should be sturdy and able to handle all the usage a sliding door sees. Lastly, sliding glass doors are one of the least energy-efficient windows, since they not only let energy pass through the pane but through the door opening as well. A window treatment that can decrease energy transfer should also be a top priority for sliding glass doors.
The Sunburst recommendation for sliding glass doors: Plantation shutters or panel tracks. Both of these window treatments make opening a shutting a sliding door easy. Panel tracks also give you an array of designs and textures to choose from, opening up your options and giving you more design freedom. Plantation shutters are available in numerous configurations to fit any sliding glass door, and are more energy-efficient than any other window treatment available.
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Bay Window Treatments
Bay windows are instantly recognizable. The long panes, concave layout, and ample view offered by bay windows are distinct from any other window, so they require some special consideration when picking a window treatment. Raleigh homeowners should consider window treatments that enhance a bay window’s attention-grabbing shape, offer privacy, and look gorgeous in your living or family room. Luckily, there are a number of window treatments that can do it all.
The Sunburst recommendation for bay windows: Cellular shades, Roman shades, or plantation shutters. Both cellular and roman shades work well with bay windows as each shade can cover a single pane, offering some flexibility in how much window area you’d like to cover. Likewise, plantation shutters can be installed on each separate pane on bay windows, but can still give you even more adaptability in window coverage with adjustable louvers.
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High Ceiling and Tall Window Treatments
Regardless of their shape or style, windows that stretch near your ceiling can be a hassle to put window treatments on. Usually, the tops of the windows are out of arm’s reach, and breaking out a stepladder every day can be a hassle. That means that Raleigh homeowners with taller windows might want to go with a window treatment that can either stay in a fixed position, or open and shut from far away. It would be even better if that window treatment was also able to effectively block outside light from pouring in.
The Sunburst recommendation for tall & high ceiling windows: Automated shades or plantation shutters. Automated shades can open and close with the quick push of a button, without any hassle. On the other hand, with plantation shutters several homeowners opt to tilt the louvers to a single ideal position, and rarely if ever move them from that spot. Both choices solve the biggest challenge of tall windows!
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Eyebrow Window Treatments
The Sunburst recommendation for eyebrow windows: Plantation shutters. Just about every other window treatment has serious disadvantages when put on eyebrow windows. Blinds, shades, and drapes obscure the unique shape and any lengthy window treatment might cover the separation between the eyebrow window and the square window under it. Because shutters are able to be custom-made to seamlessly fit in the frame of your window, they’re by far the best option for this unique window type.
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Window Treatments for Casement Windows
The Sunburst recommendation for casement windows: Plantation shutters or shades. Plantation shutters can be installed on the wall around the window opening to make room for the crank or lever–which will allow you to open and shut your window without any hassle. Both cellular and Roman shades can also pair well with casement windows, although you might have to work around the fabric when you want to open and close the window.
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Get More Raleigh Window Treatment Picks
There’s more to think about than just the window style when looking at window treatments in Raleigh. Check out our choices for window treatments for every room in your home with Sunburst’s Ultimate Room Guide, or get some personal tips by setting up a free in-home consultation by calling 919-887-9198 today.
