You wouldn’t be the first to dismiss the importance of window furnishings when building a new home. From the practicality of electric or dual roller blinds to the beauty of sheers, shutters, and heavy curtains, you can potentially save yourself time and undue stress by considering window furnishings during your interior selections.
‘Window furnishings are essential for privacy and keeping the light out of certain areas, such as your bedroom. But they also play a key role in enhancing your interior design and style,’ says Interior Designer, Cassie Morrison, who has been helping new homeowners design their dream interiors for over five years.
‘The right window furnishings can really bring your home to life and are always an upgrade we recommend – there’s nothing better than moving straight into your new home with the window furnishings already installed and ready to go,’ says Cassie.
‘Our official window furnishing partner, Lovelight, is an Australian owned and operated business offering a wide range of window furnishings to suit every home and budget,’ continues Cassie.
Below, Cassie steps you through her ‘five Ps’ or five steps to selecting your window furnishings – price, placement, purpose, privacy, and presence.
Determine your budget
There’s no point selecting the perfect furnishings only to discover that you can’t afford them. For example, roller blinds are a great affordable option for budget conscious customers, while curtains and shutters require a little more investment.
‘The good news is that LoveLight is a wholesale business, meaning they don’t deal directly with the general public and have no overhead costs associated with retail, such as a shop front. This means they can afford to deliver a quality product at a lower cost to our customers,’ explains Cassie.
‘Window furnishings will also increase the resell value of your home and are considered a necessity by the bank. By upgrading your house package to include window furnishings, you’ll likely increase your borrowing capacity with your lender,’ explains Cassie.
Think about the placement of your furnishings
Your window furnishings form a key part of your room aesthetic. So, don’t select them in isolation. Think through how your furnishings will drape over your floors and complement your walls.
‘Your furnishings can change the entire feel of a room and highlight key features. For example, you might install a luxurious double set of curtains into a modern bedroom with crisp, white walls and dark carpets to accentuate the sleekness of a contemporary design,’ suggests Cassie.
‘Alternatively, lighter shutters, timber venetians or sheers can break up an otherwise darker colour palette and create a beautiful contrast.’
Your designated Boutique Homes Interior Designer will be able to suggest the right mix of furnishings to ensure you avoid any colour clashes.
Consider the purpose and privacy of your window furnishings
Think about what your window furnishing is there to do. Is it to block out light so you can get a good night’s rest; protect your living room floors from harmful sunlight; offer increased privacy; or to enhance your interior style? Maybe it’s a combination of several different factors!
‘The purpose of your furnishings will depend on the room and how you intend to use the space,’ says Cassie.
Bedroom furnishings
Enhance your sleep by installing light-blocking window furnishings, such as a single roller blind or block out curtains. ‘Accentuate a feeling of luxury and provide another layer of privacy by adding a lovely sheer over the top,’ adds Cassie.
Bathroom furnishings
When you build with Boutique Homes, you’ll receive obscured window glazing as a standard inclusion to all your bathrooms. It means that privacy shouldn’t be too much of a concern in this space. Instead, furnishings in your ensuite should focus on enhancing your tile and benchtop selections. ‘I love a crisp white shutter for this purpose. They also help to keep the light out if there’s no door between your ensuite and bedroom,’ says Cassie. ‘Another great choice would be a simple white roller blind – it’ll keep the light out while also rolling out of sight when not needed.’
Living space furnishings
As the name suggests, dual rollers offer two sets of blinds: a screen roller for daytime that helps to protect your floors and furniture from the fading effects of sunlight during the day and a night roller for privacy in the evening. ‘Alternatively, a full height sheer curtain will enlarge the space, look great when both opened and closed and will always make a statement in the living and dining spaces,’ says Cassie.
Match your window furnishings to your interior design
‘The presence of your window furnishings is all about how you want your home to look – furnishings have a direct impact on how you’ll feel in the space,’ says Cassie.
‘Again, this is where your Interior Designer can help you select furnishings that match your interior design.’
Below, Cassie steps you through the window furnishings she recommends for some of our most popular interior styles:
Hamptons
Creamy shutters will enhance the classic Hamptons frontage, especially in the living areas.
Modern
Think heavy double sets of curtains or s-fold curtains, to accentuate the sense of luxury, coupled with sheers to ensure the functionality of the space during daylight hours.
Country
You’ll probably want to take full advantage of your views, particularly for those living in regional areas. Stick to sheers throughout.
All our Lovelight window furnishings are made to measure.
We even measure the windows you aren’t quite ready to furnish, making the order and installation easier for you after handover.
Overwhelmed by choice? When you build a home with us, you’ll work alongside a qualified Interior Designer who’ll walk you through the entire colour selection process, including window furnishings.
Need more tips for preparing for your Interior Design Consultation? Head to the Boutique Life blog.
Additional resources
We're proud to partner with a range of premium suppliers
For you, that means we bring exceptional building standards, plus the industry’s highest quality products, to every home we construct. Building the best way we can, with the best materials available.
Need Design help?
From the latest design trends to industry advice and practical tips, our Interior Design team get the inside knowledge on how to perfectly design and style your home.
At Boutique Homes, we’re passionate about design and inspiring our customers to create their dream home.
Have you found ‘The One?’
Share your home journey and connect with the Boutique Instagram community by using #ourboutiquehome