You can really tell a lot about someone just by looking at........their curtains?.... And, can chang
I love these little moments while I am relaxing after dinner time, having a little peace and quiet to myself. I was sitting in my room, blankly staring off into the corner, when I had this little epiphany, or question run through my head rather. Could the style of your curtains or window treatments be giving away clues about your personality? And furthermore, can changing the style of your curtains, actually alter the path of your future self? After 15+ years as an Interior Designer, I have been into a lot of homes and I have witnessed time and time again, the correlation between my clients decorating style and their personality traits.
I often gather clues about what my clients like as I walk through their homes. I try to pick up on the important elements of design, such as colors used in repetition throughout the home, patterns and/or textures that I see in the space, "shapes", or "form" of furniture & decorative accessories, scale of the existing space and furnishings, and the design style, or genre of their current decor. Then, I use these clues to build a "profile" if you will, for my customer based on these observations.
Of course after creating my profile observation, it is my job to see if that "profile description" is still a good match to my client or clients, or if they've outgrown that "vibe". During the client interview phase, I ask the customer about what they want their home to do for them and what they want it to say about them. It's sort of a dress for success mission, or in other words a way for them to create and manifest a highly visual representation of who they are or want to become.
So if you are one who struggles with making decorating decisions, take a look at all of the things that make you uniquely you. Even better yet create a list of words you would use to describe yourself and who you want to be seen or recognized as, or if you are designing for the whole family, write down the traits and words that you would like to represent how people view your family & lifestyle as a whole. It is a great thing called "perception" we can actually change the way people see us in society by focusing our traits in a way that it relates to the design of our personal environments.
So what do your window treatments say about you?
Solid Colors:
People who choose solid colors are often more refined and conservative in nature. They like things that are timeless yet simple and elegant. They often love dressing their windows with a solid color because they can accent the color with coordinating pillows or artwork. They like their homes to read clean, simplistic, classic and sometimes luxurious or affluent. They are not big risk takers, they are more the type to make steady, carefully planned decisions. Their wardrobes also tend to reflect their decorating style in that they wear a lot of solid colored matched coordinates and dainty, yet elegant jewelry.
Patterns & Geometrics
People who opt for prints, patterns and geometric designs in their window treatments are often more spontaneous and outgoing. Patterns come in a variety of designs from floral, to geometric to repeating design motifs, but what they usually all have in common is a feeling of energy! This feeling of energy comes from the repeating patterns. While some patterns such as animal print, florals, and certain geometrics may fall heavily into the classic and timeless spectrum, other graphic or patterned design styles change and evolve as trends come and go. People who have patterned fabrics or drapery in their homes silently express that they like to have fun and take chances, they are more of a high energy person, and they have a vibrant spirit. A lot of people who like patterned fabrics are trend-followers. They tend to buy lower cost, mass produced window treatments from online retailers and box stores, so that they can get they look they want now and change it up when the mood strikes, or the next best trend rolls around, similar to the way people follow the ever-changing fashion trends.
Sheer & Natural Fabrics
Those who gravitate to sheer or natural fiber fabrics such as linen and cotton, are lovers of light! They like their space to feel bright and breezy, with a touch of grace. They are often earth lovers and can be found slurping a green smoothie on the way to yoga. They appreciate the serenity of the great outdoors, which is why they opt for fabrics that allow them to view and appreciate nature, or those that have elements that remind them of things found in nature such as natural grasses and cotton fibers. This is also a popular look among those who live in a rural setting and have an extreme love of painted ship-lap walls. They usually wear things like simple cotton t shirts, denim, linen, khaki, and plush cotton or wool sweaters.
Layered & Embilished
If you want to stand out in a crowd one of the best possible ways is to be a bit over-dressed! Lets hear it for camp! On the complete opposite side of the spectrum from the recently popular "minimalist" style comes the rallying emergence of "Maximalism" where everything is lavishly dressed and accessorized to the nines! Think "Lisa Vanderpump's Fashion Style". Richly detailed, vibrantly colored, adorned with trims and possibly tassles, and layered with a combination of sheer and opaque fabric. The look is rich, full and luxurious, somewhat seductive even. If this design style had a fashion coordinate, it would be a Louis Vuitton Bag, with Yves St Laurent mascara and a Tiffany necklace. The look says I have it all and I like to live richly.
No Curtains At All
This is an easy clue that this type of client is a "minimalist". They often like furniture with sleek lines, perfectly flat cabinetry and have a love for concrete, stainless steel, and matte black. Simplicty is key. They typically have less overall "clutter" and by clutter I mean excess furniture, accessories and items sitting out on visible surfaces. They are tidy and organized, typically with a "type A" personality and a strong desire for personal excellence. They talk about things like mindfulness and meditation. They see the view outside the window as art provided by mother nature and wouldn't dare think about covering up such a beautiful gift except for when they pull down the barely-there, slim-compact, gray toned roller shade down for room darkening effect. They also have a tendency to be vegan or on a "clean eating" plan, and live a fulfilling lifestyle driven by proven standards and a perfect daily routine regimen.
Painted White Shutters or Horizontal Blinds
A staple look of those who live or just summer in the Hampton's, the vibe is fresh, smart, coastal, relaxed and yet still refined. This look has been wildly popular over the last several years. Many people love a good neutral white to balance a look, whether it is for an outfit or to outfit a home. It pairs well with literally ANY color and will always be in fashion. It brings in those light and breezy vibes as we talked about with the sheer and natural fabrics in a crisper, more tailored fashion. The wooden shutters often come with a variety of coordinating trim moldings to finish dressing the look. Different molding profiles allow one to personalize the overall mood of the look. White Painted Shutters and Horizontal Blinds are the "little black dress" of window treatments.
Camouflage
This window treatment and decorating style says " I am a bachelor and I need to call Tammy Viviano Interiors right away!!!!" The same applies for sports team prints, or comic/cartoon characters and camo recliner chairs. I am just teasing, but seriously, I've seen it with my own eyes. Typically this look only works for kids rooms with my suggested cut off at the age of 16/18. To be honest though many of my clients have been young bachelor males (most of who's mothers' called me to help their sons get it together so they could attract a mate and grow into a family) This has literally happened more than once!! When looking to decorate your home in a way that will attract a mate, consider the things you think your ideal mate would want and they type of person you want them to be and build around that. Let it show elements of who you are with careful consideration of appealing to your ideal companion. Going with a solid color or a neutral is often a good change for these clients because they need something to soften the look, and they can commit to something that is simple and pretty without being over the top or too trendy. Ask me about how you can FengShui your home to attract a mate. I have some shocking tips for you!
As you can hopefully see by now, the look you choose for your home reflects you in ways that others will perceive and make assumptions by. We can also shape the direction of the life we want to live by designing in a way that gives clear hints about the life you desire. By being in that environment on a regular basis with those design elements, you convince your mind that you are already living in that future moment and can feel what its like to be that person. By recognizing these qualities on a daily basis you will start to focus on your goal and believe it to be true, therefor manifesting the life you want or the person you want to become.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog post, all views stated are completely my own, developed by my personal observation over the years that I have worked in the field of Interior Design. I love sharing my knowledge and insights and tips with all of you, and as I've said before, if you have read all the way to the end, I appreciate you very much!!!! Till next time friends, MUAH! xoxo - Tammy V.
