About

 
Arren Williams is the name, and I'm a stylist, editor and trend reporter. You'll catch my work regularly popping up in print in the likes of the National Post, House & Home and elsewhere. I'm also a guest expert on Citytv's CityLine, and you can occasionally find me on ABC 7 News in Chicago.

To keep things fun I've tapped a couple of friends - Julia Black and Jenn Hannotte - to contribute their views on design too. Enjoy!

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Ask Arren > Window treatment

Hi Arren, I'm a great fan of yours. Our house is on a large lake. We love the view with no window treatment but at night it's like a large black hole. We have a large picture window, sliding glass doors and another large window beside the doors. They are all on the same side if the wall. Could you please offer some suggestions? I like the look of a seaside home rather than something cottage like. Thanks so much

January 12, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterMs. R

Hi Ms. R, Thanks for the kind words - Your place must have such an incredible view! Okay, since everything is on one wall how about doing a single window treatment that will cover the whole wall?

Unfortunately it's a bit of a custom solution, but trying to treat everything seperately might all get a bit too bitty. I'm suggesting mounting a track, or rail, as high as possible along the length of the wall, and then having a series of pinch pleat panels made that you can pull into place and give you as much privacy as you need, then slide out of the way when you want to take in the view. For fabric choices that fit with your seaside vibe I'd think about a weighty natural linen or cotton, something with a bit of texture to it. Lining it well will help cut down on energy bills, and I'd have it just dust the floor, not puddle, so it looks a little crisper rather than shabby.

And, rather than keeping it all plain, you might want to think about adding grosgrain ribbon to gussy it up. A couple of different widths spaced at least a foot above the hem (the wider one closest to the hem and a slightly narrower one placed 6"-8" above that). Not sure if your colours include a pale blue, but pairing that with a natural toned fabric could be totally lovely.

Cheers, Arren

January 16, 2009 | Registered CommenterArren

Thanks for the idea. I like the idea of a natural line or cotton. The ribbon trim would give it a nice finish, I might use the same idea in my bedrooms. Many thanks! j.r.

January 29, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterMs. R