A particular issue that was highlighted in both Alice and Caleb and Pete and Andy's rooms were the window treatments over their gabled windows. Both teams dressed their windows slightly differently, but I'm not sure that either was a complete success.
When you are faced with finding window treatments for existing angled windows, this can be challenging enough as it is, but when you are building new you should think very carefully at the concept stage about how the decision of including an angled window is going to affect the interior finishes - especially window treatments! Unless of course you are happy to have an exposed window - perhaps you have it double glazed with no privacy issues, in which case lucky you! For the rest of us though, we generally want to be able to keep the room dark, warm, cosy and private!
Pete and Andy opted to install a curtain track across the middle of their window creating a visual disturbance by chopping their feature window in half and leaving the top portion of the window exposed.
Alice and Caleb had the better idea of the two (see above) but as one judge mentioned, they could have bumped their curtains and tracks right to the junction of the wall and ceiling to emphasize the grandeur of the space. Even so, there is something a little clumsy looking about the way these curtains hang, caused simply by the awkward angle that they are on. The only way they could have perhaps improved was to choose a header detail that would sit flatter and with less bulk along the track so your eye isn't automatically drawn to the higgledy piggledy stacking.
I would love to be able to provide a one stop shop solution or suggestion on how these windows could have been treated better - but your best options still remain curtains or concertina/fan blinds which are definitely not for everyone, and don't create the warmth and cosiness that curtaining does. The contestants didn't have any say in the design of the windows they had to dress, but to those of us in a new build situation who have great architects with visions of angled windows; before committing, think carefully down the line as to how you are going to keep the room warm, dark and private - a straight edged, right angled window is one thing, but trying to cover triangles with products that work best perpendicular to the floor is a whole other ball game!
I was hoping you would mention the odd-shaped windows and how to address them, both rooms did look weird and, yes, I have not yet been really wowed at all by any of the rooms on this series. Maybe House Rules Australia has moved the bar just that bit higher, I wonder how big the budget is for that show?
ReplyDeleteYes I think watching the Australian versions of these types of shows ruins it a little for us - their budgets in comparison must be huge! The Block NZ has been a little underwhelming this year and it must surely be due to budget constraints, there are so many people in NZ capable of a lot more creativity and with more design spark then what we have seen!
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