Romance Your Home With a Custom Window Treatment From the Pages of Jane Austen

Do you dream of whiling away the afternoon curled in a bay window, surrounded by an elegant velvet valance and draping lace, while you bury yourself in a dog-eared copy of your favorite Jane Austen novel? A custom window treatment with classic Regency style can transport you back in time and bring a touch of romance into any room.

Go Bold

Don’t let your curtains fade into the background-with bold colors and daring designs, they can become the centerpiece of the room. A Regency-style custom window treatment can add warmth and depth with dark, rich reds, azure blues, or emerald greens accented with gold. Richly colored solids can be paired with bright brocade-a textured fabric woven with abstract designs in silver or gold thread-to add drama and luxury to your space. Those dark colors can also be contrasted with a lighter colored lace or muslin to add complexity and interest to the design.

Add Layers

Austen’s characters would have had to pull aside layers of curtains to gaze wistfully out their windows. Heavy outer drapes were frequently underlain with a wispy layer of lace or muslin, and overlain with a dramatic valance. All those layers can create drama, but they have additional practical uses as well. Outer curtains of velvet or brocade keep out drafts and provide privacy when closed, but can also frame a romantic view when pulled aside with decorative ties. Lightweight or lacy under-curtains can be used to diffuse and soften light in rooms that get direct sun. A valance hides the inner workings of the drapes with a decorative accent and often ties the stylistic elements of a custom window treatment together.

Tie on a Tassel

To truly embrace the past and adopt a style you might have admired in Mr. Darcy’s library, accent your custom window treatment with tassels. That richly colored valance can be trimmed with heavy fringe to match tasseled curtain ties for a classic, theatrical look. A simple braided or twisted cord ornamented with tassels at the ends can be draped in any number of creative designs to add drama and Regency-style luxury to your curtains. Additional tassels can be used to gather the cord in the center and corners of the window for a balanced, sweeping design. Tasseled cording can also be swept up to one side for a creative asymmetrical outline.

Home decor fashions come and go, but a classic look can always be captivating. With style ideas from the Regency era, you can curl up with a good book and imagine yourself ensconced in an English manor house, waiting for your suitor to call. Austen’s classic novels of romance will never go out of style, and neither will the warmth and luxury of this traditional take on window treatments.

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