There is nothing quite as romantic as lace. It is a perfect complement to antique furnishings – its delicate patterns contrasting boldly with the rich tones of the wood. As sunlight streams through a lace decorated window it plays hide and seek in its folds. Add a soft breeze and you will see the slow shifting of pattern outlined on your hardwood floor.

Lace has been with us for hundreds of years. It was originally made by hand using young women and children laboring under appalling conditions. The Industrial Revolution changed all that and for approximately the last 150 years most of the commercially available lace has been machine made.

Lace has been used over the years to decorate every aspect of our lives – from our clothing to almost everything in our homes. As a table textile it has protected delicate wood surfaces and provided us with an elegant backdrop to our finest china. As an edging it has decorated photo albums, wood shelving, fireplace mantles, and much more. As a window treatment it has played a supporting role to Victorian era layered window treatments and in the 20th century it stood alone. In the 21st century it continues to adorn our homes and protect our furniture. The availability of contemporary designs work well for modern homes where a more romantic feeling is wanted but it is for period décor that lace shines above all the rest.

Lace works with all styles of décor. The difference is in the patterns you use. Victorian windows featured long lace panels in subtle delicate designs or heavy, ornate floral inspired patterns in their parlors and dining rooms. Bedroom treatments were less ornate. Arts and Crafts interiors favored shorter panels in simple sheer textures.

Today lace is available in a mind boggling array of patterns. Although lace was originally made of natural materials today most lace is made of synthetics. Although it is not as authentic to use synthetics in a heritage home, nevertheless its availability makes the task of recreating a window treatment simpler.

There are many benefits to using lace as a window treatment:

• It acts like a screen allowing light to come through while giving you some privacy during the day.
• It is the perfect complement to roller blinds if you require more privacy at night. This combination is especially authentic in heritage homes.
• It softens the hard edges that are always present in a room.
• It can be installed so that your beautiful millwork is not hidden.
• As with all textiles it absorbs sound in a room.
• It acts like a chameleon – changing its look according to how it is used.
• It warms a room psychologically without hiding your view.

Lace is manufactured in light and heavy weights. For more authenticity, stick with the light weight textiles. Compare apples to apples when comparing prices. A lot of what you pay for is in the border. Expect to pay a lot less if you are buying bolt lace from a regular fabric retailer because it does not usually have a significant border. Either way, it’s worth trying lace on your windows – you’ll love the results!

Written by Johanne Yakula

Note: Heritage window treatments are my specialty. If you would like a consultation to see if lace would work for your windows contact me via this web site. If you live in Edmonton and its environs I would be glad to go to your home and speak with you.

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