French Door Window Treatments – You Have Plenty of Options!

French doors, also named French windows can be used for different purposes - they are very popular as patio doors, as dividers between large living spaces, and as doors to a balcony. There are modern and traditional French doors and both of them create an inviting and a relaxing atmosphere in a room.

Usually French doors look wonderful even without any additional dressing, but if you wish to cover them, you have plenty of choices. To decide what kind of French door window treatments is a best one just for your interior, determine first your needs and wishes: do you want to get more privacy and light blockage, or are you just looking for a beautiful dressing for your French door? And don’t forget about your existing interior style.

Variations of French door window treatments:

Horizontal mini blinds

You can choose wooden, aluminum, or vinyl mini blinds. It depends on your budget, taste and on your entire room appearance. With wood blinds you will get a classic informal look in the room, while aluminum blinds better match modern interiors.  Vinyl mini blinds are a very practical choice, especially for high humidity areas, like bathroom or kitchen, but they may look not very attractive in such living spaces as living/dining room, patio, or a bedroom with a balcony, especially if you want your interior to look stylish.

If you decided about this kind of French door window treatments, keep in mind, that horizontal blinds need enough space when they are completely opened. Look for an appropriate slat size. Wooden mini blinds usually come in 1” slat size, while vinyl and aluminum mini blinds can be 1/2” or 1”. Some manufacturers provide special shapes for their blinds. You may consider so called “cut-outs” option, if you order custom made window blinds and need space for door knobs.

Fabric French door window treatments

Draperies – most traditional type of window treatments for French doors. There are endless of variations. With a wide range of fabrics and drapery styles, you can not only make your French doors more stylish, but also give a finished look to the entire room. If the space of the room allows - hang your draperies wide and high enough above the doors. It provides an additional elegance to the room and makes a door movement easier.

Sheers – you can hang them on your French doors using drapery rods on the top and the bottom of the doors. However, many people don’t like sheers because of their outdated look. You may consider screen shades or solar roller shades instead, which still provide outside view, protect furniture from sun rays and also reduce glare. You can install these shades in addition to draperies, or without them.

Window Shades

Fabric roman shades – look nice for many interior styles - contemporary, country, classic, and so on. The level of privacy and light blockage depends on the type of fabric you select for your shades. As for your roman shades styles, you can choose one that you like the best and that match best your room interior.

Bamboo roman shades or bamboo roller shades go well with several interior styles – modern, orient, exotic, even classic. Depending on their texture, these shades may gently diffuse light, or block it completely.

If you choose blinds or shades for your French doors, consider to get something that holds them on the bottom and prevents from flopping when you open and close the door. For horizontal blinds you can install hold-down brackets, and for roman shades some people use Velcro. You may also find your own solution.