The Best Window Treatments for Craftsman-Style Windows

Craftsman-style homes showcase the wood, itself, so the best Craftsman-style window treatments are simple and unobtrusive. The texture of bamboo shades coordinates with oak, a staple Craftsman-style building material, while tailored Roman shades harmonize with the clean-lined windows' structure. Embroidered curtains provide an alternative, especially plainer styles in linen, muslin or sheers. Interior shutters offer a classic choice; the shutters open to expose the full window casement. But macrame lace curtains, too, allow the windows' detailing to be seen, while providing a more decorative window treatment choice.

Classic Shutters

Wood shutters fulfill two Craftsman ideals: Open shutters expose the full detailing on the window's casement and transom, and the shutters' wood tones allude to the inherent beauty of natural building materials.

In bedrooms and bathrooms, shutters serve a practical function, affording the greatest privacy when closed, but when open, shutters reveal the total Craftsman-style window, including finely crafted casements and transoms, which are hallmarks of the Craftsman style.

Shutters Advantages

Embroidered and Stenciled Curtains

The Craftsman style replaced the heavy, ornate flourishes of Victorian Era designs, substituting simple, floral or geometric motifs. Charming window treatment options include embroidered and stenciled curtains in fabrics, such as linen, muslin or sheers.

Embroidered or stenciled curtains are often unlined, displaying decorative motifs only near the panel's bottom. And panels are mounted inside the window to offer a full view of the window's transom and casement.

Embroidered and Stenciled Curtains Advantages

• Handmade look with simple, stylized motifs
  
• Privacy afforded by opaque linen and muslin curtains  
• Full window view with sheer, embroidered curtains

• Maximum privacy when closed
  
• Showcases windows when open
• Aligns with the Craftsman appreciation for natural wood

Bamboo and Roman Shades

Roman and Bamboo Shade Advantages

• Simple styling and natural tones of bamboo shades
  
• Privacy when rolled down and maximum display when rolled up
• Tailored, streamlined, simplicity of Roman shades

The plainness of rolled shades aligns with Craftsman-style informality, including bamboo shades in textures and warm, earthen hues that coordinate with oak. When rolled up, the subtle styling of Craftsman windows is exposed to full view.

In formal rooms, such as dining rooms or living rooms, Roman shades offer a look of tailored simplicity that accords with the Craftsman style, with shades easily rolling down to maximize privacy when needed.

Macrame Lace Curtains Advantages

Macrame Lace Curtains Advantages

• See-through curtains that showcase the window's detailing
  
• Intricate, handmade stitchery recalls Morris' designs
  
• Traditional Craftsman style that pairs well with Tiffany-style, stained-glass windows

Though the Craftsman style is synonymous with simplicity, curtains in intricate macrame lace recall the designs of the Arts and Crafts Movement's most famous proponent, William Morris, the British wallpaper and textile designer who stressed handmade decor.

Macrame lace curtains afford less privacy, but for dormer windows, or for windows in rooms where privacy is less of a priority, curtains in macrame lace provide the best option for adding a classic, Craftsman-style finishing touch, especially when adorning a Craftsman-style window with Tiffany-style stained glass.