Layered window treatments, like the pictured Hunter Douglas Silhouette A Deux shade are becoming the next stage in the development of the window coverings industry. When mini-blinds hit the market decades ago, the way to provide all the options of light control to the home owner came from layering. I’m sure you’ve seen it, but the way it worked was to put mini-blinds on the window, a sheer drapery over the top of the blinds and a blackout layer of draperies over the sheers. We might call this the typical “Grandma’s Drapery” scenario. The reason that people liked it was because layering offered many options. Whether you wanted light control or insulation or privacy, it provided it all…but at what price? Aside from the cost, the old style layered systems projected into your room as much as a foot and when you closed the draperies, you created a kind of a wall system. We still do wall to wall draperies at times, but modern interior design calls for cleaner and more purpose driven choices.

Enter the new modern layered treatments. Available from most window coverings companies, you can now get some of the most amazing window coverings with all the layers built into one window covering. Take for example the new Hunter Douglas Silhouette A Deux Shading. The Silhouette Shade has been around for a couple of decades now, but the addition of a blackout layer that operates independently from the front shade is a game changer. Take a look at this photo which shows the profile view of the shade. You can see how the flat shade in the back can move separately from the main shading in front.

Why did they create this product? Wasn’t the original Hunter Douglas Silhouette Shade also available in a light-dimming fabric? It sure was, but if you ordered that version, the beauty was diminished. The reason for this is because one of the features of the Silhouette is the weave and texture of the fabrics. Because the fabric allowed for some light to pass through the vanes, you could see the textures and light playing nicely together. Now, if you stop the light from coming through the vanes, you suddenly lose the character of the fabric. So, they added a movable layer. Now, if you need it dark, just lower the shade behind the front shade. Otherwise, keep that shade up and enjoy the beauty and style of the Silhouette shade as it was intended to be seen.

So, we discussed one company’s product. There are many options out there which offer this layered treatment, so contact us or your trusted window fashions expert to see which ones will work best for you.