Lace windows are a novelty in the field of design. But she has already managed to fall in love with many for her originality and beauty. The idea has many advantages: elegant appearance, ease of execution, large selection of patterns. The romantic design of glass is not without its practical side. Tulle inserts perfectly hide rooms from prying eyes and are suitable for decorating small spaces.
A successful combination of translucent tulle with a thick Roman blind
Secrets of window decoration in small rooms
Window decoration is of great importance. Curtains and curtains block the view from the street and protect the owners of the apartment from prying eyes. But curtains also have another important function - decorative. With them, the interior becomes harmonious and cozy. Owners of large areas have no problems choosing window decoration products. Laconic Roman blinds, curtains with large folds or luxurious curtains - all this is suitable for large rooms.
Decorating glass allows you to leave the window sill free
But in small spaces, many of the usual design options are not suitable. Curtains or curtains in tiny rooms can look too heavy. This textile design can “eat up” half the space. Then many turn to blinds and Roman shades. But this option also has a significant disadvantage: ordering, manufacturing and installation takes too much time and money.
That is why a new type of design is now becoming increasingly popular - lace windows. This design does not require large investments and time. You will only need a minimum supply of tools and a small set of available supplies.
Coloring
Very often they choose another option for decorating windows - painting. For example, a kitchen can be bright and cheerful by using colorful paints on the base of the window frames. In addition, this is also of practical interest, since cooking grease settles on the window sills and frame, and sometimes it is easier to repaint it than to wash it.
You can paint not only wooden windows, but also plastic ones. To do this you will need acrylic paint and a compressor gun. It is strictly forbidden to paint a PVC profile with a brush. The cost of acrylic paint starts from $25 for 5 liters. If possible, it is better to take starcryl - it is a more expensive material, but it creates a new durable coating on the surface of the frame. After drying, strarkryl turns into plastic.
For wooden windows, any water-soluble paint is suitable. Its cost is from 5 dollars per 1 liter.
To make the window opening original and unusual, it is recommended to adhere to the following order of work:
- remove the cornice and curtains;
- clear the window sill of everything that stands on it;
- degrease the surface of the frame;
- cover the glass with mounting tape;
- apply the first coat of paint and wait until it dries completely;
- Apply several more layers until you reach the desired shade.
Decorating the kitchen will be a real highlight and it will take a couple of hours of time. You can also decorate any other rooms.
Window decoration with tulle
Lace windows are tulle glued to glass using starch. This design has many advantages:
- Ease of execution. Even a child can cope with such work.
- Minimum set of tools. Scissors, a measuring tape and a ruler are all you need to decorate the glass.
- Economical. There is no need to buy additional curtains, curtains and lambrequins. Any lace cut that is in stock will be suitable for the design. The main thing is that there are no defects or frayed edges.
- Beautiful decorative effect. Intricate patterns make the interior elegant. When light passes through the patterned translucent texture, beautiful openwork highlights appear on the walls.
The degree of transparency of the glass depends on the density of the selected tulle
Another plus is that you don’t need special cornices, frames or baguettes for decoration. And the result will definitely please all lovers of openwork motifs.
Unusual slopes
If the room is on a high floor or there are no other houses opposite, you can leave the windows undecorated to ensure privacy. But to prevent the window opening from looking boring, it is enough to decorate the slopes using wood, paint or wallpaper. Contrasting elements will attract attention to the view outside the window, and will also become one of the most original details of the interior.
Alternative to starch
If it is not possible to use starch, then ordinary soap can be an alternative. It also has adhesive properties. Previously, it was used to seal wooden frames for the winter using fabric strips. Therefore, the method can be considered proven. Moreover, removing the fabric attached with soap is even easier than when using a potato or corn composition.
Regular laundry soap is suitable for the job.
To secure the textile fabric, it is dipped in warm water and then thoroughly soaped. After squeezing it a little, apply it to the surface and straighten it, allowing it to dry.
Shutters
Wooden shutters have long been famous for their practicality and beauty: with their help you can completely darken a room or decorate the interior. Painted to match the walls, they look light and unobtrusive, and covered with bright paint they become an accent point.
With the help of shutters you can create the atmosphere of a country house, as well as get a spectacular design detail.
How to remove patterned inserts?
Any textile covering tends to become dirty and lose its attractiveness. Especially when it comes to the kitchen or children's room. It's more difficult to keep clean here. Therefore, it is important to know how to remove openwork decorative inserts.
If you used new good quality tulle to cover the glass, it can be removed several times, washed and re-glued
Peeling patterned fabric off glass is very quick and easy. After all, environmental glue was used during the work. To remove it from the surface, you will need a bowl of hot water and a sponge. Instead of a sponge, you can use a soft cloth. The main thing is that it absorbs water well. The patterned insert is easy to remove. To do this you need the following:
- Dip a sponge or napkin into hot water and let it soak well with liquid.
- Then the tulle is wiped with a damp sponge. In this case, the surface is treated so that it is well saturated with water.
You can also wet the fabric using a hand sprayer. - The wetted material is left for a few minutes so that it is saturated with water.
- After this, the insert is carefully peeled off. If in some places there are difficulties during removal, then you need to additionally go over them with a damp sponge.
Once the starch is wet, the fabric can be easily removed
If you do everything correctly, following the instructions, then after removing the textile there will be no streaks left.
Advantages and disadvantages
The positive aspects of using cheap mirror film are that it is easy to apply it yourself and is very inexpensive. Protects wall coverings, floors and furniture from fading due to direct sunlight.
The downside is its unaesthetic appearance. It is too thin and it is difficult to smooth it out or stretch it well; wrinkles remain.
Cheap film from the supermarket doesn't look very attractive
Another disadvantage is that it is not indicated what percentage of transparency it has.
Examples of lace windows
Glass covered with openwork fabric has its own unusual flavor. They radiate warmth and comfort. Beautiful patterns decorate the glass not only from the inside, but also from the outside. At the same time, the material transmits light well inside. But at the same time it protects from overly aggressive rays of the sun and the curious glances of passers-by. For those who want to try to put an unusual idea into practice, photos of lace windows will help. They show how interesting and unusual the romantic patterned decor looks.
If you decorate the glass with tulle, not only the window will be transformed. The entire interior of the room will be different. Designers advise combining the openwork on the glass with other objects in the interior. For example, you can duplicate the openwork inserts on the buffet doors or cover the table with a patterned tablecloth. You can also sew pillows from guipure or cover the frame of a floor lamp. It all depends on the style of the room and the creative imagination of its owners.
Tinted and athermal films
Due to the greater thickness of the base layer, these films do not wrinkle and look beautiful on the window. Due to their differences and price, they are suitable for long-term use (with cheap foil, you can seal the window for 1–2 months or the summer period, and then dispose of it).
For mounting on glass, they may have an adhesive layer already applied, and if it is missing, they are attached using the same methods as cheap film. Let's look at how they differ below.
Tinted
The main layer of tinted film is made of polyester coated with various metals, which impart sun protection properties. The most commonly used metals are aluminum and nickel, as well as bronze or silver. Sputtering colors the film in different ways and makes it possible to obtain products with different transparency. The table shows some data:
| Color | Transparency % |
| Silver | 15–20 |
| Gold | 15–35 |
| Bronze | 15 |
| Violet | 15 |
| Grey | 15–35 |
| Green | 15 |
| Blue | 15–35 |
Technologies make it possible to obtain films with different functionality. The most popular of them are mirror and sun-protective, while the rarer ones are matte and decorative.
To achieve the required qualities from a tinted film, it is made multilayer, which increases its service life.
Multilayer tinted film device
Matte or decorative films are used if you want to decorate your apartment. It is easier to cover the glass than to replace it. To achieve maximum effect in reflecting rays, it is recommended to glue the film with a “metallic” layer to the glass.
Athermal
Athermal – translated from English as heat-protective. They are based on modern polymers, with a coating that well reflects thermal energy and ultraviolet rays.
Operating principle of athermal film
This type is more expensive, but also more effective. It allows you to protect home furnishings from fading without resorting to darkening the room.
Thanks to the manufacturing technology, the high transparency of the film is maintained, which is important, for example, for office spaces where the emphasis is on natural light. This allows you to save on lighting and resort to using split systems less often.
These types of “athermals” are almost invisible on the window, and a pleasant darkness is created inside the room. A big plus of athermal film is that, while reflecting UV and IR radiation in the summer, it retains heat inside the apartment in the winter. Such protection on roof windows, a glazed balcony or loggia will be especially appropriate.
Athermal film using spattering technology slightly darkens the room
According to manufacturing technology, athermal films are divided into three types:
- Metallized . The working layer is made of a metal polymer, which is applied to the outer or inner layer. Has a mirror effect.
- Spatternaya . The name comes from the spattering technology, which creates a layer of sputtered different metals. The sprayed layer is thinner than the base and is practically invisible, so it does not darken the room.
- Spatter-metallized . A combination of the two methods mentioned above to increase efficiency.
Depending on the manufacturing technology, films have different transparency. And with the application of an additional protective layer from atmospheric influences, external use is allowed.
Decorating the window sill
If you are the happy owner of wide window sills, then you have the luxurious opportunity to create an excellent relaxation area in their area. Place beautiful pillows and an elegant blanket in the opening and enjoy peace and privacy while admiring the scenery outside the window. This option is ideal for decorating a window in a living room or bedroom, as it allows you to relax and feel comfortable.
To avoid problems with air circulation, which can lead to the formation of condensation on windows, it is recommended to equip wide window sills with ventilation grilles, and also not to completely cover their surface on a permanent basis.
Fans of original solutions can take advantage of ideas popular in Scandinavian countries and place unusual compositions made of wood or plastic on window sills. This design is not static - it can be constantly updated, supplemented and changed at the request of family members. Some homeowners create compositions with a special meaning, thoughtfully and painstakingly selecting each element. With this design, you need to strive to ensure that the installation looks attractive both inside and out, and does not resemble a mountain of unnecessary things that accidentally ended up in one place.
Decorating them with indoor flowers is considered a classic design for window sills. This method is probably familiar to everyone without exception - with greater or lesser success it is used in almost all public institutions: from kindergartens or schools to modern offices or workrooms.
When decorating a home window, you can experiment and select plants to your liking: place pots with the same flowers on the windowsill, create a composition with seedlings of different heights and sizes, or equip a miniature garden by diluting living greenery with artificial decor.
This “green” window sill is well suited for decorating a kitchen window, refreshing the work interior of the room and creating a good mood. If you choose edible greens as plants, you can enjoy fresh vitamins at any time of the year.
