Today's question, came from another designer, who is working with a client at the moment who is a cat person. The problem she is facing is how to deal with window treatments that will withstand the affection of her feline friends. I really appreciate this kind of question, because good design is all about solving peoples individual design problems in an elegant, sophisticated way. Here are some thoughts that hopefully will lead to beautiful windows and a happy cat.
- Obviously, declawing the cat is not an option, it would seem then that you will need to find a fabric that can hold up to Kitty's affection. I would suggest that you use an ultra suede. It is a synthetic fabric, made to look like suede. Because it is not a woven fabric, it doesn't really give the cat a way of getting hold of it. Also for the same reason, you don't even need to hem it, because there are no threads to come undone. This fabric will give a clean, modern feel, as it it too thick to pleat at the top, so you will need to use grommets instead.
- Another idea is to use roman shades on the windows. If you use a loose Roman, you can still get almost the same softness as a drape, but it will be safely out of reach (if it is a window, not a french door).
- A wooden Venetian blind is also a possibility, but becomes a little "drier" than you might be hoping for. You could always add a valance or cabot, but that would work mostly with a more traditional style.
- If you want to block the view but still need light, there are a variety of companies that provide adhesive sheets that stick onto windows and provide privacy, but still allow light through, and give some tidy pattern too. http://www.surfacematerialdesign.co.uk/
I hope that these ideas help, and good luck with your design.
2 comments:
If the window treatments reach the floor, and your cat(s) walk by there often, they will be covered in fur. (Like the curtains I have at my patio doors. The cats love to look outside so the bottom foot of the curtains are always full of fur). So something you can keep open when possible and away from kitty is a GOOD idea.
From the cat lady.
I have (had) lovely curtains that just puddled on the floor the right way. Unfortunately my yellow lab decided that the perfect place to nest was right there and when he rolls around, he pulls the curtain rods out of the walls.
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