How Whitney and Harry Gave Their Vintage Portland Bungalow a Youthful Vibe and an Exciting, Eclectic Design

Eclectic interior design, with its unique blend of styles and elements, presents a distinct challenge for homeowners and interior designers alike. The question of what element will unify the concept and pull everything together is a puzzle that requires a keen eye and a deep understanding of design principles.

Custom window treatments can be a powerful ally in unifying a design or creating a backdrop that showcases a creative, eclectic interior.

However, window treatments also introduce a new variable into the design equation. Curtains, drapes, and shades address practical concerns like controlling sunlight, temperature, sound, and privacy in the home.

I was delighted when I met Whitney at her 1920s Portland bungalow. Not only was she fantastic to work with, but she is also an artist at heart who works in creative marketing and design. Upon our first meeting, she even had something very few of my clients had—a mood board!

Whitney had a clear vision for their home and sought the expertise of a window-covering designer to make sure they achieved the perfect look for their living room and entryway.

Eclectic Interior Designs Present Complex Challenges to Homeowners

Once we began to unpack the requirements for Whitney and Harry's home, we realized there was much to consider.

First, we needed to find the perfect color and material to integrate with the rest of their living room and adjacent dining room. Doing so was no simple task. In the living room sat bold, modern furniture pieces in purple, apricot, and yellow shades of velvet. The walls were silvery blue, which played off an ornate, blue Art Deco rug on the floor. Across the way, the dining room added to the complexity of the eclectic style with deep, moody purple walls and a dramatic chandelier with amber crystals. They also needed to add treatments to a powder room, which featured window trim painted in a deep, antique shade of red.

Next, we needed to consider how window treatments that matched this eclectic energy would present themselves when viewed from outside the home. How would they look like they belonged inside a 100-year-old home?

Finally, Whitney and Harry were concerned with privacy and wanted to be sure their window treatments were not too sheer or transparent when closed.

So, there were a few things to think about! They began to realize how complex the challenge of unifying function and form truly is, to say nothing of unifying a diverse color scheme. This is why clients choose to work with custom window treatment designers.

Here's how we tackled the challenge together.

Searching Showrooms for the Perfect Fabric Match

Usually, I go searching for fabric samples and return to clients with many options. I rarely take them to the fabric showrooms at the design center, as the sheer number of options and styles overwhelms them.

However, Whitney had an artistic background and a specific vision. I knew she would enjoy the challenge of searching for fabrics at the Kravet showroom with me and appreciate being part of the process. We searched together and found a variety of fabric samples she could take home.

Taking your time with good-sized samples is critical. Tiny swatches and cuttings of fabric tell you very little. It is essential to take a reasonable-sized sample home and view it in daylight and nighttime conditions. Doing so is very important for any space. Yet, it was crucial to understand how the colors and patterns would play throughout the day in such an eclectic environment.

Whitney left with an appropriately eclectic selection of samples. Each offered a unique viewpoint on how to solve the challenge of unifying her living room's furniture, artwork, and décor.

Choosing a Unifying Color for an Eclectic Design

The window treatments in Whitney and Harry's living room would be dramatic, floor-length draperies with a classic, elegant look. In other words, they covered a great deal of space on the walls and needed to capture the perfect tone.

Ultimately, the couple selected a soft blue texture that was a shade darker than their walls. This choice added an elegant accent color to the walls while serving as a simple, compelling backdrop for the room's eclectic vibe. The drapes would add texture and style to the room without competing with the rest of the carefully calibrated color scheme. 

The weave and texture of the fabric for their drapery panels were a bit open, and they wanted privacy when they closed the panels. We decided to line them with a black lining, which is quite unusual. So, I showed them a sample of the drapery fabric and black lining, held it up to daylight coming through a window, and explained that it would slightly change the drapery color, and they were okay with it.

We chose a two-fold pleat tacked at the top, and for hardware, they selected wood-fluted poles with simple ball finials and rings. They had used a particular dark gray paint color for some of their woodwork, so they asked me if their painter could custom paint the hardware we provided.

In the entry hall, we felt draperies on the three long windows in the bay could be a bit too much of a good thing, so we decided on flat Roman shades in the same textured fabric and black lining because all these windows face the front of the house. The Roman shades had hidden back doweling, giving them more structure when raised and lowered. When raised all the way, the shades have the appearance of valances.

Finally, Whitney found fabric with a small block pattern for the antique red powder room, which added just the right element to finish the room.

Reactions to the Completed Custom Window Treatment Design

On the morning of the installation, a friend visiting them told Whitney something was missing in their living room. It happened before we showed up to install their window treatments, and it was like a little nod from the window treatment gods that everything was on the right track.

Harry had been working upstairs during the installation and came to see the living room transformed. Whitney and Harry were amazed at how this one component changed the experience of this essential living space in their home.

The transformation was remarkable. The room felt softened, and the design unified. But the real magic was in the enhanced control over privacy, sunlight, temperature, and even sound. Adding a significant amount of fabric to the once bouncy, noise-amplifying trio of angled walls improved the acoustics, creating a more serene and comfortable living space.

Guests are now welcomed by soft, elegant Roman shades in the entryway and greeted in the powder room by a perfect accent of color and texture around the window. Most of all, our new friends felt confident in their choices and accomplished in finally bringing their vision to life.

Ask Adrette to Solve Your Most Complicated Window Treatment Design Challenges!

Our mission is to help homeowners create moments of inspiration and joy at home. Few things are as satisfying as knowing you have brought a unique vision to life and simultaneously created a warm, inspiring space in your home.

We like to say we are one of Portland's "Best Kept Secrets." Our boutique design firm serves a finite number of clients throughout the year to preserve the quality of our highly personalized, joyful design experience.

At Adrette, we serve clients with decades of expertise and genuine investment in their hopes and dreams for the home. Schedule a design consultation here to begin an enjoyable transformation journey through custom window treatment design.