Turning To The Fine Arts For Window Treatment Inspiration
Window Treatments Inspired By A Maine Artist
The current popular window treatment style is stationary side panels, holding strong. Letting light into a space without covering the window is often the request. Why not turn to the arts for window treatment inspiration?
A painting purchased from Rockport artist Jean Byrd (Now located in Camden, Maine) has inspired me to be creative with the window treatment in a laundry room. Her painting of bright, colorful laundry hanging from a clothesline in a backyard surrounded by beach roses was perfect for this client’s laundry room. The painting Jean named Wash Day was inspired by her visit to Monhegan Island, Maine, one of Jean’s favorite painting locations. With walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s Chestertown buff and white subway tile installed three feet up on the wall, it was time for the existing window treatment in the laundry room to go.
Searching for a whimsical fabric was easy, with all the many bright colors the painting had to offer for inspiration. This was the first step in creating something unique and different for this one window in the laundry room. Two contrasting fabrics were found from the Stark Fabric showroom in Boston. The brightly colored design pattern of lime green, orange, pink, purple, and blues was called Tropical Reef and named Colorfulness. How fitting for this pattern. The second fabric was called Martinique, also in color Colorfulness. This pattern was calmer in the background of off-white with colorful diamonds again in pink, blue, lime green, and yellow. A perfect balance and companion fabric pattern.
Creating a design for the window was easy. We wanted to incorporate and transfer the clothesline subject from the painting onto the window. By sketching out the window design and keeping the white window shutters on the bottom half, a top treatment was all that would be needed, with a vision of using an actual rope clothesline and wood clothespins. A design was created. The multi-colored fabrics would resemble kerchiefs hanging on a clothesline. A novel and whimsical design that would complement Jean Byrd’s Wash Day painting that so beautifully hung on the wall beside the window.
Jean Byrd has the gift of seeing and realizing beauty along the eastern seacoast. Her many coastal travels and island visits have inspired most of her oil paintings. I always say to find an inspirational piece for designing a room around. Art is always one of those pieces that inspire creativity in design. With this lonely window in the laundry room, new life will be created in this space through Jean’s Wash Day painting and the whimsical and novel design of the window treatment.
About Debbe Daley
Debbe Daley is New England’s leading interior design expert in the fields of design, decorating, and styling of interior spaces. She is a professional speaker, educator, influencer, and business coach in interior design. She also teaches creative interior design and change-of-career-minded individuals at her School of Interiors. These courses provide mentoring and hands-on training. Debbe is currently an installed Design Services member for the Boston Design Center. She also is an educator and instructor at Middlesex Community College in the field of interior design.
Contact Debbe at ddaley@daleydesigns.com or (978) 697-0288.
