Window Treatments for French Doors – So Many Options

Sunshine Drapery sliding glass doors window treatment

I love French doors. In fact, when I purchased my last home, I had two sets of sliding glass doors opening onto my deck – one from the breakfast room and one from my bedroom. While sliding doors are certainly functional, they do not have the charm of French doors, and that is what I wanted. So, the first remodeling project was to replace those sliders with my favorite door types. The next decision, of course, was the type of window treatment I wanted on the interior that would both accent my new doors but, as well, be functional. After all, French doors have to be opened, so window/door treatments could not reduce the ease of that function. Drapes or curtains that covered them completely was certainly not an option. I considered many option, any of which can be both functional and aesthetically pleasing, depending on the décor of the room in which the French doors reside.

Blinds: Because of the versatility of new options for blinds, these were certainly an appealing option, considering that they could come with a remote for opening the slats or raising them completely. And they come in so many colors and types of materials, it would be very easy to match the décor of my more kitchen and more traditional bedroom.
Shutters: These were a great potential option, because they can be anchored to the doors and the easy handles to open and close them allowed as much or as little light as I wanted at any given time of the day. Again, the wide range of materials and colors were a big draw for me.
Shades: I love the option of remotely operating shades and the huge number of options for types and colors – a standard solid color shade, shades of striped, plaid, and geometric prints, Roman or traditions – the possibilities are really endless!
Valances and Side Panels: If I decided to go with a rather plain window treatment for the glass on my French doors (a solid color shade, blinds or shutters), I knew that I could always add pizazz with a valance and/or side panels that would not disrupt the opening and closing function of the doors themselves.

Ultimately, my decisions were based upon the overall decorative theme I needed for each room. My breakfast room is rather modern with a glass table, brushed nickel leg pieces, and very contemporary sling back chairs. Because it is done in grays and off-whites, I decided to make it “pop” with striped Roman shades on the French doors, adding a burnt red and navy accent with the stripes. It is stunning, and I love the remote feature that lets me raise and lower as much or as little as I want. In the bedroom, I opted for a more traditional treatment that would blend with the dark woods of my furniture. The shutters are a great match for the other wood in the room, but I added a valance and side panels in a large paisley print that coordinated with the solid color of my comforter. The room truly looks “finished” now. I love both of my rooms that have French doors. The versatility of the options will allow me to change those treatments if ever I decide to change the overall décor of those two rooms.