6 reasons to include window furnishings into your building contract
While there are lots to select when building a home, it is understandable that some features and fixtures might take a back seat, with some customers preferring to exclude them from the building contract. Window furnishings are sometimes overlooked and are only revisited once people move into their home. That is usually around the time bedroom sheets are transformed into makeshift curtains!
Cass Lynch, Account Manager from Lovelight has unpacked the window furnishing quandary and shares her tips in why incorporating window furnishings in the building contract makes good common (and financial) sense.
Prioritising window furnishings in the build
Imagine the weekend you move into your brand-new home. You are so excited, you move all your furniture in, the family and you are exhausted. You hop into bed late at night after ordering some takeaway. Your bedroom is at the front of the house. You realise you have no window furnishings and your whole neighbourhood can see you because your lights are on. Not only that, but it’s also freezing cold!! You have nothing helping you insulate your room from the cold outside your window.
Benefits galore
According to Cass, if you add window furnishings into your contract, there are a suite of major benefits!
- Having a level of privacy is so important in your family home from the outset. Regardless how friendly your neighbours are, you don’t want to give them a bird’s eye view of all your indoor activities – day and night!
- By having window furnishings from day one, you don’t have to pin up sheets onto your brand new painted architraves and walls.
- Window furnishings add another insulated layer to your window and help with keeping rooms warm in winter and cool in summer.
- When you add in window furnishings into your build contract, you then pay them off over the life of your loan, saving money. When you move into your new home, there is a myriad of costs to take care of including landscaping, new furniture, internet set up and electricity suppliers. This can cost you thousands and comes straight out of your pocket.
- You have a qualified Interior Designer at Henley Design, who has helped you with all your other colours and materials in your home and who have so much expertise. They are there for you for your window furnishing choices as well. They can provide you with a Lovelight quote on the day so you can review the cost as necessary to fit into your loan.
- Lovelight window furnishings are custom made to fit your home. The installers come out for a Check Measure once your windows and architraves are installed during your build. We then order the furnishings based off those precise measurements, you aren’t just buying a generic stock blind or curtain and hoping it fits your window.
What to choose?
“Firstly I would ask any client to consider what they have currently in their home and whether that works for them or not. I would ask questions like: Are you a shift worker? Are you sensitive to light? What furnishings do you currently have in your home? Do they work for you, or do you need further blockout?”
“Then I would think about each space in your home. Start with wet areas – do you want a simple roller blind in here for privacy, or would you prefer a shutter or PVC venetian to add a bit of character or compliment a Hamptons style home?
“From there, I would move to your façade windows. You want these to all to be the same here so keep them all consistent. Consider shutters to your façade as they are the only furnishing that adds value to your home if you decide to sell it down the track.
“Bedrooms would be next, roller blinds to the smaller bedrooms are common and inexpensive (also very easy to clean). Perhaps you want a blockout roller blind to the Master suite and an S-Fold Sheer curtain here as well for added luxury.
“Lastly, I would look at the Living areas. This is where you will spend most of your time so look at inspiration for these areas, and consider the direction your living area is facing. If you get a lot of sun to this space, consider some blockout roller blinds as it will get very hot in Summer! Adding an S-Fold sheer curtain to these areas is also incredibly popular and provides you with that cosy, homely feeling.”
What is on trend?
According to Cass, Linen S-Fold Sheer curtains are incredibly popular. “They provide such a beautiful texture to your home and really help to soften any space. Warmer colours and whites are currently on trend as well.”
Avoiding the pitfalls
Cass says, “If you are worried that certain furnishings may not suit your space once you add all your furniture in later, then just add a white roller blind into your contract, (or choose a colour similar to your wall paint.) You can then invest in decorative sheer curtains later on down the track.
“We also always recommend doing your research prior to your Colour appointment, so you have an idea of the style you are trying to achieve. For example: if you want a classic or Hamptons look, white shutters are a no brainer!”
Fan favourites
“My favourite at the moment is our stunning Sheer curtain fabric – Sicily Chalk. Our Sicily range is a soft linen look fabric and falls beautifully when installed. Chalk is my favourite colour – it is just a soft white, but it works with everything. I love using black curtain tracks to make it more contemporary (especially if there are black accents/window frames or furniture in the home).”
“A member of the Henley Design team will assist you in discussing and going through all the window furnishing options which can be incorporated in your package." Visit the Henley design showroom to learn more.
