6 Best Window Treatments for
Mid-Century Modern Homes

Mid-century modern is one of the most iconic interior decorating and design styles. This design is experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to decorating and renovation shows that highlight unique aspects of mid-century modern style. 

Starting in the mid-20th century, this modern style has been defined by limited, functional design that’s simple, comfortable, and practical. Some of the defining characteristics of mid-century modern design include open spaces, natural tones or colors, and minimal decor.

One of the unique problems with finding the best window treatments for mid-century modern homes is that these homes often feature large or customized windows. This can make it challenging to know where you should start. When it’s time to put the finishing touches on your home, you might be looking for the best window treatments for mid-century modern homes. How can you accent the design you’ve already created and tie each room together? 

In this article, we’ll look at 6 of the best window treatments for mid-century modern homes. We’ll cover (pun intended) the advantages of each option and other features to consider when choosing your next window treatments.

1 | Drape Panels

While many people use drape panels to accentuate the height of a room, or to add a comfortable sense of privacy, be careful when selecting drapes as your window treatments for a mid-century modern home. The clean straight lines of drapes can complement a minimalist design, but the wrong fabric can also make it feel a little too “heavy” and formal if overdone. 

Opting for a lighter color and fabric with the right hardware can make panels a good choice as window treatments for mid-century modern homes – particularly in rooms where more privacy is desired when the drapes are closed. This might include bedrooms, a nursery, or an office space.

To use drapes well, you should define how the room should feel. When making your selection, make sure you have plenty of customizable drape options to get the exact fit and appeal you want. Fun, interesting, and stylish patterns like those in our 38 East Collection can also make your drape panels the centerpiece of a room when they’re pulled closed.

2 | Roller Shades

Roller shades offer tons of benefits both stylistically and functionally, making them one of the best window treatments for mid-century modern homes. Aside from their sleek and minimalistic aesthetic, they can be tightly closed against the window frame to maximize the available natural light for a room and allow you to keep an open, airy feeling.

By finding the exact shade to match your interior color scheme, you can ensure that the roller shades are a design feature and not a distraction. Roller shades are a great choice for waist-height windows where the top can be easily reached. If you want even more control over shade positioning from the comfort of the couch or dining table, a motorized option can be added. As a final touch, consider adding a unique pattern (especially if it’s geometric) to your roller shades to make them more of a design statement when fully closed.  

3 | Cellular Shades

Cellular shades are an often overlooked option for window treatments for mid-century modern homes. However, cellular shades can offer several big benefits when you’re picking window treatments. First, cellular shades are one of the most energy-efficient window coverings. The unique honeycomb design has excellent insulative qualities, allowing homeowners to reduce heat loss by up to 40% when they are properly fitted and installed.

Second, cellular shades can be installed in many different styles, and they can include a combination of horizontal and vertical sliding features. Their light color and numerous fabric options allow them to blend into almost any room well.

Lastly, cellular shades can be customized to fit some of the trickiest window designs, giving you the ability to maintain privacy where it’s needed most. For example, because they can be fixed at multiple points of the window frame, cellular shades can also be installed to help filter light from skylights, which are commonly used to increase natural light in a living space.

4 | Panel Track Shades

When you’re trying to cover a large opening – especially if it’s wide – panel track shades are an ideal option. Custom Panel track shades for Mid-Century Modern Homes are one of the best choices for large windows or glass doors because their panels are available in a wide variety of widths (including custom measurements), and they can open from either direction (left to right, right to left) or split from the middle. These options allow you to precisely fit many kinds of openings without interfering with foot traffic or visibility. 

As an added bonus, panel track shades like those from Color Lux also have fabric-wrapped bottom-rails, which give a sleek, seamless design to the whole window treatment system.

5 | Sheer Shadings

Sheer shadings are an innovative alternative to traditional blinds. Made with dual sheer layers that are connected by light dimming or darkening fabric vanes, sheer shadings mimic the effects of traditional blind designs and give phenomenal flexibility over the amount of light in a room. This design gives you maximum privacy when desired, or full sunlight when the fabric vanes are opened. 

Plus, our sheer shadings are specially designed to block up to 38% more light than similar options. Numerous color choices and customizable features (including sizing) make sheer shadings an ideal choice for mid-century modern window treatments.

6 | Soft Roman Shades

While not a traditional window treatment for mid-century modern homes, soft roman shades can complement a modern look with their horizontal pleats while still adding a touch of comfort and warmth with soft fabrics. With a wide range of styles, colors, and types of operation, soft roman shades can work great throughout a home.

Conclusion

Keep in mind that mid-century modern design is all about creating bright, open spaces that fill with natural light. This natural light often helps support the health of indoor plants, another common theme in mid-century homes. In general, you’ll want to avoid picking fabric-heavy treatments that might be better suited to older, more classical home styles. 

Whichever style you choose, it should provide you with the look and function needed to enjoy a holistic design and enjoyable living space. Not sure where to begin? We offer an expansive collection of customizable window treatments for your whole house, including hundreds of different colors and a range of fabrics and control options, including cordless and corded. Start your search today with Color Lux.