How to Dress French Doors
French doors are classic and elegant architectural elements that connect the inside to the outside of the home.
The history of the French door dates back as far as the 17th century when France was at war with Italy. A French door, also known as a French window, is a light door that has glass panes that extend for most of its length and usually come in a pair. The original French doors were constructed of individual, single-paned pieces of glass and wood—basically a window. But over time, the door has become widely popular throughout its existence because of its multi-functional uses and beauty. A French door is a popular choice for many home owners and office buildings because they bring light into a room and also function as a door.
Treating French doors can be a bit tricky. It is not at all the same as dressing a regular window. It is a window, but you also must be able to get in and out of the door that swings open and closed. Functionality is key here. So, your window treatment must either be directly on the door or above and beside the door.
Around the door is relatively simple. A rod is hung slightly above the door frame and goes all the way across the doors and beyond so that when the draperies are stacked, they clear the door(s). The important thing here is to add enough length to the rod so that when the draperies are open, the fabric also clears the door. Remember also to add width to the draperies for this added rod length! Custom window treatments take a lot of math work!
A more common treatment today is to put blinds or shades directly on the door frame to cover the glass area and give you privacy. Some options to consider are wood blinds, honeycomb shades, roller shades, or roman shades. Virtually any type of blind or shade can be ordered with hold down brackets so that the product does not sway and bang when the door is opened and closed. If you do not plan on using the particular door frequently, you may not want to have hold downs installed though as they can be a bit cumbersome to use.
One concern that a professional will look at, is if there is enough room to operate the door handle or lever without the blind impinging. Options are available if that is an issue that we can discuss with you.
Custom shutters with cut outs to go around the door handle are the ultimate in French door treatments! They’re like furniture for your doors! Call us at Well Dressed Windows for dressing your beautiful French doors: (440) 498-9119. Also, visit us online for inspiration at http://dressedwindows.com/. Once in “Our Gallery”, type in “French” in the search box. It will bring you to a second screen and ask if you want to narrow your search. Type in “Doors” in that box.