The Best Custom Shutters, Blinds & Shades!
Proudly Serving Serving NYC Metro area and all of SE New York
Plantation shutters over a desk

Minimalist Window Coverings For A Minimalist Design In New York

October 08, 2019

Minimalist design brings a pared down harmony to a space through defined lines, soft colors, and large, open spaces. The goal is to strip your possessiveness to unimportant personal items, furniture, and room elements until you’ve simplified everything to the essentials. When you only surround yourself with useful, uncomplicated items, you create a peaceful environment where you can live simply without distraction.

Of course, light is important in a minimalist design. By bringing in outside light through your windows, you make the room seem larger and get a tranquility that’s difficult -- if not impossible -- to have with a lightbulb. Of course, your window coverings will still want to block sun glare and provide privacy when appropriate. Most minimalists in New York use plantation shutters or sheer cellular shades over fabrics found in curtains or drapes.

Plantation Shutters Look Great In A Minimalist Design

White shutters in a minimalist bedroom in New York.

When you want to install a minimalist treatment, you may appreciate the clean lines and multi-use practicality of plantation shutters. Aesthetically, they hang snugly within the window opening without dusty fabrics or unmanageable cords hanging down. This creates an uncluttered look, where your treatments are using the same level as the walls.

Plantation shutters are also extremely easy to use, which is the other benchmark of a minimalist space. While light is essential for minimalists, unfettered sunlight can bring headaches like glare and privacy concerns. With plantation shutters, just lift the louvers when the sun hurts your eyes until you get the right angle. You can even shut them entirely to block outside light to get the energy-efficiency benefits.

Reclaimed wood shutters near a brick wall.

We have some plantation shutter styles that can enhance your minimalist decor. For instance, you might try shutters made from reclaimed wood. These have the same expert craftsmanship of a normal plantation shutter but they bring in a green element to your windows. If you need a more energy-efficient shutter, may want to use our Polywood® shutter. These faux-wood plantation shutters come in three different shades of white, can be easily dusted, and are one of the most durable window coverings you will find.

Alternative Window Treatments For A Minimalist Lifestyle

While many people use plantation shutters for their unfussy style and practicality, there are some non-shutter window treatments you can try:

Cellular shades in a modern bedroom.
  • Sheer cellular shades: These treatments hang close to the window and are available in different colors and patterns. A few minimalist designs use sheer cellular shades so you can let in a diffused light without experiencing sun glare.

  • Barn door shutters: A barn door slides across an overhead track, blocking the window or opening. As each side is just a large panel, barn door shutters are made for a minimalistic design.

  • Panel tracks: Panel tracks also use an above track and feature long panels that overlap as they cover the window. These treatments are perfect at shielding a sliding glass door or being used as a stylish room divider that can segment off makeshift rooms when needed.

What To Stay Away From In Your Minimalist Design

White shutters in New York dining room.

There’s a lot of different window treatments that can work within minimalist design, but you can find some treatments that just won’t work. Avoid bulky treatments like drapes, as they will disturb the simplicity of the space. Curtains or layered window coverings should also be avoided for the same issues. Oversized treatments will have your decor feel unbalanced, with your focus pointing to the window treatments.

Blinds are also an iffy choice. There are a few examples where a blind could work in the essential lifestyle, but they can only work if they are of exemplary quality. The main problem is that they thump and thud against the window, disrupting your peaceful mood. And any missing slats or cumbersome cords from a discount blind just makes your windows feel messy and disorganized.

Sunburst Can Help You Choose Your Window Treatments For Minimalist Design

When you filter your rooms to the essentials, call on Sunburst to help you find the perfect window coverings for your minimalist design. We will bring samples to your home and show you our lines of Polywood and reclaimed wood plantation shutters, and our lines of sheer cellular shades that are perfect for minimalism. Call us at 631-246-3930 or fill out the form below.