Best Window Treatments for Sliding Glass Doors

When choosing window treatments for sliding glass doors, the idea is to strike a balance between the sliding function of the door and the decor of the overall room. There are many window treatment options and ideas available today, but not all will work for your taste, the style you’ve already chosen, or the architecture of your home. However, when you know what’s available, you can make informed decisions that will work for your home and the sliding glass door you need to dress. The following are some of the best window treatments for sliding glass doors, regardless of the design or decor you’re working with.

Cloth horizontal blinds:

These are much prettier, easier to clean, and available in more colors than plain white if you’re looking for a way to add panache to your living space with sliding glass doors. While these are not typically thought of for sliding or Arcadia doors, they can work well when a split to the cloth blinds (to make two equal-sized blinds) is observed. Using horizontal blinds made of cloth can actually lift a room up, add a more spacious look overall, and can be purchased in almost any imaginable size for a very fair price.

Draperies on a curtain rod:

This is a popular choice for many people with sliding glass doors, and as such, can seem a little outdated or out of style. For these reasons, it’s important to pick a drapery that works well for the colors and size of the space and a curtain rod that matches the rest of the hardware in the room as well. Draperies that are strictly there to create a look without any functionality are not recommended, as someone will invariably pull them out and try to use them at some point.

Instead, make your draperies a part of your daily routine, picking one that looks beautiful when drawn by hand when the sun sets. Pick a material that will block bright sunrays, but not one that blacks the room out completely. Usually cotton and some types of canvas do a great job; just be sure they’re prewashed so they won’t shrink the first time you set them to wash. NEVER use the tracks of an old set of blinds to try to hang new drapes—old tracks of Venetian blinds should be taken down and replaced with a new, freestanding curtain rod before hanging your drapery.

Venetian blinds:

Again, these have a tendency to look very vanilla and/or outdated. However, if you have them made specifically for your sliding glass door and use them colors other than white or cream, Venetian blinds can be made with fabric inserts to give them an edgier look. An updated look in Venetian blinds adds to ease-of-use for you, and can also be a better look than draperies for those remodeling a new office space or small business where closing the blinds by hand should be easily done in less time.

Of course, there are other options, but nearly all fall within one of the above categories. The basic premise should be to add a simple way to keep the style in and the sun out as you wish. Always remove all the old hardware from a preexisting curtain, blinds, or other window treatment before adding your own. Remember to spice things up with a touch of color and pick a window treatment that has an easy-to-operate system for closing out the sun without turning the room into a cave. Beyond these pieces of advice, have fun and use this additional opportunity to make the room your own with the best window treatments for sliding glass doors!