Treatment Ideas for Sliding Glass Doors

Treatment ideas for sliding glass doors seem to demand the skills of veteran interior decorator.  Sliding glass doors don’t offer the ease of traditional windows, where you can hang long or short curtains, and kitchen-style drapes.  You’re faced with the coverage of large, windowed panels that slide to allow access inside and out, and these working parts make it tricky to decorate.

Here’s something to keep in mind when tackling this designer dilemma: keep it simple.  The sliding glass door is complex enough on its own and your window treatment should only serve to blend it into the décor of the surrounding environment.

Sliding Panels

Match your sliding glass doors with its treatment equivalent: sliding panels.  These vertical panels offer full coverage of the large sliding glass windows while also moving with the motion of the door.

You’re probably picturing the multi-paneled treatments popular in condos — the same beige your grandparents had that rattled together when the slightest breeze passed through.  These days, sliding panels have undergone a serious modern makeover.

Instead of opting for the narrow panels that cover the length of the sliding door in a collection of ten or more, try the wider, modernized versions that do the same but in half the amount for a cleaner look.

Vertical Shades

Vertical, sun-blocking shades in a broad treatment that covers the entirety of your sliding glass door can be minimalistic and practical. Pull the vertical window treatment down to block out the sun, to help retain heat, and to encourage a private, cozy setting, and retract them to let in the light.

This style of shade is perfect for the homeowner who wants to have a treatment for the practicality of blocking sunrays, but doesn’t want the frills of traditional drapery to take over this large portion of their room.

Choosing Classic: Curtains and Drapes

For the bold at heart, there are the traditional curtains and drapes window treatments for sliding glass doors.  Splashed with patterns of every ilk (botanical, geometric, solids, stripes, and everything in between), there’s much to choose from.

These treatments run the length of your sliding glass door and move back and forth at will.  If you spend a little more on your curtain treatments, you can be treated to such features like UV-blocking fabrics or greater mobility that lessens any potential obstruction of the sliding door’s function.

Shutters

Shutters have kicked off a new trend in window treatments and there’s no reason why sliding doors should be excluded.  Exterior shutters for window treatments are more expensive, and for the coverage needed for sliding glass doors, this is certainly a pricier option.  However, if you’re going for modern-meets-classic reinvented, you won’t regret this treatment option.

Shutters aren’t impractical, either.  They offer the opportunity to open and close for privacy and to block sunlight. For the indecisive homeowner, shutters present the unique ability to let in a little natural light without exposing the room to all of it.

This in-between is something you can’t get with any other window treatment, where it’s an all-or-nothing option when it comes to letting in the light.  With shutters, you truly get more bang for your buck.  They’re more durable, easier to clean, and last forever.

Textures

Adding a layer of texture to a room can bring an entire new level of eye-catching appeal.  Try woven wood shades for a soft, farmhouse look or woven, textured Roman shades for a twist on a classic.

Opt for white cotton for your treatments to introduce a touch of the South. You’d be surprised what playing with different materials can do for a room—taking it from cold and empty to warm and hygge with the addition of these treatments.

Doubling Up

Take a page out of a hotel’s book and double up on the curtains for an overlapping affect for your sliding glass door.  Not only can this bring in multiple layers of textures, colors, and patterns you can play with, but it will also give you an opportunity to filter the sunlight for a desired effect.

Pull back one layer to let in a filtering of natural light, or for moments that call for darkness like a movie night or to focus on a glowing fire, utilize both layers to shutter out the harsh rays.

With Sliding Door Treatments, Less is More

When around for the perfect window treatment for your sliding glass doors, remember that less is more.  Also keep in mind that you’ll be entering and exiting your sliding doors, so you’ll want to have a treatment that goes with this flow.

Finding the right window treatment for your sliding doors doesn’t have to be as complicated as you initially believe it to be.  When your approach and your solution embodies simplicity, the results can be beautiful and functional.

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