Can New Window Coverings Update a Dated Brookfield Room?

Often, yes. Old metal blinds, mismatched coverings and tired builder curtains are big reasons a room looks dated. You can change every one of them with no construction. Lots of Brookfield homes went up between 1960 and 1989. One steady covering style and colors that work with your trim can make those rooms feel current again. Add a little fabric for softness and you're most of the way there.

I wrote this one as a letter. It's a common question in an established town like Brookfield. The headings below still carry the practical answers.

Dear Brookfield homeowner,

Maybe you bought your house for the lot and the trees. Maybe it was the quiet street. The kitchen got updated a few years back. But the family room still feels stuck in another decade, and you can't quite say why. Before you call a contractor, look at the windows. They take up more of a wall than most people notice. They're also often the last thing anyone updates.

Why do so many Brookfield homes date from 1960 to 1989?

Because those were the decades when Brookfield filled in. Waukesha County's housing plan shows it clearly. By the 2000 Census, about half of Brookfield's homes had been built between 1960 and 1989. The median home dated to 1966 (Waukesha County comprehensive plan, housing chapter). And most Brookfield homes are lived in by their owners. Census Bureau figures put the city's owner-occupied rate at about 83 percent.

You can see that era in the city's landmarks. Brookfield Square opened in 1967 with about 60 stores and services. Three of them were anchor stores (Encyclopedia of Milwaukee, City of Brookfield). Office parks and shopping districts grew along Interstate 94 and Bluemound Road. Growth sped up after the 1986 mayor's race. Bluemound became a commercial corridor for the whole region (PBS Wisconsin's Brookfield and Elm Grove episode).

Lots of homes from those years have good bones. Many sit on big lots with solid trim, real wood doors and large picture windows. What ages them is the surface. Paint colors, light fixtures and window coverings change every decade. The good news? Surface is the easiest part to change.

What makes a window look dated?

The same few things show up again and again in rooms that feel older than they are.

• Narrow metal blinds. One-inch aluminum blinds were everywhere for years. Bent slats and yellowed cords make them look old. So does a thin film of dust, even in a clean room.
• A mix of styles from room to room. Picture a vertical blind on the patio door and a pleated shade in the kitchen. Then there's a different blind again in the family room. Each one may have been fine alone. Together they look like the house was finished in pieces.
• Heavy valances and swags. Fabric toppers with fringe or tassels belong to a certain moment in design. Many now cover the top of the glass. That makes the window look shorter.
• Curtains that stop at the sill. Short panels make a window look small. They make the ceiling look low too.
• Sun-faded fabric. Shades and curtains on south and west windows fade unevenly. You may not notice until you hold a new sample next to them.

If two or three of those sound like your room, the windows are probably doing more of the aging than you think.

Which changes need no construction?

All the ones that matter most here. New window coverings mount to the window frame, the wall or the ceiling. Your walls, floors and windows stay just as they are.

That includes:

• Replacing old blinds with new shades, blinds or shutters.
• Swapping heavy valances for a slim top treatment, or none at all.
• Raising a drapery rod toward the ceiling and running panels to the floor. The room feels taller right away.
• Picking one covering style for a whole floor so the house reads as one design.
• Going cordless or motorized. Losing the dangling cords cleans up the look too.

A typical project is two visits: one to measure and one to install. There's no dust and no demolition. You won't wait on other trades either.

Should I replace every covering at once?

Not necessarily. Doing it all at once gives the most consistent look. But plenty of homeowners go in stages.

If you go room by room, plan the whole house first. Pick one main style and one color family. Then install in the order that matters most to you. The first room you finish will already match the rooms you do later. You never end up with a brand-new mismatch.

Here's a good rule. Anything you can see from the front door or the main living space should match or clearly relate. Bedrooms and bathrooms can have their own personality.

How do I work with honey oak trim instead of fighting it?

Lots of 1970s and 1980s homes have honey oak or golden wood trim. The doors and cabinets often match it. Painting all of it is a big job. The right window coverings can make that wood look warm and on purpose instead of dated.

• Don't match the wood exactly. A blind in the same golden tone tends to blend into one big orange block. Go for contrast instead.
• Try soft whites and warm creams. White shutters or warm white shades sit nicely against oak. They freshen the whole wall.
• Use greens, blues and warm grays in fabric. These colors sit across from orange on the color wheel. They calm down golden wood. A sage or slate drapery panel next to oak trim looks current and calm.
• Add texture. Woven wood shades in a darker, cooler tone than the trim can make the oak feel like part of a natural palette.

Bring a trim sample or a photo to your consultation. Better yet, pick colors at home where you can see them next to the real wood.

What can I do with a bay window that still has its old curtains?

Treat each section of the bay as its own window. Bays from this era often came with one curtain rod bent around all three sections. Others got pleated shades that sag over time.

Separate shades for each section are usually the cleanest fix. Each one raises and lowers on its own. You can block sun on one side and keep the view on the other. Roller, cellular and Roman shades all work well in a bay. Want some softness? Add a pair of drapery panels at the outer edges of the bay only. Skip the panels between sections.

If the bay has a window seat, the shades need to clear the cushion when lowered. Measure with the cushion in place.

What should replace an old vertical blind on the patio door?

Pick something that glides to one side and stacks neatly. It shouldn't clatter, either. The sliding patio door is the most common spot where a dated covering hangs on. It's awkward to replace, so people put it off. Plenty of 1970s and 1980s homes still have the original vertical blind. A few vanes are missing, and the chain doesn't turn them evenly anymore.

A few options tend to work well:

• Vertical cellular shades move side to side like a vertical blind. They look like one smooth piece of fabric, though. They're quiet and stack small.
• Panel track shades slide a few wide fabric panels past each other on a track. They have a clean, modern look that suits a big door.
• Drapery on a traverse rod softens the door and the wall around it. It works best when the family room already has drapery at its windows.
• Updated vertical blinds in fabric or newer materials are still an option. They make sense if you like how verticals work and just want a fresher look.

Whatever you choose, check how it opens. Most families use the patio door many times a day. The covering should stack toward the side of the door that slides. That keeps the path clear and saves the fabric from wear.

Shades, shutters or drapery: which refresh fits my room?

Each one updates a room in a different way. Here's how they compare in an established Brookfield home:

Shutters deserve a special note. They mount to the window frame, so they look almost like part of the house. In rooms where you want a finished and lasting look, they can change the feel of a whole wall. You can see the styles on corporate's shutters page.

If drapery sounds right for your formal rooms, take a look at our guide to layering drapery over shades in Brookfield and Elm Grove homes. It compares three layered looks side by side.

What is worth keeping?

Not everything has to go. Before you plan, walk the house and look for things that still work.

• Good wood blinds. Real wood blinds with straight slats and a working tilt can stay. They're great in a den or office.
• Quality hardware. A solid wood or metal drapery rod in a classic finish can often take new panels.
• Shutters. Older shutters that still open and close well may only need cleaning or a small repair.
• Anything you love. If a fabric or a piece means something to you, plan the room around it.

Keeping a few good pieces also helps you pace the project. Spend first where old coverings are failing. Or start where the room matters most.

Which room should I start with?

Start where you spend the most waking hours. For most families that's the family room or the main living room. A short checklist can help:

1. Which room do you see first when you walk in the front door?
2. Which room has the most dated covering, like broken slats or faded fabric?
3. Which room has a light problem, such as glare on the TV or a bedroom that's too bright?
4. Which room faces the street? Front rooms shape how the house looks from outside. They often need better privacy after dark too. Our five-step check of what the street can see at night includes a quick test you can do from the sidewalk.

Pick the room that shows up most in your answers. Finish it fully and live with it for a few weeks. You'll know then whether the rest of the house needs the same style or a lighter touch.

So that's my advice, neighbor. Before you plan a remodel, give the windows a fresh look. It's one of the simplest ways to make an established house feel like yours again.

Warmly, Kevin

Want a second opinion on a tired room? We can bring samples to your door and hold them up against your trim. We'll measure every window too. Visit Budget Blinds of Brookfield to book your free consultation.

Kevin Sill is CFO and co-owner of the family-owned Budget Blinds franchises serving Brookfield and Elm Grove.