9 Midcentury Window Treatment Ideas For A Timeless Look

Many design trends come and go in a cyclical way, and that's incredibly true for everything midcentury. From midcentury modern furniture design to midcentury modern architecture, the era is having a comeback and is popular among stylish designers today. No detail is too small, especially when taking window treatments into account. While you may not think there was a distinct historical style for this design component, there were actually a number of treatments that were wildly popular "back in the day." In today's reimagined resurgence of the aesthetic, these trends range from textile-based sheets in panel track designs to wooden, organic details in Venetian Blinds.

Midcentury blinds aren't just an aesthetic feature point in a room either, but it also follows a tradition of minimalism and ease of use and maintenance. Remember, the 50s and 60s were the era of home automation and new technology — everything "instant" was all the rage, so it makes sense that smaller features, like window treatments, followed this trend of easy living. Thus, many midcentury window designs are easy to clean or are maintenance free. With a sleek, updated look, and easy use, what's there not to love about these window treatments ideas that'll give character to your room, but not stick you with a dated design!

While Roman shades have a long history that some say stretch as far back as Ancient Rome itself, these fluid window treatments are a quintessential midcentury modern design, popular for its utility as well as its clean aesthetic. It's usually crafted from a textile or other soft material that covers the entire window and can be pulled up using a cord. The fabric will tastefully bunch at the top of the window, when the curtain is fully open. Some modern versions of this treatment can be motorized for a cordless, sleek look for the ultimate ease of use. 

A simple and easy midcentury modern touch to your windows, sheer, opaque curtains in a neutral color or subtle pattern is characteristic of those tropical modern or space age living rooms. The color is key here — sadly jewel tones will not appear all that authentic to midcentury design. Instead, opt for creams, whites, or an orange if you really want something colorful. The point of these earthy tones is to highlight the sun streaming into the room. Back in the day, these opaque window additions were meant to complement other bold design choices in the room, like shag carpet. 

If Roman shades and sheer linens feel a little too safe for your midcentury modern inspired rooms, then go full groovy with bold, yet earthy patterned drapes. Browns, oranges, greens, and even some pinks incorporated into funky geometric or wavy designs screams midcentury. In today's living room, going patterned does run the risk of looking dated, so in order to avoid that, stick to the central color palette, match the rest of your room with those earthy hues, and keep your space uncluttered so that the curtains don't crowd the room either.

Venetian blinds, particularly wooden ones, are another midcentury idea that'll fit into any modern living room without appearing dated. Another window treatment that has roots in history (since before the mid 1700s), midcentury designers embraced the treatment for its versatility — in the 40s to 60s new widths and materials made it fun to play with. Wooden Venetian blinds in particular played into the midcentury modern idea of natural, organic textures and touches. Today, wooden blinds complement other wooden details in a room, while neutral colors work well as part of a foundational palette.

Panel track blinds is a window treatment that layers over one another on a track. It's a unique take on the otherwise more common pull down blinds or traditional vertical blinds with individual composite vanes, but still falls in line with the era's clean, minimalist approach in the 1950s and 60s. These treatments are extremely useful for oversized windows or sliding doors since they can cover a wide breadth of space, and are a bit more chic than vane vertical blinds, a window treatment that was once-popular but now feel dated, rather than vintage.

Coming back to the idea of the midcentury as the era of technology and automation, the cellular shade (aka the honeycomb shade) was a late midcentury innovation, that followed the earlier craze of vertical blind systems, where shades could be operated from the top down, rather than from side to side like traditional curtains. As the midcentury aesthetic made way for the 80s, this transitional style offered energy efficiency, a large swatch of colors, and a light airiness. Today, it still offers all of those things. 

The sleeker alternative to its cellular shade cousin, the roller shade is a budget-friendly, low maintenance midcentury window treatment that gives the appearance of luxe minimalism without breaking the bank. Roller shades are also known for its versatile options, available in a wide array of colors. So no matter your palette, there's likely a roller shade option that will seamlessly fit. For those who love natural light, even with curtains drawn, textile roller shades, in particular, allow for a measure of light to permeate into the room creating a glowing, yet soft atmosphere. 

Though bamboo blinds have historically been a design staple worldwide, lately it seems like they're on the verge of a mega comeback in American homes. During the 50s and 60s, bamboo window treatments were popular as a way to integrate the outdoors, inside; their natural appearance jived with the organic nature of the midcentury sentiment. Today, it's used to bring warmth to rooms while maintaining an airiness that heavier fabric curtains can often compromise. This is something to consider in rooms like the kitchen, where a heavier curtain may feel out of place. 

This earthy fabric made from bark tree fibers leaned into a tropical modernism movement in the 50s and 60s and was a popular design choice in midcentury homes and hotels in locales like Miami. Sometimes, these treatments took the tropical theme very seriously, printing flowered or palm tree patterns straight on them as well. If you're looking for that Elvis-like flare in your room, then a vintage choice with said patterns is a great idea, however, for a contemporary take, you can find barkcloth with modern prints on them to complement your 21st century room.