12 Ways To Screen Glass Doors
Learn how to use drapes, shutters, shades and more to decorate and cover glass doors
Jess McBride
2 July 2017
Houzz Contributor. Custom decorating professional and content creator for the home design industry with a lifelong passion for color, pattern, and texture of every "stripe"
Houzz Contributor. Custom decorating professional and content creator for the home... More
Glass doors offer a cost-effective way to gain natural light without the expense of reframing walls to create new window openings. The question of ways to cover glass doors and how to best decorate them, however, can be challenging to answer. Here are 12 ways to treat those windowed beauties in style.
1. Curtains
The first option many homeowners consider is using curtains to cover glass doors for privacy. When dressing big glass doors, mount the drapery above and beyond the door frame. The effect is a thick fabric border that can be drawn closed at the centre or, as in this case, drawn in one direction to cover both the door and adjacent window with two separate panels. To avoid inhibiting the function of the doors, you’ll want to stack those draperies completely on the wall.
Design tip: A good formula for calculating this “stackback,” as it is known in the trade, is to use one-third of your window’s width from frame to frame. If you are using two panels, simply divide this number in half to determine how far beyond the window to mount each one.
Learn how to choose the right curtains
The first option many homeowners consider is using curtains to cover glass doors for privacy. When dressing big glass doors, mount the drapery above and beyond the door frame. The effect is a thick fabric border that can be drawn closed at the centre or, as in this case, drawn in one direction to cover both the door and adjacent window with two separate panels. To avoid inhibiting the function of the doors, you’ll want to stack those draperies completely on the wall.
Design tip: A good formula for calculating this “stackback,” as it is known in the trade, is to use one-third of your window’s width from frame to frame. If you are using two panels, simply divide this number in half to determine how far beyond the window to mount each one.
Learn how to choose the right curtains
2. Shutters
For a clean, tailored look that will blend in rather than shout for attention, you can’t go wrong with a door with shutters.
Design tip: Make shutters blend into the room by painting them the same colour as the walls.
For a clean, tailored look that will blend in rather than shout for attention, you can’t go wrong with a door with shutters.
Design tip: Make shutters blend into the room by painting them the same colour as the walls.
3. Sliding solar screens
Perhaps no other design option complements a clean, modern sensibility like solar screen panels to cover sliding doors. Particularly effective at blocking both glare and damaging UV rays, these vertical blinds can be paired with a clear window film to boost protective power even further. They’re an intuitive and incredibly elegant layer for sliding doors, as they mimic the style and function of the door itself.
Perhaps no other design option complements a clean, modern sensibility like solar screen panels to cover sliding doors. Particularly effective at blocking both glare and damaging UV rays, these vertical blinds can be paired with a clear window film to boost protective power even further. They’re an intuitive and incredibly elegant layer for sliding doors, as they mimic the style and function of the door itself.
4. Roman shades (above the frame)
If plenty of wall space exists between the top of the door frame and the ceiling, fill it with a single wide Roman shade treatment or Roman blinds that will fold up tightly when not in use but will cover the entire door expanse in one swift motion at nightfall. If you opt for an outside-mounted style like this, keep the design coherent across the room by mounting all the shades at the same level.
Design tip: Taking the fabric at least 2 inches beyond the frame creates a nice visual symmetry and doubly minimises unwanted light leakage from the sides of the window.
Browse through pictures of Roman shades
If plenty of wall space exists between the top of the door frame and the ceiling, fill it with a single wide Roman shade treatment or Roman blinds that will fold up tightly when not in use but will cover the entire door expanse in one swift motion at nightfall. If you opt for an outside-mounted style like this, keep the design coherent across the room by mounting all the shades at the same level.
Design tip: Taking the fabric at least 2 inches beyond the frame creates a nice visual symmetry and doubly minimises unwanted light leakage from the sides of the window.
Browse through pictures of Roman shades
5. Roman shades (within the frame)
One of the most common (and functional) ways to use shades to cover door windows is to mount a single shade on each. Whether you go for top-down, bottom-up or for classic Romans, each window blind will have its own controls so you can raise and lower them individually.
Design tip: To avoid the inevitable slapping of weighty treatments against the glass when opening and closing the door, use special hold-down brackets, which will keep the treatments in place.
One of the most common (and functional) ways to use shades to cover door windows is to mount a single shade on each. Whether you go for top-down, bottom-up or for classic Romans, each window blind will have its own controls so you can raise and lower them individually.
Design tip: To avoid the inevitable slapping of weighty treatments against the glass when opening and closing the door, use special hold-down brackets, which will keep the treatments in place.
6. Sheer shades
These sheers stack so tightly into the black window frame, they almost disappear. A tropical view in the background demands a window treatment that will do its job controlling glare but that will not obscure the view of swaying palms. While sheers may not be the best selection when privacy is needed, they are great at blocking light while preserving the view.
These sheers stack so tightly into the black window frame, they almost disappear. A tropical view in the background demands a window treatment that will do its job controlling glare but that will not obscure the view of swaying palms. While sheers may not be the best selection when privacy is needed, they are great at blocking light while preserving the view.
7. Vertical cellular shades
Another contemporary sliding track option that is equally effective at boosting energy efficiency and being classy, vertical cellular shades provide much the same function and benefits as solar screen panels but with a slightly different look and a bit more texture. Many companies offer up to six layers of insulating cells that block 75 percent of UV rays, rescuing furniture and artwork from premature fading.
Another contemporary sliding track option that is equally effective at boosting energy efficiency and being classy, vertical cellular shades provide much the same function and benefits as solar screen panels but with a slightly different look and a bit more texture. Many companies offer up to six layers of insulating cells that block 75 percent of UV rays, rescuing furniture and artwork from premature fading.
8. Exterior shades
We rarely think of mounting our window treatments on the exterior of the home, but under a deep, covered patio like this one, why not? Naturally, this won’t work in every climate, as salt spray, frost and humidity can wreak all kinds of havoc on certain materials, but it’s certainly an out-of-the box option for patio dwellers seeking privacy from those indoors.
We rarely think of mounting our window treatments on the exterior of the home, but under a deep, covered patio like this one, why not? Naturally, this won’t work in every climate, as salt spray, frost and humidity can wreak all kinds of havoc on certain materials, but it’s certainly an out-of-the box option for patio dwellers seeking privacy from those indoors.
9. Stationary panels
The need for privacy and light control is often dependent on the features of a home’s architecture. In this Tuscan-inspired dining room, a private courtyard obviates the need for a truly functional treatment, so stationary panels hung by intricate medallions provide a subtle design element where truly nothing more is needed.
Want to know about sound-absorbing panels for homes?
The need for privacy and light control is often dependent on the features of a home’s architecture. In this Tuscan-inspired dining room, a private courtyard obviates the need for a truly functional treatment, so stationary panels hung by intricate medallions provide a subtle design element where truly nothing more is needed.
Want to know about sound-absorbing panels for homes?
10. Frosted glass
The frosted glass gives a dapper edge to these sliding office doors, complementing the wood tones and tailored look in a way that draperies or bulkier fabric treatments might have compromised. Suitable not only for interiors, frosted glass for doors (or opaque window films that give a similar effect) also work well on the exteriors of more modern-style homes.
Take a look at more frosted glass door designs
The frosted glass gives a dapper edge to these sliding office doors, complementing the wood tones and tailored look in a way that draperies or bulkier fabric treatments might have compromised. Suitable not only for interiors, frosted glass for doors (or opaque window films that give a similar effect) also work well on the exteriors of more modern-style homes.
Take a look at more frosted glass door designs
11. Shades for Dutch doors
Amid all this talk of French doors and sliders, let’s not forget about charming Dutch doors. Matching shades at the top of the door and the two sidelight windows, as pictured, are the ideal solution here, as each shade can operate independently. You’ll save a bit of money this way too, as the door shade will be half the typical size and therefore require half the fabric.
Browse through more door designs
Amid all this talk of French doors and sliders, let’s not forget about charming Dutch doors. Matching shades at the top of the door and the two sidelight windows, as pictured, are the ideal solution here, as each shade can operate independently. You’ll save a bit of money this way too, as the door shade will be half the typical size and therefore require half the fabric.
Browse through more door designs
12. Decorative screens
This extraordinarily innovative screen system is the epitome of an artfully dressed window. An intricate design was cut by a water jet into aluminium to create an operable window covering that also provides additional hurricane protection according to its creator, Aamodt/Plumb Architects.
Take a look at beautiful jali designs from Indian homes
Read more:
6 Window Treatments That Will Change Your Perspective
Tell us:
How have you covered your glass doors at home? Share pictures and give us your ideas in the Comments below.
This extraordinarily innovative screen system is the epitome of an artfully dressed window. An intricate design was cut by a water jet into aluminium to create an operable window covering that also provides additional hurricane protection according to its creator, Aamodt/Plumb Architects.
Take a look at beautiful jali designs from Indian homes
Read more:
6 Window Treatments That Will Change Your Perspective
Tell us:
How have you covered your glass doors at home? Share pictures and give us your ideas in the Comments below.
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