I run into this a few times a year around Lexington. A homeowner picks a fabric they love, we get to the point of writing the order, and then somebody mentions the neighborhood association. Sometimes it applies. Sometimes it does not. Either way it is worth five minutes to find out before the order goes in, because custom window treatments are built to your windows and cannot be sent back.
Why a neighborhood cares what your windows look like
From inside your house, a window treatment is about light and privacy. From the street, it is part of the face of the building. When a row of houses shares an architectural style, the windows are a big part of what makes the row read as one thing instead of eight separate things.
That is the whole idea behind exterior appearance rules. An association or a review board is trying to keep a street looking consistent over time. Whether you agree with that approach is your own business. But if you live under a recorded covenant, or inside a designated district, those rules came with the address.
The requirement you are most likely to run into
The most common rule I encounter is a uniform exterior facing color.
The idea is straightforward. Whatever faces out has to be consistent across the house, and often across the neighborhood. What you see from inside can be anything you want. What the street sees has to match.
On a lined drapery, that is handled by the lining. On a shade, it is the backing. On blinds and shutters it is simply the color of the product, which is why a lot of homeowners in these neighborhoods end up with white or off white on the front elevation regardless of what they do at the back of the house.
I want to be careful here. I am describing the kind of rule that commonly shows up. I am not describing the rule at your address. Requirements vary by association and by district, and two neighborhoods a mile apart can have completely different language on this.
Why white or off white gets specified so often
There are a few practical reasons boards land on it.
- White reads as neutral from a distance. It does not compete with brick, stone, or siding.
- It does not date. A color that is popular right now can look obviously of its moment in ten years, and a board writing a rule is thinking in decades.
- It evens things out. Rooms behind the glass are lit differently, and a light backing keeps the windows reading the same from outside during daylight hours.
- It is easy to comply with. Nearly every manufacturer offers a white or off white liner as a standard option, so the rule usually costs a homeowner nothing extra and adds no lead time.
An HOA and a historic district are not the same thing
They get talked about together, and they work very differently.
An HOA is a private agreement. The rules live in the recorded covenants and in whatever architectural guidelines the association has adopted. Enforcement comes from the association, and changes usually go through an architectural review committee or a board vote.
A historic district is a government designation. Local review boards apply published design guidelines, and depending on the district those guidelines can carry legal weight. The scope tends to be different too. Historic review is often focused on the window itself, the sash, the glazing, and the exterior trim, rather than on what you hang inside the house. Interior window treatments are frequently outside the scope entirely. Frequently is not always, which is exactly why you check.
Lexington has neighborhoods where this comes up naturally, because the architecture is the point. Chevy Chase and Ashland Park are both places where homeowners think carefully about how a house presents from the street. I am not going to tell you what any specific association or board requires. That is not my call to make, and the answer is specific to your address.
What to check before you order
Here is the list I give homeowners. It usually takes one email and one phone call.
- Find your governing documents. For an HOA that means the covenants plus any architectural guidelines. They are often posted on the association website or available from the property manager.
- Search for the right words. Look for window, treatment, covering, blind, shade, drapery, liner, and exterior appearance. Rules about window coverings are sometimes buried in a general section about exterior alterations.
- Ask the board or the manager directly, in writing. Keep the reply. Something as simple as asking whether there is a required exterior facing color for interior window shades can be answered in one sentence.
- If you are in a historic district, call the local review office. Ask whether interior window treatments are subject to review at all. A lot of the time the answer is no, and then you can stop worrying about it.
- Confirm whether approval is needed in advance. Some associations want a submission before installation rather than a notification after.
- Do all of this before the order is placed. Once custom product is in production, a color change means a new order.
How much this actually limits your choices
Usually less than people fear.
Almost every product line we carry has a white or off white option on the outside face. Lined drapery uses a standard liner. Roller and solar shades are commonly available with a white backing paired with a different face color. Cellular and honeycomb shades often come with a light exterior side built in. White plantation shutters are already the most requested finish we install.
Where it takes a bit more thought is with woven wood shades and other natural weaves, where the material itself is the whole look. Those can usually be ordered with a liner, which solves the exterior color question and adds privacy at the same time. You can see the range of options on our custom shades page.
So in most cases you still get the room you wanted. The compromise happens on a surface you never look at.
Bring what you find to the consultation
When we come out, bring whatever you turned up. If there is a specific color name or a written requirement, hand it to us and we will spec to it. If you are not sure yet, tell us that too, and we can hold the order until you have an answer in hand.
To be clear about our role: we are not affiliated with any homeowners association or review board, we are not endorsed by one, and we cannot approve anything on their behalf. What we can do is build to whatever your association or board tells you, and make sure the question gets asked before the order goes in rather than after the truck arrives.
If you are in Lexington or anywhere else in Central Kentucky, that visit is me. Book a free in home consultation and we will work through it together.