7 ways to a prettier window area, according to designers

Many of us have been cooped up at home for some time now, with our screens and windows as our only connection to the outside world.

According to renowned window display designers Chito Vijandre and Ricky Toledo, windows can also be a way of "escaping reality" and, by putting the right elements together, one can be "transported to another world."

The creative minds behind lifestyle and furnishing stores Firma and AC+632, Ricky and Chito just released a new book called "The Art of Window, Display, and Design" with over 500 images and essays that give us an overview of how their creations celebrate their love for art, history and travel.

The book is also filled with tips for lighting design, illustration, and installation for materials ranging from paper, wood, fabric, and even computer printouts.

So inspired by their new book, we asked the creative duo to give some tips on how to make window areas at home even prettier and, perhaps, achieve their own dream home aesthetic in the process.

1. Hang up some curtains

"Curtains frame the window the way a picture frame enhances a photograph," the designers said.

"It’s like a proscenium for a stage set, setting the tone for the main event," they added.

Aside from choosing the right fabric and color, perhaps the decorator would also like to start looking into embellishments like finials in the curtain rods, curtain stays with passementerie, and tassels to "add drama."

2. Consider your plants

A lot of people became a plantita/plantito during quarantine, and that's a good thing for several reasons.

For Vijandre and Toledo, plants in pots on the floor "can also frame the windows the way curtains do."

Plant babies can be aesthetically pleasing for people who wake up to a view of urban landscape everyday, or those who simply want to add something that changes the energy (and oxygen levels) of a room.

3. Antique leather books

"Antique leather books with a small sculpture or other object as bookend, or you can stack the books in different piles, using them as stands for objects," Toledo and Vijandre said.

The sun-lit space near your window is also not a bad place to build your own personal reading nook.

"With a chair or stool underneath, it turns into a nook for inspirational reading with the sky or garden outside as backdrop," the designers added.

4. Small paintings on easels

Whether it's a priceless piece of genius or a silly doodle drawn by your kids, art deserves a good spot in your home.

One way to achieve this is by putting it on display near your windows. This instantly gives you something else to look at during the day, and you don't even have to punch holes in the walls for people to see it.

5. Objets d'art

Have you ever fallen in love with the sight of sunlight shining through a stained glass window, or the light hitting a piece of crystal just right?

You can create that feeling everyday by placing a glass dome, figurines and other beautiful objects near your window.

6. Pots

To complement your new plant addiction, decorating your home with  pottery and porcelain can also be your new hobby.

You can find beautiful and affordable pieces anywhere. Maybe you have some just lying around old cabinets at home. Some pottery looks plain and simple alone but, when placing different sizes and shapes together can look super chic.

7. Candles

"Votive candle holders in different translucent materials are decorative by day and mood-enhancing at night when you can also look out and gaze at the stars," Vijandre and Toledo said.

— LA, GMA News

“The Art of Window, Display, and Design” (P550) will be available in major bookstores and select art galleries in late March. To reserve a copy, you may contact vibal through marketing@vibalgroup.com.