Window Film's Various Applications

There are many uses for window film. It is often used in commercial applications, such as in large buildings for energy conservation, in places like schools for security, and also in windows looking onto expensively decorated rooms to protect furnishings, rugs, and other items from the harmful UV rays of the sun.

But when it comes to interior design, window film is used primarily for two different purposes: decoration and security. In decoration, designer window films are applied to windows or parts of windows to deliver a stylish look. This can include window films cut into appealing patterns, tinted with color, or precut into the shapes of symbols, objects, or even insects like butterflies and bees.

When it comes to privacy, window films are most often applied in rooms like the bathroom. They can be applied to exterior-facing windows, interior glass doors, and even the glass of shower enclosures. For both privacy and décor, there are many types of window films that can be used.

This article will look at the three most popular: stained glass, appliques, and privacy films.

Stained glass has become an increasingly popular style of window film in the last ten years. New printing and digital processes have made the colors and styles more vibrant. This has helped the film mimic that which it is intended to copy - stained glass - an ancient art by which glass is colored using the addition of metals and other materials during the glassmaking process. The most common application for this type of glass was usually in churches, where religious scenes were depicted. The effect originally was to teach a mostly illiterate audience, but the beautiful way the glass colored the rays of the sun was not lost on anyone and this application remains common even today. It is, however, an exorbitant cost for the average homeowner. This is why stained glass window film has become so popular among designers and do-it-yourselfers.

Appliques are another rising star in the window film industry. Appliques can be very similar to stained glass, except that they most often depict an object or an animal, such as a flower or a butterfly, rather than a simple pattern as is the case with stained glass. The colors are just as vibrant, and because most appliques only apply to a small portion of the window, the effect is most often even more dramatic due to the contrast of the plain glass adjacent to the applique itself.

Privacy film is most often used in the bathroom. It comes in a variety of styles, but many are simply opaque patterns that allow sunlight into a room without revealing what is in the room to anyone who may be looking in from the outside. 

This is not, however, the only use for privacy film. It is also extremely popular today at the entrance to a home. Many front doors have narrow vertical windows alongside. These windows are called sidelights. They are great for letting sunlight into the foyer or entrance of a home, but they can be a bit unsettling as it provides strangers the ability to look inside. This problem is often addressed with designer privacy films. These come in a variety of styles, and through clever use of opaque film mixed with attractive designs, they bring security back to the home without sacrificing the look of the enjoyable sidelights.