An Introduction to Choosing Window Treatments

Windows allow us to look out onto the world while bringing life and light into our homes. Using the correct window treatments can maximize the beauty of your windows; chosen well, the right curtains, blinds and window hardware lends style and atmosphere to any room.

Compare how luscious velvet drapes reflect the grandness of a manor house while a beach bungalow benefits from light, airy sheers that billow with the breeze. Bright yellow curtains cheer up a kitchen while simple black valances keep small bathrooms neutral; lace can be flirtatious while corduroy lends an earthy feeling. Curtain rods are easily hidden while curtain poles capped with end finials are decoration in themselves. Here we cover everything you need to know on picking the perfect window treatments; remember, the options are unlimited.

Choosing the best window treatments for your home requires a little more work than simply picking the color of a curtain. Understanding window décor depends on a number of considerations:

• You must embrace any limitations caused by the shape and style of your windows. For example, a single square window placed in the center of a wall should be approached differently than a set of French doors or a pair of mismatched windows; bay windows, on the other hand, present a different challenge as their angles cancel out many pieces of standard window hardware.

• You must prioritize your needs. Maybe you live on a busy street and privacy is a main concern. Southern exposure windows may require an additional measure of light control. Perhaps you need to insulate a set of drafty windows or doors. Window treatments can be customized to fit any dimensions as well as provide special features such as remote control operation, solar heating panels and cordless control.

Choosing your window treatments also means understanding and accepting the four facets of window treatment design:

• Fabric is a major decision. Not only will your fabric convey a certain attitude (i.e. velvet is much more formal than cotton) but it must be of the right weight to balance with your window.

• How you attach the window treatments to the window is also important; rods, poles and rings are all unique elements of design.

• Choosing the right heading to complement your treatment can add style and flair or cause a fashion disaster.

• Finishing off your window treatments with embellishments requires a bit of design awareness; for example, you never want to make a modern window treatment appear too fussy with excess additions.