When considering new window treatments in your home, there are 3 key areas that you need to look at: privacy, light control, and style.

1. Privacy can be essential for those of us that live in close proximity to other homes.  You will want your bedrooms and bathrooms completely blocked off from your neighbors and those passing by.  If you live on a busy street, you’ll also want privacy in  your lower level rooms that are on the front of the house.  This can be accomplished by layering roller shades or wood blinds behind your drapery, or by installing drapery panels designed to close.

2. Because fabric fades with light exposure, light control is best achieved with non-fabric window coverings.  Wood or metal blinds can be tilted to block out light, and natural fiber shades, such as bamboo, will create a pretty, filtered light look.  If you are set on blocking light without using blinds or shades, then you can use a blackout lining in your drapery or have your windows tinted to block out UV rays.

3. The most fun part of choosing a window treatment is figuring out the style that you would like to use.   Below are examples of some of the many options out there:

Natural, woven shades with drapery panels create an elegant look.

Roman Shades pop in a fun fabric that coordinates with the monochromatic green palette of the room.

Bright, contrasting ties on a simple shade create a lively look for a child’s bedroom.

Wooden blinds are functional for light control and privacy in a window filled family room.

Photo: House Beautiful

Simple shutters allow light to filter through

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: Veranda

Shutters with their original paint add privacy and patina to a beautiful bathroom

Photo: House Beautiful

Below shutters are installed on a sliding track to function as curtains

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: House Beautiful

French for linen cloth or canvas, Toile entered the English language in the 16th century.  A typical toile consists of a linen or cotton fabric with rustic country scenes and have a neutral background,  usually in a red, black, or blue printed scene.   Green, brown, and magenta were less common.   Toiles are one in their own, they make for a pleasing overall background design from a distance, but once an onlooker gets a closer look, the subtle images tell a story.

Toile doesn’t have to be strictly traditional!  Below a living room uses a toile in a cool blue for a modern twist.

Photo: Decor Pad

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: Traditional Home

Photo: Elle Decor

Photo: Southern Living

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: Traditional Home

Window draperies are excellent in correcting a myriad of decorating shortcomings.  You can make a room seem taller and open or intimate and cozy just by using different styles of window treatments and different fabrics.

• The best way to add height to a room is by hanging the drapery at the ceiling rather than at the top of the window.  This creates a longer line and draws the eye upwards towards the ceiling.

Photo: Traditional Home

• If you are dealing with small windows, don’t waste precious window real estate by covering it up with drapery.  Extend the drapery anywhere from a few inches to almost a foot beyond the window frame.  There will be an illusion of a wider window and you won’t lose an ounce of sunlight.

Photo: House Beautiful

• To create a stylish, luxurious look, you will have to use up to three times the width of the window in fabric.  It can range anywhere from two to three times with two being appropriate for a more casual, non-pleated look and three being necessary for a more formal or pleated drapery.
• For a cozier, more intimate look, use more fabric widths.  The fabric will draw the room and embrace it with pleats and folds.  This is a great look in a large room that needs to be drawn in, but can also work in a smaller room that you just want to look inviting.

Photo: House Beautiful

• Don’t go too short.  The drapery should be floor length with just a bit of extra where it hits the ground.  Think of a too short drapery as a too short pant, it’s just not the finished look that you are going for.  This also adds to the height of the room as it creates a continuous line from floor to ceiling.

Photo: House Beautiful

You can create a glamorous, opulent look or a breezy, casual feel all while making your ceilings seem taller and your windows wider.