Home Decor, Home Improvement

The Perfect Window Treatments for Any Room

The perfect window treatments for your house depend on the window you’re dressing and your home’s unique style. In order to get the perfect match between window and treatment, here are some helpful tips from interior design professionals at Hometalk. They’ve got the experience, the expertise, and the style to make the elements of your home blend seamlessly together and create a unique and attractive style.

Shades

Shades are a no fuss, no muss way of gaining some privacy and limiting the amount of light that floods your room. These features make shades an excellent option for the bedroom, kitchen, or any window which sits behind a desk, dresser, table, or other low piece of furniture. Shades can be any material and any pattern or design, but because of their compactable nature, they’re great as an understated and functional treatment. Filmy or gauzy shades can be a design saver in the bathroom, where natural light is usually fairly limited, but privacy is a must.

shades
Source: Blind Builders

Blinds

For maximum privacy and maximum light blockage, blinds are your best option. Depending on the style or design, blinds can block out nearly all of the incoming light, making them a great option for rooms that can get a little too much sun, or a bedroom for weekend sleepers who don’t want to wake up with the sunrise.

Cafe Curtains

It’s hard to focus on the practical uses of cafe curtains thanks to the perfect French country appeal, but they also serve a very helpful purpose if used correctly. Cafe curtains come halfway up your window, so that tall windows in the kitchen or even smaller windows around a bathtub or in the bathroom, can let light in through the top half, but still protect your privacy. Cafe curtains are also ideal for a window above your kitchen sink, so that you can grow herbs on your countertop, but keep your neighbors from seeing any dirty dishes.

cafe-curtains
Source: CNB Homes

Full Curtains (reach the sill)

Full curtains begin the transition from function into fashion. Though all window treatments can look attractive and add to your decor, there’s something about curtains that catches the eye and completes the room. Curtains which reach the bottom of the windowsill are perfect for a bedroom, petite dining room, or kitchen. They add just enough chic character to the space, but they’re not troublesome to hang, clean, or care for.

curtains
Source: Caitlin Creer Interiors

Long Curtains/Drapes (reach the floor)

“I love long drapes in a dining room,” says interior designer Jennifer Davenport of Jennifer Decorates. That’s because floor-length curtains are about as elegant as it gets. If you want to make your dining room appear stately, or add some glamour to your bedroom or living room, floor-length curtains will infuse your space with instant high-end style. Be careful not to get material that is too thick for the available light in the room you’re outfitting, because floor-length curtains can block a good portion of the incoming light. Davenport avoided this issue in a recent job she did by hanging the two drapery panels on shorter rods of their own, one on each side of the window, to maximize sunlight but not skimp on the classy look. For another option, hang a window rod which is longer than your window, and frame the glass pane with the curtain, so that it looks as if it extends beyond its actual width.

long-curtains
Source: Brit + Co

Once you’ve chosen your curtains, prepare them before hanging. You’ve surpassed the most common curtain hanging faux pas, which is choosing the wrong style for your window or room, but there are other mistakes to be on guard against.

Make sure that the hardware you buy to accompany your curtain is good quality and will hold up well under use – you don’t want to be climbing on a chair to tug a ring or secure a bar after the project is done. Check your measurements twice before going to the store, so that you don’t come back with material that only covers half of your window (unless that’s the look you’re going for). Also, taking the time to iron and smooth out the curtain before you hang it is well worth the effort – this is the step that people regret skipping most, so learn from their mistakes. Lastly, when hanging long drapes, make sure that the material only slightly pools beneath the window, enough to give it a curvaceous shape, but no more than can easily be moved when you’re cleaning the floor.

Now that you know what you want and how to hang it, leave no window uncovered and no room under decorated. For more window treatment ideas, tips, and how-tos, check out the window treatments page on Hometalk!

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Hometalk Experts are standouts in their industry and provide trusted advice on home improvement and gardening projects. Experts include reputable interior designers, painters, contractors, craftsmen and real estate professionals. Hometalk Experts are an active part of Hometalk's community, answering individual questions and providing inspiration through their own completed projects.