Windows are your home's eyes to the outside world. Whether decorating a new room or updating an old one, you can create a look that is best suited for your home and personality. Window treatments, casual or formal, can easily change the feel and appearance of any room with little expense and assembly.

Light/Privacy Control and Insulation

Light and privacy controls are very important elements to consider when choosing your window treatments. Many window treatments can be combined to provide the effect you are looking for. There are four categories of window treatments that provide varying light and privacy control.

Sheer soft window treatments are currently the hot trend. Sheers are used to accent an open, airy feeling found in most of today's newer home designs. They can be layered and combined with other printed and/or plain sheers to create a fresh look. Sheers provide the maximum amount of light to enter when the curtains are drawn, but the least amount of privacy. In order to get the best of both worlds, privacy and maximum sunlight, combine sheers with a hard window treatment such as a roller blind. Sheers come in cotton, silk, lace, and bronze, pewter, and gold metallic.

Semi-sheer soft window treatments diffuse light for a little privacy. It is important to remember that during the day someone will not be able to see in the room, but at night, when the interior lights are on, they will. Semi-sheer window treatments include heavy and layered sheer fabrics with designs and lace.

Semi-Opaque window treatments provide partial blockage of light when the curtains are closed. At night you can only see shadows on the inside from the outside. Semi-Opaque products are the most widely available and include most drapery fabric and a few hard window treatments.

For the person that needs privacy and to keep the morning sun out, opaque is the window treatment to select. Opaque treatments include most hard window treatments and lined curtains.

Insulation

If drafty windows are a problem, roman and cellular shades are available with insulating liners to keep cold and heat out, potentially reducing your utility bills. A new item available is window wallpaper. The wallpaper clings directly to your glass window. The covering has a translucent finish that provides privacy and provides summer and winter insulation to also help reduce your utility bill.

Soft Window Treatments

Many different styles of curtains and drapes are available in a variety of fabrics. This year, casual is the buzzword, duck cloth, lace, and natural fabrics like cotton, silk, and linen are hot like never before.

Tab tops are very popular with an emphasis on decorative hardware. Tab top curtains are available in valances, café style, and drapes and can be used in every room of the house.

Tiers come in several different styles of curtains. They are short in length and are often used in kitchens and baths. Tiers cover the lower half of the window using a tension rod and can be beautifully combined with a swag or valance.

Full-length rod-pocket or pole-top panels are a mainstay in soft treatments and can be constructed with different sized pockets to accommodate varying rod styles. They can hang straight or be tied back using fabric ties or decorative hardware, depending upon the look and function you want.

Jabots are one of the most stylish window treatments. Jabots are basically triangle-shaped, pleated curtains that come in pairs. Each one should be as wide as the window from molding to molding. You will need this extra width to for the pleats in the new window treatment.

Toppers

Cornices & Valances

Cornices and valances are used as toppers when layering window treatments or as stand alone dressings. Valances can be purchased to coordinate with or match your drapes. A valance looks charming when combined with decorative finials or pole ends.

Cornices are a great way to turn an ordinary room into a formal experience. They are usually made of wood or fabric and can be combined with curtains or drapes for stunning look. A wooden cornice can be an expensive investment, but keep in mind that they can be painted to match your ever-changing room. Cornices can be very heavy and may be a safety hazard if not hung appropriately.

Swags and Scarves

Swags and scarves add a striking accent to curtains. Layering a printed swag or scarf over coordinating solid curtains will bring all of the colors of your room together to create a romantic focal point. If privacy is not an issue, swags and scarves can be hung alone on a rod or through a sconce for a distinctive look.

Hardware

Decorative hardware can breathe new life into old curtains or drapes. Hardware selection comes in many assorted styles, colors, and finishes to coordinate with your theme. There is specific hardware for the type of window treatment you choose. There are many different effects that can be created from layering treatments. When combining window treatments purchase the correct hardware for the two to work together. For example, combining vertical blinds and draperies will require drapery brackets that project far enough over the blind so both are operational.

Here are a few basic hardware items you will have to choose from:

Rods

Pole Ends/Finials (leaves, twigs, spears, fruit, etc.)

Holdbacks/Tiebacks

Sconces

Rings

Hooks

Brackets

Hot New Curtain Ring with Clip

One of the most innovative and exciting items this year for curtains is the curtain ring with clip. Curtain clips come in pewter, brass, gold, black and white and can be used to hang all types of fabrics and paper. For example, you want to extend the theme of your wallpaper to the window. You can create a topper out of unused wallpaper by cutting the appropriate size to cover the top of the window, use curtain clip rings to hang. You now have an inexpensive and creative way to coordinate any room.

Hard Window Treatment

A home with a great view is a big selling point for homeowners. If you have a great view or want the maximum amount of natural light possible, hard window treatments allow the most flexibility.

Horizontal blinds are available in varying slat widths to fit most windows. The latest trend in blind width is the 2" blind that gives the appearance of plantation shutters but are easy to operate. They can be constructed of wood, aluminum, vinyl, or other synthetic materials made to look like stained or painted wood.

Vertical blinds are a good choice for sliding glass doors. Vertical blinds offer the ability to reveal all the glass with the stack back completely off the window. The vanes can also be rotated to control light and maintain privacy. Vertical blinds are available in aluminum, vinyl, or fabric to coordinate with your room.

Shutters provide a crisp, architectural appearance that can enhance the room's moldings while providing excellent light control. The 2" louver, also referred to as "plantation" shutters, is the most trendy.

Pleated, roller, or cellular shades are simple to raise and lower. Shades look elegant when down and practically disappear when raised. They can easily be combined with soft window treatments for a classy appearance.

All of the hardware for hard window treatments is included in the package along with specific hanging instructions.

Before Purchasing

Before purchasing window treatments, measure each window with a steel measuring tape. Do not assume that all of the windows are the same size. Remember: covering more of the window space is better than not covering enough. There are a lot of choices involved in selecting the window treatments best suited for your room. The main thing to keep in mind is what you ultimately want from new window treatments.

Decorating On A Budget

Here are a few cost-cutting points to remember when you shop for window treatments:

When designing an entire room, try planning the decorating scheme with stock window treatments in mind. First, consider what stock treatments are available and then plan the wall paint, floor coverings, and fabric patterns to coordinate.

Consider going minimal–then add some zest. For example, use blinds and stencil a decorative border around the window or add a stock fabric topper. If privacy is not an issue, let a stock topper go solo.

If decorative rods or brackets don't fit your budget, use inexpensive coat hooks mounted on the window casing to support the treatment.