What do you do with all those windows? Whether you’ve just moved into a new apartment, bought your first house, or have downsized from a house to condo. Choosing the perfect window treatment is easy if you follow a few simple steps.
Step One—Purpose and Privacy
Before you consider style, type, or color, you must determine what you want your window treatment to accomplish. For instance, will you want to open and close the window treatment? Will you want to control the light in the room? This is particularly important in bedrooms, but is also important in rooms that get midday sun. Too much sunlight can fade expensive upholstery and carpets and damage expensive artwork.
Privacy is a particular consideration for bathrooms and bedrooms, and also can come into play if it is easy to see into your living room from the street.
Step Two—Types of Treatments
Window treatments come in four basic styles: (1) blinds, (2) shades, (3) curtains and drapes, and (4) valances. Both blinds and shades come in a variety of materials such as fabric, wood, paper, or metal. Valances or variations of valances, such as cornices, swags, and scarves give the room an open appeal. For a more formal approach, consider curtains or drapes.
Step Three—Design, Color, and Safety
Once the purpose and type of window treatment is determined the fun begins. Now is the time to implement your individual style using color, texture, contrast, and combinations of the four basic window treatment types.
It is helpful to draw a scale model of your windows and try out different combinations and colors before committing to a choice.
Finally when choosing window treatments, remember that hanging cords and chains are a safety risk to children. No matter how vigilant parents are, a tragic accident can happen in seconds.