Everything You Need to
Know about Window Treatments

People get so stressed out about window treatments! With so many options, and some options that you may not even know exist, it can be totally overwhelming and intimidating! So, I wanted to put together a blog that tells you everything you need to know about what the heck to put on your windows! There are all different kinds to fit all different situations. Think of this as your go-to guide! There are four things to consider when you’re adding window treatments to a room that will help you determine what to use.

First, think about the decor of your space and what colors are in your space. Think of your window treatments as accessories for your room! You want them to blend and coordinate with the rest of the decor. Starting from scratch and having trouble getting inspiration? Read about how I get my inspiration HERE!

Next, you’ll want to think about how much privacy you’re going to need in the space. The type of room it is and what’s outside the window makes a difference, right? Are there people around who can see in your windows? Or are you in the middle of the woods, like me, and there’s no one next door, so there’s no need for privacy?

You also want to think about how much light control you’re going to need. Do you need it to be super dark to sleep? If so, you need blackout shades? Or are you an early riser and like to get up with the sun? In that case, you’ll only need regularly lined treatments. With light control, you also want to think about how much light comes into your room and what’s in there. You want to be sure to protect your fabrics, rugs, etc. Depending on the type of fabric that’s on your furniture, it might fade if exposed to bright sunlight over a long period of time. Read more about performance fabrics that will stand up to sunlight and messes HERE! Believe it or not, your woodwork may actually change color if it’s exposed! Think about your hardwood floors. Have you ever had a rug down for a long period of time and then went to move it or replace it? You could tell where the rug was because the floor underneath was a different color, right? That’s because the part of the floor that was exposed to the sunlight has darkened. (Don’t worry, if you’re removing the rug all together, the lighter part of the floor will eventually catch up to the rest). But window treatments to filter or block the sun during certain times of the day will help prevent all of these things.

Lastly, consider your view! Maybe you have a beautiful view that you want to be able to see all of the time outside your living room, but you want to soften the hard edges of your windows and trim. You’ll want to be sure not to cover up any of that view with window treatments.

So those are four things to consider before deciding on window treatments. Decor, privacy, light control and view. Now, let’s talk about the types of window treatments.

So let’s start with drapery panels. Like I always say, hang them high and wide. Don’t let them cover your window, don’t block the sunlight coming in, and hang them to the floor. It makes your room and window feel bigger.

You also want to consider what they’re lined with. Like we chatted about above, think about privacy. Do you need regular lining or blackout lining? They should be lined with something so that they hang nicely.
Maybe you just want a sheer fabric? Do you not need a lot of light control and privacy and just want to soften up the window? Then a sheer might be the way to go. Also, since they’re sheers, they don’t need to be lined.

With drapery panels, you have so many options for the top treatment. All of the options have a different design aesthetic. You can do a pinch pleat which is a traditional look. There are also different kinds of pinch pleats, two finger pinch pleats, three finger pinch pleats, etc. If you’re working with me or any other interior designer, we can show you pictures and examples of exactly what they are and what they look like.

If you’re going for a more modern look, you can use grommets or even a ripple fold. Ripple folds have a nice clean, modern look to them. You could also do an inverted pleat (shown in the picture above), a rod pocket or a back tab. There are tons of different options for the top treatment of your drapery panels. They each give your draperies an entirely different look and make them hang differently as well.

Drapery panels are great for softening up hard edges in your room and there are so many fabric options that you can really make them become a statement in your room. For the room below, privacy wasn’t an issue, but noise control (fabric helps with that), softness, color and interest were. We used dummy panels (panels that don’t close) to hang rod pocket panels on each side of this 12’ window. They added the perfect amount of drama, color and softness to the room.

Next, let’s talk about shades. There are different kinds of shades as well. We’ll start with roman shades. There are all kinds of different options for roman shades, classic roman, soft roman, relaxed roman, etc. You can really show some personality and add some color by using different kinds of fabrics, banding and trim.

If you have a window that doesn’t have much wall space on the sides, they’re great because they won’t take up any wall space at all. You can mount them on the inside of the trim and it gives the window a nice, clean look. In this master bathroom above we used a soft roman to add some fullness and femininity to the room. This particular shade also simply pulls down, so it’s cord free!

Next, there are cellular shades which have great insulating properties. So if you have windows that let in some cold air, or hot air if you live in a warm climate, the insulating properties will help alleviate that a bit. They come in blackout, they come in sheer, there are all different kinds. Some of them are even top-down bottom-up shades like the photo below. That allows privacy on the lower part of the window but if you want light to come in, you can lower the top portion.

There are also pleated shades, roller shades and solar shades. Roller shades are no longer those old white vinyl ones that you used to fight with as a kid! They’ve come a long way and some of them now come in different fabrics and natural woven materials. They have a nice, simple, clean look. They can stand alone or be paired with drapery panels for more interest.

Solar shades are great if you have a beach or a lake house, or a house with tons of sunlight that pours in, you want to have some type of solar shade to protect your fabrics or anything that can be damaged by the sunlight. You can actually see out of the solar shades so you still get a view out of your window, but it does not let the damaging light in.

There’s also wood blinds, metal blinds, vertical blinds and shutters. Remember those vertical blinds from the 80’s? They now come in a much more modern, updated look. They have about 12” wide panels and they look completely different from those old vinyl ones. Shutters and wood blinds are nice for a beachy or relaxed feel.

Trust me, if you have a naked windows you’re missing! You’re missing the opportunity to add some color and personality, but you’re also losing out because you have no insulation from the cold, heat or sunlight. I know it’s overwhelming! But this is what we interior designers are here for; to help you determine the best solution for your space and how you use it. I hope this helps you with any window treatment struggles you may have!

Pin this post to come back to it later!