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| Shop armed with the knowledge of the window's function, your budget and your general style. |
A
bare window makes a room look unfinished, but even no window treatment at all
is less jarring than the wrong window treatment. Window coverings are like the
hairstyle on a well-dressed woman -- get it wrong and everything you did right
looks somehow less impressive. But with so many styles, shapes and colors to
choose from selecting the perfect window treatment can be an overwhelming job.
Are blinds, drapes, café curtains or cornices the best choice for your room? If
you're not sure, read the following tips to increase your décor savvy.
Function First
Does the window you're covering provide the best natural light or view for the room? If so, choose a treatment style that's easy to open and close. Blocking out the light with fussy, fancy drapes you can't adjust easily will decrease your enjoyment of the space, and that's definitely not stylish. Plantation shutters, modern horizontal blinds or decorative shades may be the best answer. If the room requires a more formal look, consider dressing up a simple window treatment with a cornice or valance. Sunny bedrooms might benefit from black-out curtains and drafty rooms might benefit from heavy drapes. Think about what type of window treatment will make your room more comfortable and livable before worrying about décor.
Room to Room
The idea that all the window treatments in your public rooms should match is an old-fashioned one. In an open-concept house window treatments should coordinate from space to space just as the general décor coordinates, but it's perfectly fine -- and actually better -- to have formal drapes in the living room, café curtains in the kitchen and sheer panels in the dining room. If you've chosen colors, building materials and fabrics that coordinate in your open spaces then your window treatments will naturally follow suit.
The idea that all the window treatments in your public rooms should match is an old-fashioned one. In an open-concept house window treatments should coordinate from space to space just as the general décor coordinates, but it's perfectly fine -- and actually better -- to have formal drapes in the living room, café curtains in the kitchen and sheer panels in the dining room. If you've chosen colors, building materials and fabrics that coordinate in your open spaces then your window treatments will naturally follow suit.
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| Consider what type of window treatment will make your room more comfortable. |
Budget
Once you've decided on the function and type of window treatment it's time to think about the budget. If your budget is a generous one, you may want to speak with a seamstress or retailer about creating custom fittings for each room. Look in the Yellow Pages or call your favorite furniture retailer if you don't know where to start. If you don't have several hundreds of dollars to spend, then head to the home improvement center, discount store and specialty store to shop around.
Décor and More
Don't let the myriad choices of fabric, color and pattern confuse you. When you shop armed with the knowledge of the window's function, your budget and your general style, you can easily eliminate most of the wrong choices as soon as you walk into a display of window treatments. If the style of your room is traditional, skip the sparkle fabric or tribal print. If you have a specific décor theme, such as Mediterranean, then stay within the color palette of that theme. Have confidence in your style and you'll find the window treatment that enhances your room while providing the function you need.
Once you've decided on the function and type of window treatment it's time to think about the budget. If your budget is a generous one, you may want to speak with a seamstress or retailer about creating custom fittings for each room. Look in the Yellow Pages or call your favorite furniture retailer if you don't know where to start. If you don't have several hundreds of dollars to spend, then head to the home improvement center, discount store and specialty store to shop around.
Décor and More
Don't let the myriad choices of fabric, color and pattern confuse you. When you shop armed with the knowledge of the window's function, your budget and your general style, you can easily eliminate most of the wrong choices as soon as you walk into a display of window treatments. If the style of your room is traditional, skip the sparkle fabric or tribal print. If you have a specific décor theme, such as Mediterranean, then stay within the color palette of that theme. Have confidence in your style and you'll find the window treatment that enhances your room while providing the function you need.
For more interior design tips please visit, homechanneltv.com.