These Window Treatments Can Look Great In Almost Any Home

Window treatments don't have to be elaborate to make a huge difference in your home. Simple curtains can add class, warmth and constancy to an oddly sized room. When paired with sheers or lace curtains, they can give you privacy and an old-world comfort. Vertical blinds have a "butler" sort of function; they stand aside unobtrusively when not needed and completely cover what's needed when you put them to work. A set of roman shades, properly installed, can provide privacy when needed and let in plenty of light when not. Even better, roman shades can serve as a pretty valance at the top of the window frame. Unless your home is completely isolated from the rest of the world, you're going to need something to cover the windows. Consider the suggestions below to dress up your windows in style.

1 - Roman Shades

Roman shades hang from the top of the window frame and can be lowered or raised up to allow viewing outside the home. These shades are generally built of a hearty fabric and strings or heavy cotton webbing. The raising mechanism may include wooden slats at each connection point on the fabric to make rolling the shades up a bit easier.

Because they are made of layers of fabric, roman shades can be made to match any decor. They can also be made of any density, so you can enjoy a completely opaque window cover or a gauzy look. These shades can also be built with insulation sandwiched between the layers of fabric and tracked to just inside the window for a nice thermal seal.

2 - Long Drapes

Long drapes are a lovely way to add color to any room. These useful fabric panels also make it easy to pull together an oddly sized room. If your living room has different sized windows, make sure you hang your curtain bar at the same height from the ceiling. If the windows are long and narrow, you can make the room appear bigger by extending the rod far past the window frame. Long drapes are also a useful tool if your windows need updating. Thermal backed drapes can keep out the cold and UV resistant fabric backing can reduce the heat build-up. If you prefer to keep your drapes open during the day, be sure to put up sheers for a bit of privacy.

3 - Vertical Blinds

Vertical blinds are a highly creative decorating tool. You can get a simple white blind and dress it up with a pretty valance, or you can invest in vertical blinds in a heavy vinyl fabric. The nicest thing about vertical blinds is that blocking sunlight and increasing your privacy can be done with a simple twist of the wand. The plain vinyl version of this function window covering can easily be trimmed to just the right height and quickly washed up. If you have a pet that sheds, vertical blinds are not going to collect hair!

4 - Sheers

A simple set of sheers is a good start to your window dressing. If your windows offer some UV protection, consider just using sheers unless you must have privacy. They can be a wonderful window covering in an office or a craft room. Plain, silky white sheers can turn a simple room into an old-fashioned island of calm. Your sheer layer is also a lovely place to add some vintage charm. Lace sheers can be found in a variety of colors and can be quite dramatic against sunlight. Treat yourself to lace sheers in ivory or cream for a quaint and pretty sense in any room.