3 Factors That Help you Choose the Right Window Treatments

There are many reasons your windows might be ready for an upgrade. Have they been neglected for a while? Ready to make some seasonal changes? Did your recently redecorate? Whatever the reason, understanding these three factors will help you choose the right window treatments for any room.

Window treatments are a fashionable addition to any room. Aesthetics is usually the first thing that comes to mind when people envision their new curtains or drapes. But that should be one of the last elements to consider.

You begin picking colors and styles consider these three primary elements:

1. Function
2. Location
3. Privacy

We’ll give you some ideas to help select window treatments based on these three conditions.

Windows Treatments Based on Function

Each room of your home serves a different function — entertaining, sleeping, showering or movement through the home.

Rooms that involve entertaining like your family room or playroom require window treatments that let in a lot of natural light. This makes the room more inviting, comfortable and naturally makes it safer to move around. These rooms benefit from sheer or semi-sheer window treatments that let in more light.

Some rooms convert, such as a game room or a living room to a media room or home theatre. If that is the case you might want to consider layered window treatments. Combine thick floor to ceiling draperies with roman shades so you can adjust the amount of light in the room. No one wants a sun glare on the big screen TV.

For your entryway, you don’t want curtains that darken the entrance. This can make your home uninviting. Long heavy drapes can hang on the floor getting stepped on getting dirty. In this space, opt for clean window treatments that are equal to the size of the windows, and lighter colors. Sheer, or semi-sheer keep the entrance bright.

For rooms that involve a bit more privacy, we’ll go into those later!

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Window Treatments Based on Location

Whether your home is one sprawling oasis or built on multiple levels, you can evaluate your window treatment needs based on the where your rooms will be located in the layout.

Rooms that face a neighbor, adjacent street or entry will require more privacy. Rooms on the 2nd level of the home may not require as much privacy but you still want the option to close your curtains when the time calls. Combine window treatments to control light, and privacy as much as you need to.

Depending on what side of the home your room is on will determine how much direct sunlight it will get. If rooms get too much sunlight they can be hot and uncomfortable, especially if this is your bedroom or kitchen. You can install some simple, and adjustable, wood blinds. These will minimize the direct sunlight but still allow some of it to filter in.

Indoor or outdoor shutters are also a great window treatment to control the incoming light and maintain privacy as needed.

Window Treatments Based on Privacy

Speaking of privacy, there are several rooms that require attention.

For bathrooms, you don’t need window treatments that keep out the light so cellular shades are a great option for the bathroom. They are adjustable to the window so you can adjust the amount of light and privacy you need. You can also combine them with other window treatments to add color or style to the room.

For bedrooms, privacy could assist you with putting down a sleepy baby during the day, or make for a quiet relaxing bedtime at night. Blackout shades are great for nurseries when a dark room is best for a sleep infant or toddler during daylight hours.

If you are looking for something a bit more modern, why not try some modern shutters. They can block out light, but don’t add all the frills of traditional curtains.

For teen and adult bedrooms curtains, drapes, or shades are perfect because they can be adjusted to the amount of light and privacy you want.

Decorating with Your Window Treatments

Once you determine the type of window treatments that are appropriate for your home, you can begin to focus on the fun part of window decorating — the styles, colors and overall décor. This is a very easy decorate-it-yourself project that can be done in a short period of time.

As you decorate, remember your window treatments don’t have to match throughout your house. Decorate your windows as a component of the overall room design, like this child’s room, not the overall home design. Your window treatments can be as simple, fluffy, or flashy as you want them to be. Just make sure they complement the overall design scheme of the room including your furniture colors, wood floor color, and wall colors — dark wood floors, dark curtains and dark walls can make for a gloomy room.

Neutral color window treatments will be more versatile depending on how frequently you redecorate your room. But if you prefer everything to match, like this nursery, you may be able to order custom upholstery for your chairs, curtains and other linens.

Lastly, keep in mind window treatments like curtains, drapes and sheers are easy to replace so don’t fret too much. Shutters, blinds, shades require a bit more hardware so make sure you like what you are installing before you turn on the screwdriver.

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What is important to you as you consider new window treatments for your home?