Three Tips to Choose the Best Window Treatments

Window treatments are the unsung heroes of home decor. They can take a room from looking like a doctor's office waiting room or your first college dorm room to an inspirational photo straight out of a design magazine. Choosing the best window treatment for your space isn’t as easy as picking a pretty fabric. Read on for three tips for windows that will Wow!

Tips for Selecting the Right Window Treatments

Tip 1: Balance Privacy and Natural Light

While most of us love that golden morning light streaming into our kitchen. The potential risk when it comes to window treatments is your neighbors seeing you stumbling around in your jammies, or less. It’s the classic privacy vs. natural light dilemma. Sheer curtains and light-filtering shades can create a dreamy glow, but they won’t do much to shield you from nosy neighbors or that rando joggers. Blackout curtains and heavier drapes provide excellent privacy but can make a room feel like a cave.

Layering offers a balanced solution. A combination of sheer curtains and blackout panels gives you the flexibility to adjust based on the time of day, your mood, or whether you feel like being seen by the outside world.

Tip 2: Make the Most of the Stylish Opportunity

Window treatments are like the eyebrows of a room. Get them right, and everything looks polished and well-framed. Get them wrong, and people may look at your windows, wondering why something about them feels…off.

Before you go too wild with patterns, or pick curtains the exact shade of your throw pillows because matchy-matchy feels safe, pause to think about the overall style of your room. Before you buy, especially since window treatments are typically quite expensive—look for examples to get a better sense of the fit with your space. Here are some common styles with solid options to complement then:

• Traditional, elegant: Floor-length drapes with pleats or valances

• Minimalist and modern: Sleek roller shades or simple panel curtains

• Farmhouse chic: Natural linen curtains with a casual drape

And if you’re unsure of the style for your room, or if you want maximum flexibility, neutral, textured curtains can be a great choice.

Moral of the story: Don’t let your curtains be the thing that makes your guests say, “Well… that’s interesting.”

Tip 3: Don’t Forget: Form Follows Function

We’ve all fallen for something that looked great but turned out to be wildly impractical—like those trendy chairs that are basically back pain in furniture form. The same applies to window treatments.

What to Ask Yourself Before Choosing New Window Treatments

• Do you want to open and close them every day? If so, avoid finicky curtain rods or heavy drapes that require a weightlifter’s strength.

• Do you have kids or pets? Anything with cords is a hazard with the potential to be yanked down within days. Consider cordless shades or motorized blinds if you want to feel fancy.

• Will they be in a room with lots of humidity like the bathroom or kitchen? Fabric curtains might not be your best in these areas.

Final Treatment Thoughts

Choosing the right window treatment is part science, part art, and part knowing yourself (i.e., will you actually take the time to dust wooden blinds?) Consider privacy, style, and functionality before committing, and future you will thank current you.

Now, what will you do next to love where you live? 

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