Dressing your windows with style

The good thing is that you do have options. If you love the look of luxe, cascading drapery, this invention allows you to install a single rod, like you would on a standard window. Its totally customizable design allows you to adjust the width of each section and control the angle of the corners, making it a perfect fit every time.

The second option is to treat each window as its own entity and install Roman shades or shutters and skip drapes altogether. Going with Roman shades in a dark color takes the traditional-style window and makes it feel totally modern. Kitchen windows can be difficult to dress, considering cabinets are usually placed right up to the sides and the top is positioned really high to the ceiling. Curtains over the sink can get in the way. Instead, Coffey suggests woven wood shades.

However, an exception to the kitchen window-dressing rule includes the oddly shaped garden window. If you're blessed with the luxury of both high ceilings and stacked windows, you may be cursed with the impossible task of dressing them. Instead of hanging a rod all the way to the ceiling, hang one in between the windows. You don't need to create the illusion of height—you already have that.

Plus, going all the way to the top means you'll be dressing two stories at once, and that would cost you a fortune. When it comes to the bedroom, the goal should always be light control.

You don't need to keep your room dark at all times, but you'll want the option on weekends when you decide to sleep in. If you only want to frame the window, one panel for a standard size will work. For custom panels choose one-and-a-half-times the width.

Here are some steadfast rules to follow when shopping for window treatments. Follow our simple steps and take advantage of the free printable below. Thank you, Ashley, for your design expertise on this very important topic. I certainly believe we will have some beautifully well-dressed homes unfolding in the near future!

If you are local to Lynchburg, VA. They offer in-home design consults and sell a variety of products. You can also visit their website at www. As much as I love saving money shopping at retail chains there is something to be said for businesses that specialize in a certain field of design. Stores like Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond sell amazing curtain options.

Who decided this was the industry standard? The good news is that most of these stores carry longer options online. If you want to save some money and go with 84 inches then you have to throw most of the above rules OUT! Another reason to go to a local specialty shop first! The experts are there to guide you!

I have made a list of what to look for in a quality design shop. You are the customer and deserve the best treatment. Mutual respect from both parties will ensure a successful project! Get your free printable shopping guide for dressing your windows here. It takes time to make a house a home.

Enjoy the process. Now go save the world one window at a time! They can be hung over each panel of glass and can be tied at different heights depending where the sun hits to create shade and prevent the room from getting too hot. Lighter colours will maintain a feeling of space and reflect heat, or why not choose a blind fabric to coordinate with other textiles in the room, such as upholstered furniture and accessories? This style offers such simplicity, you could even make one yourself with this simple how to make a Roman blind tutorial.

The traditional shutter is an inspired and effortlessly stylish choice of window dressing and has become increasingly accessible. There are many different styles on offer, including full window shutters, the half cafe design and full solid shutters to completely block out light — ideal for bedrooms.

Fit the curtains a pane or two from the top to let in light above where people can see in. A wide Tempo heading pleat makes curtains fall in soft, regular waves, so they will always look just right. A clever double pole design means you can hang both a sheer and a curtain around the bay window, but draw them independently.

Brackets normally get in the way of curtain rings being pulled around a bay, but this design uses passing rings that allow the curtains to be drawn all the way round.

A standard heading tape left ungathered on both curtains creates a soft, informal effect. Keep the sheers sill-length for a neat finish and go for floor-length curtains to create real impact in a bay. For a contemporary take on a traditional curtain finish, use a flat pelmet layered over voile curtains sporting coordinating tie-backs. This style provides a neat finish to your windows as it hides curtain poles and other fixings. Recreate the look of a sophisticated hotel bedroom by selecting pillows to match your pelmet and tie-back fabric.

Opt for a simple geometric print with a Moroccan vibe to echo the design of an ornately shaped pelmet, but keep colours fresh and neutral for a modern look.

If you have a sequence of large windows in a room, choose single curtains instead of pairs hung centrally to give a contemporary, laid-back look. Omit holdbacks for a further relaxed feel, instead opting for a lightweight fabric such as linen as it gathers and drapes beautifully. Small curtain rings will also allow you to gather the curtains more tightly to let in more light in the absence of tie-backs.

Printed Roman blinds layered with plain curtains are an elegant way to dress a bedroom window. Go for a bold pattern that coordinates with your room scheme and choose a complementary plain fabric for the curtains. Combine with pretty tie backs for added detail to your window dressing.

For a contemporary look, choose a sleek metal pole and curtains with coordinating eyelets. A curtain with a leading edge is a real show stopper. A contrasting fabric from the back of the curtain is continued to the front, and simple holdbacks allow even more of it to be on show when the curtains are open.

Use a simple pencil pleat and an unfussy pole to keep all the attention on the curtains themselves. A fabric with a pretty illustration is a great way to dress up a window with an uninspiring view. Create a one-of-a-kind room with custom window treatments. For a soft effect, hang sheers from a rod from wall to wall.

Sheers do not use lining so they are less expensive to make, or buy readymade, and they do not look bulky when hung across a long window. I like the use of the grommets for long windows if not using a traverse rod because they keep a nice tall shape near the rod.

If you have a wall of windows that almost stretch end to end, add lightweight panels between them to create an illusion that there is no break between each window. This is a great look when using non-functional stationary drapes because functional drapes could require more widths of fabric, which gets costly, and you end up with a bulkier look that will allow in less light.

If you need privacy for this look, use a shade mounted behind the drapes. H ang the rod longer than than where the windows end to create the look of wall-to-wall windows. To keep a beautiful outside view complete, consider drapes pulled back to one side. You will want to use a traverse rod vs. Traverse rods come in decorative and plain versions. Open and close your treatments with the pull of a cord or twist of a wand. The cord or wand runs through a pulley system in the rod, which slides the drapery hanger hooks along a track.

They stack back nicely. If you want the look of drapes that are nonfunctional, but do not want to have the rod go all the way across your wide windows, consider getting two smaller rods long enough for a single panel each. If you're using wood rods, you can cut them to the size you need. For windows grouped together along a long wall with a uniquely shaped window in the center, you can add a wood or metal pole with a drape over just each side window.

Leave the uniquely shaped window alone because it is so interesting by itself. To allow light in and still be able to showcase a great view , try a valance.