Window Treatments: where to start?

They are intended to block or obscure light, draft, or in some cases water like in the shower. They add flair and character to a room and help control the flow of natural light. Curtains or drapes as we call them are decorative during the day and look attractive at night. They will complement your furniture, your wall colors and accentuate other house adornments.

There are many ways to decorate with fabric. You can opt for sheers, swags, ruffles, with or without valances, tab topped, panels, tiers, scarves, laced, contemporary, full length, split… dizzy yet? The choices are infinite and can be confusing. No problem, as you can always ask an expert for advice. There are lots of articles in magazines, on the Internet or in home décor books and when you visit a fabric store you will certainly find a helpful clerk who can enlighten you about your possibilities. Ask for help, especially if you intend to make the coverings yourself.

Measuring for drapes is not a complicated process but you still have to know how and a professional can certainly explain to you the importance of width and height. Just a little pointer: never measure the existing drapes or window coverings as you will not get an accurate measurement. Your new rod may have another size or your material may drape or stretch differently.

Installing drapery will bring class to your home or establishment, but the final result of your work will also be defined by your choice of rods, hooks, tassels and borders. In the end it will be the combination of both that will make an area extravagant and make it stand out.

As lovely as drapes and curtains can be, they are not your only options. Blinds are a composition of long strips of fabric or rigid material. Examples include shutters, Venetian blinds, roll-up shades and curtain-like track blinds. Slat blinds are horizontal boards tied together by strings. They can be rotated to allow light to pass through. Venetian blinds are usually made from stiffer man-made materials or wood, with slats in a vertical position.

When money is not a show-stopper and ultimate convenience is a priority, imagine opening an entire room of window coverings with the touch of a button. Automated shading is not a futuristic illusion. In fact, motorized systems have been available for quite some time. They come in handy in higher areas like sky lights or extremely tall windows and, outside of looking quite sophisticated, they certainly will make life quite a bit easier. (By: Irida Sangemino)