Do you know how to choose window treatments for your home or office?  The choices for window fashions can prove to be overwhelming unless you know what steps to take to decide which treatments are best suited for your space.  Check out our simple guidelines to learn how to choose window treatments for each and every window of your home or office with ease and confidence.

Types of Window Fashions

 One of the reasons it can seem so daunting to choose window treatments is due to the vast number of styles, colors, textures, and types of window fashions available on today’s market.  It’s a good problem to have, but many people go shopping and then throw up their hands in defeat because they don’t have a plan in hand to help them make informed decisions.  You have your choice of several styles, including:

• Blinds – mini blinds, vertical blinds
• Shades – Roman shades, cellular shades, honeycomb shades, etc.
• Shutters
• Roller shades
• Draperies
• Valances
• Curtains
• Window scarves
• So much more…

 How to Choose Window Treatments 101

 1)      How much can you spend?  Unfortunately, budget is a concern no matter what type of home improvement project you’re planning and window treatments are no exception.  Decide first on your budget and then move forward.

2)      Are you planning to keep your current décor or change it completely?  If you plan to keep your current décor, you’ll want to choose window fashions that compliment the decorating style of your home as it is now.  However, if you’re planning to change the entire appearance of the space, consider what type of window treatments might best fit into your new design scheme.

3)      How much light and/or privacy are desired?  If you desire to control the amount of light entering into a room, then you may opt for heavier window treatments.  However, if you prefer a lot of light entering into a room, the window treatments will be lighter and easier to manipulate during daylight hours.

4)      What sort of window treatment do you want?  Consider the room, the decorating style, colors, texture, and materials.  Certain window fashions will work better in one room or another.  For example, valances work well in kitchens, whereas blinds or shutters may work better in a bathroom.  Heavier draperies are sometimes well suited for a bedroom due to light blocking qualities.  Office spaces look great outfitted with blinds or shutters.

5)      Texture, color, and materials are important considerations when learning how to choose window treatments for your space.  You have so many choices when it comes to choosing the materials from which your window treatments will be fashioned.  Lightweight sheers, cotton fabrics, home decorating fabric, wood shutters, faux wood blinds or shutters, bamboo, aluminum, and plastic are just a few of the materials available today.

6)      What style or shape is the window you want to dress?  Arched windows, rectangular windows, square windows, and round windows will each require a different type of window fashion.  The size of the window you’re dressing will also determine the style of window treatment that would be best suited for that particular window.

Once you’ve made decisions based on these guidelines, you’ll next need to decide whether you’re able to make your window treatments (great do-it-yourself projects) or if you’ll need to purchase them.  You may be able to make your budget stretch a bit further if you can make your window fashions (Roman shades, valances), but there are some window treatments that should be purchased (wood blinds for example).

The key is to not allow the number of choices available to overwhelm you as you’re learning how to choose window treatments.  Go shopping, make notes, and then come home without spending a dime. 

Don’t spend any money the first day you go out shopping!  Think about it, if you don’t take the time to think through home improvement projects, what happens?  More money than is necessary is almost always spent and that can be discouraging.  This way, you can spend some time at home looking over your notes and making decisions at your convenience. 

The result will be window fashions that won’t break the established budget and will look fantastic in your home!