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Window Treatments for Charm and Style

There are so many options when it comes to dressing your windows. You can add charm and beauty to your home just by using the right valances, shades, curtains, or other window treatments.

Rather than using an abundance of contrasting color you will want to use your widow treatments to provide balance to the space. When looking for window treatments that are both beautiful and practical you will notice that they are usually quite expensive these days. One thought is to use ideas from magazines, the internet, craft and fabric stores, book stores, and your local library to create your own custom window treatments. The key ingredients to successfully creating your own window treatments are patience, materials, and a little bit of skill at the sewing machine.

Custom Treatment
Custom window treatments are window dressings that are created especially for your windows. They come in all sorts of styles, including Victorian, contemporary, country, or Adirondack. You can create a beautiful roman shade that coordinates perfectly with your bedspread, or an elegant pleated valance that gives you the flexibility of multiple fabric combinations. If you are looking for something to function either as a shade or a valance you may want to use a balloon shade. When using cascades or swags you can create a look that is formal and elegant or comfortable and casual. Using decorative hardware can help to make classic draw or stationary drapes the perfect solution for any room. Another option is to use wood cornices to enhance the look of valances or upholstered cornices to do the same for drapery. You can use window treatments to create the perfect environment in any room. It doesn’t matter if it is lace panels or stylish European sheers teamed with cotton lace, window treatments can enhance any décor.

Bay Window Treatment
A bay window has at least three sides and protrudes out from the outer wall of the home. Many people, unfortunately, hide their bay windows behind curtains. Almost anyone will appreciate the beauty and romance that a bay window lends to a home, however, most will have no idea about which window treatments will look best with a bay window. A bay window should be left untreated if it is not in an area where privacy is a major issue and you do not need to worry about controlling the incoming light. Some bay windows will have beautiful window frames which can be easily accented by adding inside mounted blinds, shades, or café curtains. To achieve a traditional look you may want to consider using roman shades with contrasting banding. Another option is adding a continuous valance or a series of shallow swags to simple shades or blinds that cover closely spaced windows. When well designed the upper window treatments will hide the lower treatments when they are raised. If you have a bay window that has very little space between the different windows you may want to consider placing panel curtains on either side with a treatment along the top with a cornice. No matter what treatments you use with your bay windows the final goal is to allow them to add beauty to your home.

Designer Window Treatments
Just as the name implies, these window treatments have been specially designed for you by a professional designer. You are bound to get spectacular results, but you can also expect to pay a pretty spectacular bill. The quality and style of the designer will have a lot to do with the quality as style of your new window treatments. Each designer will use there own unique touch to bring together fabric, styles, and colors, creating one of a kind window treatments for your home. While designer window treatments will be well beyond the budgets of most people, those who can afford the expense will probably receive lots of compliments on their windows.

Kitchen Window Treatments
When looking for window treatments for your kitchen be sure that they are a good match with the color and style of your cabinets. While it will be important to use materials that will restrict light, it is also important that they be easily washable. You want to find window treatments that will not blow around in a breeze and ignite if they will be placed anywhere near a gas flame, as this could pose a serious fire hazard. Some of the common window treatments used in kitchens include roller shades, draperies, blinds, wood or bamboo blinds, shutters, and curtains. Be aware of which treatments will be easier to clean. Look carefully at the window hardware to ensure it does not get in the way of the window treatment.

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