Window Treatment Design Ideas -
A window is a natural focal point, and so the treatment you give it can set the whole style of a room. You can go from the delicacy of lace panels to the crisp, contemporary look of Venetian blinds or verticals. You can use tailored, pleated and formal styles, from full-length curtains to soft, billowing festoons.

Windows not only act as a bridge between the inside and outside worlds, but also control the natural light flowing into a room and help to shape a person's perception of space and distance. Window treatments are appropriate for any room in the home.

Window treatments for a child's room should be as light and airy as possible. If you go with curtains, opt for sheerness to evoke an airy feeling that allows natural light to penetrate through. Use shorter curtains, blinds, and shades to keep out of the reach of younger children and babies. Choose gathered or ruffled styles for girls, plain or tailored box pleats for boys. If you use a fabric on your window treatment, try to repeat that fabric around the room in at least 3 or 4 other places - on chair seats, pillows, quilts, bed skirts, table runner, and lampshades.

In other rooms, if you need something to keep heat in, then you'll need to use either heavier fabrics or waffle-weave thermal shades. If you need something to filter light or provide minimal privacy, then you'll need to use a blind, shade, sheers, or lace. Total privacy requires heavier treatments that can be closed at night. Next, consider the rest of your room's decor. You'll want to use fabrics that match and coordinate with the rest of your furnishings.

Remember to compare colors, textures, prints, and the weight of the fabrics before you decide. Consider the size and placement of the window compared to the rest of the room and furnishings. If the window looks small, you'll want to use a treatment that will visually enlarge the window by hanging several inches outside of the window frame. If the window is too large, consider treating a set as individual windows instead of one large window, or opt for a simple style that will make the large size less obvious.

You can select a combination of fabrics, and more than one style treatment, to complete your window. Sheers can lighten up the heaviness of velvet drapes, and adding a scarf valance over your tab top panels will finish off the look. Draperies in heavier fabrics like velvet add a distinctive, elegant look to any window. Choose a length that suits your taste. More formal looks are achieved with longer treatments. Longer drapery panels can gather on the floor for a unique effect.

Window treatments transform a room's overall feel and style, and the possibilities are limitless.