Window treatments can be quite complex and confusing. Between measuring properly, selecting the style, picking just the right fabric, fabricating, finding the right hardware, and installing well - they can be quite a challenge. And what about returns, clearances, projections, deductions, etc - I’m sure I’m losing you just about now. Even though the individual styles and designs can be complicated, at their basic the window treatments can be broken down and explained simply.

There are two basic categories of window treatments: hard (usually made out of hard materials) and soft (made out of fabric). Within each category, there are several styles of products. So here we go, without commentary or application - just facts.

Category-hard: style-blind. We are all familiar with this product - aren’t we? Many actually mistakenly use this term for many other types of window treatments. In essence, a blind is comprised of horizontal or vertical slats that can be moved on the window (up, down, or across) and tilted for privacy and light control. They come in different sizes, with variety of lift systems, in several materials, and in multitude of colors.

Category-hard: style-shade. A shade is a type of treatment that can only be raised and lowered. It cannot be tilted. The most well-known example of this style is a honeycomb shade (also referred to as cellular or cell shade). Another well-known (but not very popular nowadays) example is a roller shade. On the other hand, a very popular covering, roman shade is similar to their “cousins” in the way it operates, but has a completely different look. It is also a bridge between hard and soft categories, as many roman shades are actually constructed in fabric. Just like the blinds, shades can further be distinguished by the lift system, material, size, and of course, color.

Category-hard: style-shutters. Shutters are blind-like treatments which are enhanced with a frame on all sides and are installed onto the entire window (versus just the top, as in the case of a blind or a shade). The main differentiators among shutters are the size of the slat, material, and color.

Category-soft: style-drapery and curtain. These terms are also erroneously used interchangeably, but they are actually quite different. Both are long streams of fabric. Drapery is always pleated and is usually meant to open and close (traverse). Curtain is gathered (shirred) and is meant to be stationary. There is a concept of fullness associated with both styles - standard for drapery is 2.5 times full and for curtain is 3 times full. The numbers stand for the multiplier of finished width. For example, if the finished (gathered and dressed) width of the curtain is 18″, then the flat width of the fabric must be 54″.

Category-soft: style-valance. Valance is the treatment that’s meant to add color and texture at the top of the window. There is a huge variety of looks in this style that is probably deserving of a separate article (hhmm, brainstorm!).

Category-soft: style-cornice. Cornice is an upholstered box-like structure. Batting is applied to pad the wood before the decorative fabric is stretched over it. In addition to the fabric, the variety and interest is achieved through different shapes carved along the bottom edge.

So here you have it. These are your very basic facts - Window Treatments 101. You’ve just passed!

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For instance, your stager may suggest adding floor-to-ceiling window panels. These panels are large and will bring in a large amount of color, drawing the eye through the room to the window. Side panels can either be stationary or have the ability to open and close when necessary.

Another option is top treatments. These include intricate swags to a simple swath of fabric over a wooden rod. Top treatments are a good option for smaller windows or those windows that provide needed natural light. Top treatments can also be added to side panels to create a rich elegance.

As you ready your home for sale, walk through your home as if you were a buyer. Do your window treatments allow enough light into the room? Do they fit in with current styles? Are the colors still vibrant? If not, a home stager can help you turn your windows into an asset instead of a liability.

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How you want to do it and what purpose the window treatment will serve will help you to determine. If it is being added for insulation purposes then you will go one route. Another option is that the window treatment can be used as a light filter or to make it as a way to control the amount of light that is let into the room. Consider how much money that you are looking to invest and what you want to accomplish when you are adding the window treatment to your room. Think about how you can make the window stand out in the room and turn it into the focal point so as to build your room around it.

When you are trying to determine what it is that you want to do not be afraid to ask for help. Look into the different sources and look online for ideas and suggestions. Go to your local home improvement or design store and ask them for help or look at their various resources to aid in your design and purchases. Make sure to know the dimensions as well as what will be needed to install these window treatments. Also make sure that the proper tools are available as well as whatever else may be needed to complete your task. You can also look into the possibility of having a professional install the new treatments for you. Consider what you need and how much you want to spend as this will in all likelihood be the largest determining factor into what you will or will not do to your windows.

About the Author:

Concentrating on latest developments in curtains, Linden Walhard publishes almost entirely for http://www.shades-blinds-shutters-guide.com . His publications on window blinds can be found on his website .

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Selecting the right window treatments for your home can often be a matter of simple and practical common sense. The right window treatments are first and foremost affordable to your budget. Second, they will suit your taste. Third, they will suit the overall style of the room in which you will be using them.

You should decide whether to use formal or casual window coverings in your home. Informal window treatments are often warmer and compliment mission style furniture quite nicely. More formal window treatments work wonderfully with Victorian styled furniture. The architecture of your home may also have a tremendous effect on the window treatments you choose. Tall windows are much better suited to long flowing swags, for instance, than short windows.

Another method for determining the proper window treatment for your home is by going room to room and deciding what will work best with the windows and the d?cor of each room. More formal window treatments are appropriate for living rooms or dining rooms while family rooms might look better with more casual or informal window treatments. For rooms in which you’d like a great deal of sun exposure, perhaps a sheer or transparent window treatment is in order. This works great for sunrooms that are also living spaces in your home. For your kitchen, you should probably elect window treatments that will withstand humidity and moisture while remaining easy to clean.

It is important to consider price when planning your window treatments. More formal window treatments tend to carry a much more formal price tag. Part of the reason for the added price is that fact that these window treatments typically consist of quite a few layers. Formal window treatments generally include a sheer under layer that hangs from the top of the window, a layer of drapery made from a heavier more substantial material, and a possible valance or cornice of some sort.

In contrast, casual window treatments typically consist of two layers of fabric, which makes them far less costly than most formal window treatments.

About the Author

Rob Buenaventura is a successful webmaster and publisher of BeautifulWindowBlinds. He provides tips and ideas on Window Treatments, Window Coverings, and Window Shades. For decorating tips on window shades, check out http://www.beautifulwindowblinds.com, your window treatment center.

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A traditional Roman shade provides a clean, classic look for any interior design. There are many different variants of this popular shade, including the most traditional look of a flat panel that creates soft folds when raised and one with overlapping folds that are visible when lowered. Roller shades were once only available in white vinyl. Today, there’s an endless variety of fabrics to choose from. From translucent sheers to opaque polyester, one can achieve a look anywhere from simple to sleek. The cellular shade is the fabric cousin to the ubiquitous mini-blind. Available in single, double and triple thickness, they filter natural light and insulate against the heat and cold.

Balloon shades are similar to Roman shades. They have a pull-cord mechanism for rising and lowering the fabric, however its inverted pleats create soft billows at the bottom for a pronounced romantic effect. Austrian shades are similar to balloon shades but contain shirring between the vertical rows of rings for a blouse-like, billowy effect. The top heading may be flat, puffed, smocked or pleated. A London shade (also called a festoon) contains two inverted pleats at the bottom, creating a shallow scoop in the center with two small tails on either side. Cafe curtains cover the bottom half of windows and are sometimes paired with a valence.

Decorative Treatments - These decorative pieces are used in combination with other elements to supplement a formal design. A scarf is a long piece of fabric, generally wrapped or arranged on a pole, thread through sconces at the corners to frame the perimeter of a window. Swag is a semi-circular piece of pleated fabric attached above a window and is usually paired with a cascade and jabot for a classic window treatment. A cascade is a pleated piece of fabric used with a swag that falls loosely to the side of the window. A jabot is a pleated panel used on either side of swag or in between two swags to cover the seams.

A bishop’s sleeve is paired with either a swag or formal valance and consists of long panels on either side of a window cinched in the middle to create blousy poufs. Valance is essentially a short curtain placed at the top of a window to conceal drapery hardware. If it’s not required to hide hardware, it can be used alone as a singular treatment for visual interest when privacy is not an issue. When used in combination with other shades, panels or drapes, it provides the finishing touch to a formal window dressing. Valances can be made to look like shortened versions of some shades (e.g. balloon, London) or as simple fabric rectangles with different headings.

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