Window Decorating Tips

Curtains, shades, blinds…nothing? People approach windows in all sorts of ways, and typically without any pleasure. Most don’t want to lose light and prefer to go for the bare minimum or nothing at all. Depending on your view out, and other people’s possible view in, some sort of window covering is mandatory. But don’t treat your windows as a defiant design trial, but an opportunity to put a dash of creativity and design oomph into your rooms.

On average, windows are ugly. They are a necessity, but in desperate need of some sort of decorative touch. First, a couple definitions. Curtains can add color, texture and personality to your space. They can be translucent to simply diffuse the light, or heavy for a total black out. Shades are sun softeners. They’ll reduce, but not eliminate the light in your room.

If you are looking to give a room an infusion of color, curtains are one of the best and cheapest ways to do it. Simple curtain panels in solid colors will bring of burst of color into even the most simplest design palette. Go for yellow or red if you are really brave; or a calming green, lavender or peach for a more relaxed vibe. They make a bold color statement, without the work of painting the walls. An extra bonus with this idea: The panels are inexpensive, allowing you to easily alter the room’s atmosphere when you are getting bored.

You can also layer your curtains. This means one sheer curtain which allows light in during the day but no curious faces, and a second curtain to completely block light and noise. Besides those benefits, layering curtains allows you to add patterns and textures to a room, or repeat the solid color tip from above. Also, don’t feel restricted to white for your sheer curtain; you can find them in light pastel hues, with embroidered designs or light patterns. Then add a complementary top curtain. This can be as bright or as soft as you desire.

If blocking out light isn’t a room requirement, consider a sheer curtain for privacy and then side draping. These are purely decorative pieces of material draped stylishly around the window frames. If you choose this option, a solid color is best. If you are a texture fan, this also gives you more options to be creative. Not as much fabric is typically needed compared with hanging full curtains, so this can be a cheaper option, or you can choose a more preferred, but more expensive fabric. You can simply cover the top of the window; have the curtains hang halfway down, or to the floor for a more dramatic look.

Don’t forget your hardware! It’s often smarter, and less frustrating, to identify what kind of hardware your windows and walls will require. Purchase that first, and then move on to choosing your curtains. The choices available now in window hardware is inspiring in and of itself, so here’s another opportunity for you to show off your style and personality.

One more small room design tip: If you have a small space, or small windows, hang your curtains high and wide. This will give the illusion of a higher ceiling and more space in the room. Don’t let the decorating opportunity that windows offer fly out the window – make your rooms pop with personality with some special, but simple window dressings.

Jacy is a freelance journalist specializing in art, design and culture. When not writing, reading or traveling she enjoys torturing her husband and dog with extremely long walks. Follow her on Google+.