Our Favorite Window Treatments

Playful pattern adds a touch of pizzazz to the bedroom, a great space to express your personal style. Ensure a cohesive look by repeating the fabric from the window treatment on the chair and ottoman in the otherwise neutral room. And boost your window's impact by hanging the rod above the window frame--it's a clever visual trick that makes the window appear larger than it really is.

Set a happy mood in the kitchen with sheer white cafe curtains that welcome natural light while providing just the right amount of privacy. Dress them up with a no-sew embellishment that matches the room's comfy, casual feel. It's so simple: Use fabric adhesive to attach a strip of burlap along the top of the curtain. Then add a button below each loop for a custom look.

Shades--those easy, economical window-covering solutions--are practical, but they needn't be boring. Dress them up with ribbon and flowers. This shade features flowers cut out of scrapbooking paper and attached with grommets. Stagger the flowers for a playful garden motif and hang one at the bottom for a clever pull.

A simple pair of cream-color curtains is the starting place for this classic window design. A dramatic chocolate-brown, pleated shade complements the bedroom's neutral palette and blocks the early morning sun. Layering two window treatments makes the space warm and inviting.

Play up the beauty of your room's existing elements, like this architecturally interesting bay, with window dressings that flatter. Framing striped shades, which emphasize the soaring verticality of the windows, with curtains in a complementary hue gives the cozy window seat focal-point status. The solid-orange panels, hung at ceiling height, ground the pattern mix in this cheery cottage scheme for a sweet, energetic look.

You don't have to buy new window treatments to get a fresh look. Adding decorative finials is an easy and inexpensive way to update your windows. Here, a wicker finial gives the blue-and-white floral curtains a tropical feel. You can also change out the curtain rod or clip rings for a quick window makeover.

Roman shades, with their graceful folds and classic lines, make it so simple to get a sophisticated look. Upgrade a basic Roman shade with a wide ribbon around the edge. This red linen shade looks classy with the addition of a gold stripe.

When you have a room with only one window, make it stand out with a stylish treatment. Mix and match pattern and stripe for a fresh design. Here, a striped valance grounds the lotus leaf pattern of the Roman shade. A row of mini bud vases along the top of the window provides a sweet finishing touch.

Customize your window treatment by creating it with some of your favorite things. Here, a series of nostalgic floral napkins drape prettily over a length of rustic twine. You could use antique hankies or favorite fabric scraps the same way. Prop dishes or glassware along the window ledge for an added shot of color.

A gold-and-red valance with silk tassels accentuates the warm palette of this kitchen. The inside of the valance is lined with striped fabric to match the accompanying Roman shade. Because the window is high over the sink you don't have to worry about it getting splashed with water.

When there's a beautiful view, you don't want to completely conceal a wall of windows--but you probably want some sort of window treatment in a bathroom. Sheer floor-to-ceiling curtains hung behind this freestanding bathtub offer the perfect solution, providing privacy but still allowing light to filter into the room.

Draw attention to details like this room's architectural crown molding by hanging a curtain rod above the window but below the molding. Alternating yellow and orange panels complement the room's palette, and a bronze curtain rod mimics accessories on the mantel.