Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 7 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play and Stay This Winter

      7 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play and Stay This Winter

      Hot off the minds of Midwest travel writers: a fresh look at where to eat, drink, play and stay around the region. Read More
    • Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

      Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

      One has conquered the world of plant-based baking. Another runs a microbakery from her home. Two own businesses with their spouses. And the fifth is a James Beard finalist chef. The common thread? Absolutely delicious cakes. Read More
    • The No-Fail Relish Tray Recipe is Here

      The No-Fail Relish Tray Recipe is Here

      For many Midwesterners, holiday feasting kicks off with a relish tray. We dare not mess with an icon—at least, not too much. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Why Wisconsin Supper Clubs Just Keep Getting Better With Age

    Why Wisconsin Supper Clubs Just Keep Getting Better With Age

    At Wisconsin supper clubs, the steak is served rare and the traditions are well done. Like the brandy in an Old-Fashioned, these timeless institutions only get better with age.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Tomatoey Parmesan Beans

    Tomatoey Parmesan Beans

    This sleeper hit of a weeknight dinner comes from Food Network star Molly Yeh's cookbook Home is Where the Eggs Are—and is basically a vehicle for Parmesan and garlic toast. No complaints! (The alternate version, with ham and cream, is excellent too.)
    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    Avid DIYers Transform a 1929 Chicago Home One Project at a Time

    Avid DIYers Transform a 1929 Chicago Home One Project at a Time

    With visions of dinner parties and game nights dancing in their heads, a Chicago couple renovated their historic (and first) home, one DIY project at a time.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    How to Care for Flowering Houseplants

    How to Care for Flowering Houseplants

    Author Lisa Eldred Steinkopf shares how to make blooms last longer—and repeat.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Unique Midwest Light Displays to See This Winter

    Unique Midwest Light Displays to See This Winter

    Buses, trains and very few automobiles—check out these out-of-the-ordinary holiday lights displays.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Tamales are a project, but many hands—even tiny ones—make lighter work.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • DIY Pistachio Wheat Stalks for Fall Decorating
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    About Us

    About Us

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
    • Fall 2022 Issue
    • Winter 2022 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Homes
  3. Decorating Ideas
  4. Our Favorite Window Treatments

Our Favorite Window Treatments

By Written by Andrea Cooley June 01, 2012
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Living room window solution
We've got you covered with ideas for curtains, shades and blinds to show off your windows.
Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Add pop with pattern

Add pop with pattern

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.

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cafe curtains let the light shine

Cafe curtains let the light shine

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.

2 of 12

3 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Window shade add-ons

Window shade add-ons

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.

3 of 12

Advertisement

4 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Get the layered look

Get the layered look

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.

4 of 12

5 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bay window design

Bay window design

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.

5 of 12

6 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Easy decorative hardware updates

Easy decorative hardware updates

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.

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Easy elegance with a Roman shade

Easy elegance with a Roman shade

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.

7 of 12

8 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Stylish statement for a single window

Stylish statement for a single window

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.

8 of 12

9 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Creative valance

Creative valance

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.

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Perfect pairing for kitchen curtains

Perfect pairing for kitchen curtains

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.

10 of 12

11 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Best of both worlds for a bathroom window

Best of both worlds for a bathroom window

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.

11 of 12

12 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Living room window solution

Living room window solution

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.

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Written by Andrea Cooley

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 12 Add pop with pattern
    2 of 12 Cafe curtains let the light shine
    3 of 12 Window shade add-ons
    4 of 12 Get the layered look
    5 of 12 Bay window design
    6 of 12 Easy decorative hardware updates
    7 of 12 Easy elegance with a Roman shade
    8 of 12 Stylish statement for a single window
    9 of 12 Creative valance
    10 of 12 Perfect pairing for kitchen curtains
    11 of 12 Best of both worlds for a bathroom window
    12 of 12 Living room window solution

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Our Favorite Window Treatments
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.