Room Design Basics - Extending your Design to the Window

Window treatments serve a variety of purposes. Because windows provide the visual transition between outside and inside environments, their selection will be determined in part by the nature of the room and in part by the view presented. Where the view complements the room design, window treatments may serve as a frame to dramatize the vistas - both inside and out. Tailored drapery folds or graceful billows of curtain pleasantly soften other-wise rigid architectural lines.

Sheers, on the other hand, are used to screen the outside view without impeding the natural light. When the exterior aspect does not flatter the interior, sheer draperies can be a satisfactory solution. If you need draperies or blinds that can be easily opened for light or shut for privacy, your best choices will come from ready-made products with specially designed mechanisms. Ready-made window treatments are equal in every way to custom-made ones, but size and color choices are more limited.

Shutters flatter their surrounds without competing with them. They easily adjust to changing light conditions and provide total privacy when closed. Shutters are extremely versatile - equally at home in several style settings, from country to contemporary. Fabric knots can be used with fancy draped swag. Richly colored fabric treatments can accent views and relieves the severe lines of a kitchen. Simple but dramatic swathes of fabric can strongly outline a window bay, creating the room's focal point. In a predominantly horizontal room arrangement, their sharp, vertical formality adds a welcome contrast. Painted wooden shutters are a sophisticated way to unify a ribbon of windows. A gossamer sheer curtain can bring softness and a sense of grace to a room. Formal rooms need not be restricted to traditional heavy draperies. The use of gathered swag can maintain the restrained mood of a room, but also offers refreshing curves to an otherwise angular setting.

If, on the other hand, your window treatments are primarily decorative, the sky's the limit. Your window solutions are free to be as whimsical or stylized as you wish them to be.

http://www.HomeDepotArticles.com
A collection of great home improvement articles.