35 Window Treatment Ideas To Suit Every Space And Style

These shady details were designed with form and function in mind.

The first thing you need to know about these window treatment ideas is they’re not just for windows. Doors, nooks, and even porches can benefit from a little drama that can easily be swept aside (or up) when it’s time to take in the view. From Roman shades to pinch pleat drapery panels, bamboo rollers, shutters, and blinds, the possibilities for windows, doors (including sliding doors), and more are endless.

The key for finding the best window treatment is to allow your space and design aesthetic to take the lead. Determine your objective (for example: privacy, light filtration, or upping the style ante) and then go from there. Window treatments can be used to both blend into and enhance your design or look—and we haven’t even mentioned functionality yet. A good window treatment will need to work for both your light and privacy needs as well as make sense from a functionality standpoint. For instance, you wouldn’t want drapery panels dusting the bathroom floor or heavy treatments inhibiting the view in your sunroom. When the balance between function and form is achieved, you know you’ve found the perfect window treatment for your space.

Related: 21 Types Of Curtains For A Beautiful Window Treatment

Double Up

Don’t settle for just one window treatment. A layered approach can bring warmth and texture by creating a more casual effect than drapery panels can provide. Conversely, if you want to bring in the natural appeal and filtered light offered with bamboo shades but don’t want the space to feel too low key, panels can be called on to elevate the look while still getting privacy.

Use Trim

Upgrade any window treatment with trim—tassels, fringe, braids, cords, or a solid band (as seen here), the options are endless! Play with multiple patterns and colors or give a simple fabric a little more interest. In this bedroom, the white drapes and valance allows the striped wallpaper to shine, but the red trim helps create definition.

Add Softness

Don't underestimate the power of window treatment styles—they can completely change the tone of a room. Here relaxed Roman shades feel elegant but also laidback to balance the space; whereas cafe curtains would be too casual and a rear tucked Roman shade would be too linear.

Know When to Simplify

This space is not short on drama, so keeping the shades simple and streamlined with a simple, light-filtering blinds and sheers, helps focus the attention without demanding its own moment. Matching the blinds to the window trim helps create a clean, uniform look.

Reinforce Pattern Play

Bold upholstery fabrics bring an extra punch and keep the space feeling cohesive when used for window treatments. If you’re really looking for a way to give your space a maximalist look, consider matching your wallpaper and curtains. It’s a classic design trick that takes a certain level of design confidence, but will never go out of style in the South.

Use Louvered Shutters

Take a cue from home exteriors and let light in without sacrificing privacy with louvered shutters that can easily be angled to adjust the amount of sun coming in or fully opened to fill the room with warmth.

Choose for Subtlety

Café curtains aren’t just for the kitchen. Here a pretty patterned shade keeps the bedroom soaked in natural light, but allows for privacy as well. Keep in mind other upholstered items within the space, like the headboard shades here that pull from the same blue palette, to help create a sense of cohesion.

Create Definition

If you have a wall of windows or doors, consider breaking up your panels to create definition. Without window treatments, the wall could also seem a bit stark or severe. Draperies create a softer, more feminine finish, but without obstructing the views or details of the transom above.

Take it Outside

Give your porch the window-treatment by enclosing the space in shutters that can be opened for full view (and breeze) or shut over when privacy is needed or that midday sun hits. Consider how color can play a part in the look and feel while taking your curb appeal up a notch. A wall of shutters can put off unapproachable vibes, so soften the entry with tied-back panels.

Hit Reverse

Window treatments that pool on the floor have the potential to show a hint of lining, so why not make it pretty? Here a double-sided treatment emphasizes an attention to detail that will keep your draperies a cut above the crowd and kick curb appeal up a notch if the window is street facing. Depending on what type of curtain header you choose, the draperies can be entirely reversible so you can more easily swap your style for the season.

Add a Cornice

For a more formal look, add structure with a cornice—a box (typically made of wood) covered with fabric that is installed above drapery like a frame. In this colorful living room the deep pink with red trim plays off the lacquered walls painted Benjamin Moore's Milk Shake, 1165.

Supersize Your Roman Shade

Rather than mounting individual panels for each section of the window, one continuous pulldown shade creates a more harmonious feel for the window seat alcove.

Opt for Bamboo

Filter light in while creating plenty of privacy with bamboo-style Roman shades. They are lightweight and can be found in a variety of shades of brown and tan. Plus they bring in a neutral look which can break up colorful or busy spaces.

Elevate the Exterior

The views from these windows in the 2022 Idea House lead to a courtyard, so interior designer Charlotte Lucas selected a floral fabric (Schumacher Floreana in Berry) for both the dining chair and window treatments. Not only does it give a taste of the flora to be found just outside the glass, but it also creates a sense of cohesion and elegance.

Keep it Breezy

When you don’t want to obstruct the views or stand in the way of even a single ray of light making its way to your space, sheers are the way to go. They provide privacy but effortlessly blend into the background, obstructing neither light nor the airiness of the space.

Tie Them Back

Use a tieback on drapery panels and you’ll find it delivers a completely different look than if the same panels go unchecked whether framing a doorway or adding a softer shape to a rectangular window. The framing effect can expertly play up an entryway into the home to create both a romantic feel and keep the bottoms of the panels from getting caught in the doors when in use. Form and function make the perfect pair.

Go Earthy

There’s no shortage of personality in this dining room, but natural elements like reed-style shades ground the design while furthering the collected look. From color, pattern, texture, silhouette, and more, the possibilities for mixing and matching are endless, but don’t underestimate the power of finding a window treatment that pulls the entire scene together.

Warm Up

If you’re not considering how your window treatments can give the finishing touch to your space, you’re missing out on a big opportunity. Here it both softens and warms up the dining room’s rich-colored aesthetic, while giving weight to a smaller and airier piece of furniture that might otherwise feel misplaced in the deep blue room.

Combat High Ceilings with a Valance

We love beautiful high ceilings, but sometimes it can mean a lot of space to cover on the walls which is where the right type of window treatment comes into play. Here the designer opted for a simple brown and white ticking stripe for the valance and curtains to play off the neutral walls painted in Sherwin-Williams' Alabaster (SW 7008) and ceiling in Nearly Peach (SW 6336).

Take a Breather

Window treatments are the ultimate chameleon. Use them to create impact, bring color, texture, or even call on them to strike a calm and palette-cleansing note. With so many colors and patterns filling the space, the off-white curtains allow a bit of breathing room. They subdue the palette and create a link that ties the entire space (pattern, color, and all) together.

Flat Fold Roman Shades

Keep it classic with a flat fold roman shade. This style isn't fussy and is ideal for solid fabrics as well as small print patterns. For complete light-blocking, add an additional thick textile to the backside.

Accentuate the Design Details

Window treatments can sometimes be used to hide an unsightly view or cover up design flaws, but they are just as effective at drawing out certain architectural features you wish to highlight. Here a beautifully curved window casing is given even more attention with drapery panels cascading from within.

Go Big

If your windows are on the smaller side, you can exaggerate both their size and shape by selecting a Roman shade that is hung outside the trim or casing. This will work particularly well if the window casing is painted the same color as the wall. 

Take Them Higher

Have an off-putting gap between the top of your window and trim? Or just want to elongate your drapes? Hang curtains higher than the height of your windows to exaggerate their height and draw the eye up. This technique also helps the room live larger.

Roll-Up Shades

Workhorse spaces shouldn't be left in the dust when it comes to design details—especially small alcoves that are used for less-than-desirable tasks. Letting in plenty of natural light is key to keeping these areas from feeling dreary which makes easy to roll up shades ideal.

Use Cafe Curtains for Detail

While the kitchen is not a space that requires window coverings for privacy the way a bedroom or bathroom does, adding a textile on the window can help soften an otherwise mostly hard material space. Lightweight cafe curtains are the just right detail.

Sharpen Up

If you have a crisp, clean design but can’t forgo the window treatments, consider a flat Roman shade that extends all the way to the ceiling. It will keep the lines sharp while providing maximum privacy when shut. It can also act as a subtle way of keeping the space from feeling too stark.

Go All in on Pattern

More than your typical pattern play, this bedroom takes using a singular textile to another level. Wallpaper from Brunschwig & Fils started the room's colorful, whimsical feel which was seamlessly extend to the windows with pleated balloon Roman shades with the same textile.

Keep It Short and Sweet

For areas where you don’t want curtains anywhere near the floor (specifically in spaces like baths, kitchens, mudrooms, and laundry rooms), you don’t necessarily need to ditch the drapes altogether. Opting for a shorter length in high-trafficked areas provides a more casual look while still managing to provide a bit of elegance without sacrificing the room’s functionality.

Take Shades Wall-to-Wall

Don't interrupt a seamless connection to the outside with curtain panels. Instead of heavy fabrics, try simple Roman shades that extend across the whole wall of windows. For an extra organic element use a light-colored bamboo to still filter in sunlight.

Blend In

Whether you're looking to keep the room simple or draw attention to other details like artwork or antiques, selecting the same (or similar) color drapery as the walls will help it blend into the room's backdrop.

Leave a Little Room

In some cases floor-to-ceiling windows don't require the same length window covering, especially when it's not a matter of privacy. If the glass is broken up by a large cross section (as seen here), consider leaving the top panes sans textile.

Create a Space

Think beyond the windows and doors when it comes to utilizing window treatments. A heavy curtain, tied back with a tassel brings all the flair and drama to this bath. It functions in place of a door but with style and personality to spare.

Pay Attention to Detail

Trim, heading, style, inside- or outside-casing mount, and even pooling preferences can shift the look of a window treatment entirely no matter what type of panel, curtain, or shade you’re working with—so consider them all. A pleat-style heading, elegant tape trim, and barely floor-skimming length create elegance and a long-line look.

Don’t Forget the Doors

Don’t let the name fool you, window treatments are for doors too. A wall of French doors is outfitted with earthy shades that keep the space feeling both calm and beachy. When completely opened, they provide nearly unobstructed views but, when released, create total privacy.

For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Southern Living.