How to Style Your Window with Window Treatments

Natural light has the power to completely transform a room. When light is streaming in, it can make a room feel larger and more inviting. Alternatively, it can make a room cozy and calm. The fact is: some sort of window treatment is probably necessary, no matter where you live.

Curtains, blinds, shades and shutters help control the amount of light and privacy in your home while exuding your personal style. Explore some of the most popular types of window coverings to find the right one for each room.

Curtains are one of the most popular window treatments because they allow great design flexibility. They come in a variety of lengths and widths, ranging from floor length or pooling on the floor, to a decorative valence or apron.

Pro tip: Hang your curtains high and wide on the wall to give the appearance of larger windows.

No matter what length of curtain you choose, the fabric chosen can exude your personal style. Light fabrics, including sheer curtains, filter light and create cozy ambience in a room. Heavier fabrics, including velvets and canvas, darken rooms and lend themselves to more traditional styles. Depending on their material, curtains can be easy to clean by removing them from the wall, laundered and rehung.

The difference between curtains and drapes is in the lining. Unlike curtains, drapes usually include a lining, making them room-darkening or black-out in nature. Both made of fabric, curtains and drapes are commonly sold in pairs, in a variety of lengths, widths and colors or patterns. These days, the term curtain is often used to refer to what have traditionally been known as drapes.

For more control over the amount of light in a room, choose blinds for your windows. Blinds tilt up and down and can be tilted only part way for minimal light and more privacy. Window blinds are commonly made of wood, plastic or vinyl and are available in horizontal and vertical styles.

If your space allows, interior shutters are a common alternative to traditional vinyl or wood blinds. Blinds can be mounted at the top of the window, whereas interior shutters are mounted on either side of the window, opening into the room like a French door. Both shutters and blinds function in a similar manner, allowing you to tilt them to your desired light and privacy level.

While blinds and interior shutters offer a greater level of control over light and privacy, they are more difficult to clean than some curtains because they cannot be removed. Each slat requires regular dusting to help you maintain a healthy home.

For clean lines and privacy control, look to shades for your chosen window covering. Shades are available in a variety of styles including woven, roller, cellular and Roman. Most styles offer both light-filtering and room-darkening options.

Woven shades are often made of natural fibers and pair best with a room with other natural elements. Roller shades roll up and down, just as their name suggests, and can be made from a variety of light-filtering or room-darkening fabrics. Cellular shades are the most energy efficient shade choice. Their honeycomb pattern helps slow the transfer of heat or cold across the covering. Roman shades deliver a classic look with folded fabric. Amp up your room’s style with shades that coordinate with other fabric elements in your room or match the wallpaper.

Add style to your curtains, blinds and shades with window cornices. They are commonly made of wood or fabric, resemble boxes and are installed at the top of your window. Cornices hide curtain rods and other mechanics of your window coverings. Stately, their appearance is traditional and ornate, and provides a custom look.

Window cornices are often used to create a seamless design when multiple types of window treatments are used in the same room. For example, if your windows have curtains and your patio door has vertical blinds, cornices can tie the entire look together. When blinds and shades are mounted on the wall, window cornices are a popular choice to provide a streamlined, more polished look.

For the cleanest, most-contemporary look, choose between-the-glass blinds or shades for your room. A popular choice in high-traffic areas and bedrooms, these window coverings are located inside your window.

Built in between the panes of glass, these window treatments remain virtually dust-free and are protected from damage from small kids and pets. Look for the Best for Kids Certification. This certification helps parents and caregivers make a safe choice when selecting the right coverings for their home. The integrated blinds and shades available on Pella Lifestyle Series windows and doors are cordless and protected by glass, giving you peace of mind.

Choose from blinds or light-filtering or room-darkening shades available in a variety of colors to personalize them for your space. For added convenience, consider motorization so you can open and close your blinds with the touch of a remote or your mobile phone.

Window treatments allow you to further your personal style and be an interior designer for your space. Just as you carefully selected the furniture and décor in your space, window treatments are best personalized to you and your lifestyle.

With a modern home style, less is more. Choose window treatments that streamline the space and do not add clutter. Between-the-glass blinds and shades, or blinds and shades installed on the wall are popular choices for this style. Each provide adjustable light and privacy while delivering the most polished look. For the ultimate modern touch, consider motorized blinds and shades that can be open and closed with a remote or an app on your phone.

Bring charming farmhouse style to your home with natural and airy window treatments. Sheer curtains and roman shades in a polished fabric or woven material showcase this style. Create a luscious look with layered window treatments in lighter colored fabrics and materials. Layering sheer curtains with a blind, shade or shutter that provides added privacy is a farmhouse favorite.

If your windows or ceilings are an uncommon height, or you can’t find the right look off the shelf, create custom window treatments. You can select a fabric, length, width and more to customize it. Or choose between-the-glass blinds or shades a custom upgrade to your Pella windows. These blinds and shades are made just for your window, to its exact dimensions. Nothing exudes your personal style more than a one-of-a-kind look designed to fit your space.

Before you start hanging window treatments, there are a few critical considerations to make concerning your lifestyle, safety and product longevity.

• Did you know that drilling into your window could void its warranty? When you are selecting which type of window treatment is best for your home, make sure to consider your window’s depth. If the depth is too shallow for the window treatment that you’ve chosen, consider changing the window treatment type or hanging the treatment outside the window on the wall or moulding.
• How large is your window? Large windows often present interesting design challenges. We advise considering the type of room and your goal for light or privacy to select the right one. Curtains and between-the-glass blinds and shades are popular for bay and bow windows because they allow for the most light and privacy control and are the simplest to install. On large arched windows or in combinations, window treatments that only cover part of the window are common, with a cornice or valence to hide the hardware. For smaller windows, sometimes less is more; but sometimes, more is more. Hanging curtains high and wide on a small window can make it appear larger.
• How does your window open and close or how frequently do you use it? Always think about how you live with your windows when selecting the right window treatment. In high-traffic areas, select a material that is easy to clean. If you plan on using your window a lot, make sure your window treatment doesn’t interfere with how the window works. For example, on a double-hung window that opens at the top, you don’t want to select a window treatment that covers that portion of the window.

When you consider maintenance and cleaning, window and home decor style, and overall safety, you're sure to find a window treatment that best fits your home.