Windows can be tricky to decorate sometimes. You have to ask yourself a lot of questions like, “Do I want sunlight to come in or not? Or maybe just occasionally?” There are a few options for window treatments…
A. Curtains: Curtains are good when you have insulation issues. Nice, heavy curtains can keep the sun and heat out in the summer and the cold out in the winter. The only problem with this is that you have a lot of fabric that can get torn, stained, and will need occasional washing. They can also be too heavy if you want sunshine.
B. Sheer Curtains: I personally LOVE sheer curtains. They keep out the worst of the blinding brightness, but still allow warm, yellow sunshine in. They provide some level of privacy, but be careful at night in particular because when the lights are on inside and it is dark outside, sheer curtains don’t hide much at all.
C. Blinds: Blinds can be good if you change your mind between wanting sunshine and preferring to keep it out. They are great for privacy, but seem to get very dusty very quickly. They also often don’t look very pretty.
D. Cornice Boards: Whatever you decide, curtains or blinds or nothing at all, a cornice board can make any window go from “blah” to “ah!”. A cornice board goes over the top of your window, and is a fabric-covered 3 sided box that is mounted onto the wall. When making your cornice boards, take the time to pick out a fabric that either matches what you already have in the room (bedding, sofa, etc) or goes with it. Cornice boards don’t just have to be rectangular: get creative! Depending on your skill level with power tools, you can try and do fancy shapes or designs. Used with curtains they can make the window look heavy (all the fabric), but blinds and sheer curtains both go well with cornice boards.
Photo Courtesy of: Posh Living, LLC