Window Treatment talk...

We all know that an undressed window is just a missed opportunity to warm up a room and really help set the tone for the environment, but what style of window treatment do you go with? What sort of fabric? Patterned or plain fabric?  There are a lot of things to consider, like window heights, ceiling heights, sill heights? Is there a door, or is it a working window? Does the window swing in/out or tilt? All these factors determine what is appropriate.  Here are my four most frequently used style of window treatments and why:  The Ripple Fold drapery panel, the Tailored Pleat drapery panel, a Flat Roman shade, and also a Relaxed Roman shade.

What I did was I used 3 different fabrics on the the 4 mentioned treatments to show how different fabrics look according to the usage. 

The first of my go-to treatments is the clean and simple Ripple Fold drapery. This is a clean and contemporary way to dress a window or door where you'd like to accentuate the height of the ceiling or the span of glass...  This is a treatment that works well with sheer fabrics and heavier weight textiles making it a great layering treatment.  The Ripple Fold Drapery panel is one of the easiest to operate as fabric is run on a simple track, much like a hospital track, effortlessly gliding back and forth.  The soft folds offer visual fullness and total utility... Great option for most homes regardless of style.

Ripple Fold Drapery Panels

The next option if a drapery panel treatment is your choice is the Tailored or Top Pleat drapery panel.  This is similar in its operation ease to the Ripple Fold, but as opposed to the complete simplicity of the Ripple Fold, void of any pinching or pleating of the fabric, the Tailored Pleat drapery treatment gathers small sections at the top of the panel.  This will create the folding action with very little fluffing to make it look perfect.

Tailored Pleat Drapery Panel

If you have a smaller window or one that can't accommodate heavier drapery panels on the side of it, or you don't want have so much fabric in the room, then a Roman shade is the way to go.  I personally go for either a Flat Roman Shade or a Relaxed Roman Shade.  The great thing about a Roman Shade is it gives you easy light control in the room, as well as a treatment that when retracted only enhances the window without overpowering. 

The Flat Roman Shade is one that is more appropriate for everyday use that will be raised and lowered, since its construction is more rigid and needs no maintenance to keep it looking good open or closed, while a Relaxed Roman is structurally less stable and is more decorative.  The Relaxed Roman is great for use in a guest room or kitchen where it's a finishing aesthetic detail, not a utilitarian choice.

Flat Roman Shade

Relaxed Roman Shade

All the images of the actual treatments were generated on the Shade Store site, which is a great source to play around with different looks... I chose a graphic pattern, a solid neutral fabric and a lovely colorful stripe.  As you can see each style of treatment showcases the fabric very differently, so all things needed to be considered.  Just remember there's really very little that is technically "WRONG" in design... Have fun with it!