If you plan to add classic look to your windows there is nothing better than Roman blinds. They are made of a single piece of material that is rolled into pleats. You can adjust the amount of light entering the room by controlling these pleats, through the attached cord. Roman blinds are perfect for bedrooms, living room, study room, bathrooms, or in short, for the entire house. They are very easy to clean and maintain, making them the best option to decorate your house.

The myth is these blinds were were invented in Rome and hence the name but others believe these were invented somewhere in the Mediterranean but popularized by the Romans. Whatever be the history the Roman blinds serve as one of the best ways to decorate your room giving it a neo-classical look. Apart from adding classic look to your rooms, Roman blinds also save electricity spent on heating and cooling your home during extreme weather conditions.

Roman blinds can be made with all kinds of fabric be it finely spun silk or the more durable linen or cotton or even paper. Roman blinds made of bamboo are also becoming popular these days. Roman blinds are available in all shapes, sizes and colors. You can customize the look of your room regularly by using different sets of Roman blinds during different seasons of the year to moderate the room temperature. Roman blinds come in all fixtures and mechanisms to fit in all kinds of windows.

If you want to add your personal touch to the blinds you can always make them at home from scratch. Many self help guides are available to help you design your own blinds. Or you have various options available in the market to choose from and add class to your home.

Fabric curtains are perhaps most popular among window treatments. You may opt for a light fabric or the heavier drape. With the different types of fabrics on the market, your choice is endless.

Your selection will depend on the color of the room, privacy required, how hot or cold you want it to be and the amount of light you prefer entering your room. For instance, if you want to optimize the amount of light entering your room, choose a light fabric with light color and soft patterns on it rather than a heavy drape. If your window gets a lot of sunlight, avoid using dark colored materials, as they will fade quickly. Other parameters you should keep in mind while choosing fabric for curtains is size of the room, the shape of the window and the color and upholstery of the furniture.

If your are buying curtains for a room that is used formally, use fabrics such as brocade, damask, faille, silk, velvet or velveteen. If it is for an informal room choose from bouclé, chintz, cotton sateen, linen and sheeting. If it is for a casual room choose from broadcloth, burlap, canvas, corduroy, denim, muslin, poplin, suede cloth or tweed.

Don’t forget to check the label for washing instructions.

Before you look for fabric make sure you measure your window accurately. To determine the length of the pole to hang the curtain from, you first have to decide on the length of the curtain: sill length, below sill length or floor length. The thickness of the pole will also depend on the weight of the fabric. The width of the curtain should be a little more than the width of the window. It can be up to three times the width of the window if you want a lot of gathers.

Lining your curtain protects it from damage due to dust, sunlight (especially if its dark colored curtain) and in insulating the room. You need not line your fabric curtain if they’re light, you don’t want to cut off too much sunlight and the room temperature is controlled.

Curtains are materials that are hung over a window for decoration and other purposes. The main purposes are to provide privacy, block sunlight and decoration.

If the window looks onto streets or sidewalks, then curtains can be used for privacy. Translucent curtains like net curtains or sheer curtains will only block sunlight partially. These types of curtains do not provide any privacy, especially at night. For privacy opaque curtains are better.

Curtains are also used …

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Curtains are materials that are hung over a window for decoration and other purposes. The main purposes are to provide privacy, block sunlight and decoration.

If the window looks onto streets or sidewalks, then curtains can be used for privacy. Translucent curtains like net curtains or sheer curtains will only block sunlight partially. These types of curtains do not provide any privacy, especially at night. For privacy opaque curtains are better.

Curtains are also used for light control to prevent glare, for sleeping during the day, or watching TV etc. Opaque curtains are suited for light control. For partial light control sheer or net type curtains are better suited.

Curtains are also used for increasing the aesthetic appeal of a room. An elegant curtain greatly increases the aesthetics of a room and gives an opulent look. On the contrary dirty or ill matched curtains give a room a gloomy look. When the window looks onto a street it is better to give thought to the underside of the curtain as the curtain can be seen from outside and will dictate the appearance of the house.

Types of Curtains.

There are lots of varieties of curtains available in the market today. Few of them are:

Curtain Valance. These have deep frill fabrics framing the window and usually the curtain rod is hidden. They generally have pleated heading. The pleated headings can be decorated using braid, ribbons, tassels and trimmings.

Cascade Curtains. Cascaded curtains consist of two or more curtains hung over the window. The tiers are hung from transoms.

Shirred curtains. These types of curtains have the fabric threaded through curtain rods at the top and bottom.

Tie back curtains. These curtains are gathered at the sides of the window and decoratively tied back at the lower part of the curtain with a sleeve or cord.

Café curtains. These are designed to cover only half of the window and are stationary. They are usually used in kitchens and bathrooms for privacy and are made form scalloped headings.

Pelmets. Pelmets are structures mounted above the windows on which the curtain rod is fixed.

The choice of curtains depends on the purpose for which the curtains are being installed. Color, fabric and style of curtain give the room a formal or informal appearance. There are lots of decorative rods, pelmets, cordings, sleeves, beads, fringes, rings, eyelets available in the market to decorate curtains. Also a thought should be given on safety for floor length curtains when pets and children are present in the house.

Beaded curtains make windows colorful and are especially good if you want a dramatic entrance to a room. They have been used in Asia for many decades and their popularity in the West rose dramatically in the 1960s. A string of beads are hung from a rod and this was used to achieve the perfect bohemian look that was in vogue at that time. Different types of beads were used to make the door/window colorful and attractive.

Besides being used for doors and windows, beaded curtains are also used to divide a room. They are commonly used in small shops or restaurants to cordon off the storage room or kitchen. You can also use beaded curtains to divide you room. They are used to cover open closets, sleeping quarters and storage areas.

Beaded curtains are popular today with the spread of interest in Feng Shui, according to which passing though a beaded curtain will have soothing effects. It is also believed that positive energy is spread when air passes through the beads.

Different types of beads are used in making beaded curtains. These include glass, wood, plastic, bamboo, acrylic and sometimes even crystals and gemstones. Beads are normally cheap and if you don’t want to buy the curtain readymade, this is a simple project you can undertake at home. You can use as many materials as you like in varied sizes and shapes.

Beaded curtains are also popular as they are low maintenance. If they get dirty, rinse them in soapy water. If your beaded curtain breaks, you don’t have to worry as you can either mend them or since they are inexpensive, replace them with new ones.

If you’re looking into adding some fresh decorative touches to your home, a good place to start is with your window treatments.  But it can be a bit daunting to your budget to purchase window treatments for an entire room.  However, there are many window treatment options available that you can do yourself, and you never even have to pick up a needle or thread a sewing machine. With a little imagination and some simple connectors, any piece of fabric can easily and quickly be transformed into a window treatment.  So find a fabric that suits your home décor and personal style, and choose something that already has finished edges, such as a vintage linen or printed sheet. Then choose a grommet, clip, hook, or cord to hang it with, and you’ll have a beautifully simple and inexpensive window treatment that reflects your personal style and creativity.
Grommets, slipped over wall hooks, produce a simple, crisp window treatment. Generally, a hammer and a grommet tool works at least as well for setting just a few grommets.  The grommet prevents the hook from tearing through the hole. You can thread rayon cording through grommets and tie behind the grommets to create loops to hang from a wooden dowel or hooks above the window.

There are also stylish clips that can be found at flea markets and antique stores that simply latch onto the fabric.  Home decorating and import stores also carry clip-on rings to hang curtains from.

You can even use buttons on curtains.  Simply thread fine wire through the holes and sections of ribbon and simply twist the wire on the back side to create simple ribbon loops to hang the curtain with.

Let your creativity be your guide, and you can craft window treatments that reflect your personality and style.  You’re only limited by your own imagination.