Looking for window treatment ideas? Meet our top 12 favorite types
Window shades for your home fall into three main categories: hard treatments like shutters, soft treatments like drapes, and layered combinations.
Your choice of window treatment depends on what you need for each room, from light control and privacy to energy efficiency and style.
Cellular shades offer the best insulation, while faux wood blinds resist moisture in kitchens and bathrooms where real wood would warp.
Hiring a local window professional helps you mix and match styles across your home while considering safety features like cordless or motorized operation.
There are a ton of different types of window treatments out there you can try. No matter your style—be it edgy, classic, or minimalist—one of our top 12 picks is sure to suit your tastes and wow your visitors.
Window treatments are anything that modifies a window—usually some sort of covering like shades or shutters that amp up a window’s look. There are so many different types of window treatments, and each one offers a different aesthetic and functionality.
Roman shades consist of one continuous piece of fabric, featuring horizontal folds down the length of the shade. These folds lay flat against the window when down but fold up nicely when raised, combining the soft look of fabric drapery with the functionality of a shade.
Shutters are a classic window treatment choice, adding architectural design directly to your windows. Shutters are on the lower end of custom window treatment costs but can add value to your home.
The elegant design of shutters looks attractive from both the inside and the outside.
Solar shades are also known as “window sunglasses” for their opaque design that allows you to preserve your outside view while also providing considerable light control. Available in openness factors ranging from 3 to 14 percent, you will want to choose a higher openness to let in more light and preserve your view.
Wood blinds are a classic choice for windows and outlast trends or styles. Made of real wood, using various grains and stains, wood blinds remain durable through the years. The warm look of wood blinds, sometimes called plantation shutters, pairs well with other wood furniture, flooring and trim.
Faux wood blinds have the same look as real wood, but are more affordable window treatments because they’re made out of PVC, vinyl or composite wood material. Faux wood blinds are also moisture resistant, making them a great choice for kitchens and bathrooms where real wood would otherwise warp and crack.
Cellular shades are the best insulators of all energy-efficient window treatments. They get their name and insulating properties from their fabric honeycomb cells that trap air between the window and the room. This results in heat gain in the winter and heat loss in the summer.
Window treatment manufacturers make woven wood shades out of a variety of materials, including grasses, reeds and bamboo. These textured shades instantly add a casual, natural feel to your space. You may add liners to increase privacy or include fabric trim to further customize the woven wood shade to your room.
Panel track blinds are made out of a series of fabric panels that slide back and forth to give you optimal light control and privacy.
These blinds are a modern alternative to vertical blinds for covering large windows or sliding glass doors.
Roller shades are one of the most affordable options when it comes to covering your windows. These shades roll up neatly onto a tube, making them appear minimal and discreet when raised. With blackout and light-filtering options, you can choose the amount of light control that you wish for any given room.
Sheer shades are an elegant window covering. These popular window treatments feature two sheer fabric facings over soft fabric vanes.
When vanes are open, diffused light is let inside, and your view to the outside is preserved.
When closed, however, room-darkening styles of sheer shades will completely block out light.
Pleated shades are made from a single piece of fabric with pleats that collapse and stack neatly as you raise the shade. This slat-like effect gives your home a casual, semi-sheer look that allows a considerable amount of light to filter through the window.
Drapery adds style and elegance to your home while also providing functional light control and privacy. Panels hang vertically from hardware at the top to your desired window treatment length.
Available in many different styles, fabrics, colors and patterns, you can easily coordinate drapery to layer with any existing window treatments or simply use panels only.
When looking at the different types of window treatments, remember that child-safe features including cordless and motorized operation are available for all categories.
Before you make a choice about which window treatment to use, consider what you will be doing in each given room. Whether you are sleeping, playing or cooking, you can customize your shade to match your style and provide all of the functions you need. However, if you want to spruce up your windows without adding drapes or shades, decorative window film, which comes in a variety of patterns and colors, can make a big visual impact for a lower cost.
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