When it comes to window treatments, many people don’t give them much thought. As long as the treatments are used to finish up the whole design, many homeowners are content with them. However, do you have the right window treatment for your home?

The right window treatment considerably improves not just the atmosphere but also the purpose of your room. To get the best out of window treatment, you have to figure out which type you want and what it does.

Overview of Window Treatments

A window treatment can be any form of window installation designed to cover and improve the appearance of a window or room. You can also use it to protect the space from external elements and to regulate temperature.

Hard Window Treatments

Hard window treatments are installations made from hard materials. These treatments have much more purpose than beauty.

 If you are looking for window treatments to serve a specific function rather than aesthetics, check the options available through hard window treatments.

Use of Hard Window Treatments

Hard window treatments are great for insulation purposes. When installed properly in the right places, they can lower your heating and AC bills.

In winter, a hard window treatment can be instrumental in keeping heat from seeping out of the room, and the cold air outside from getting in. During hot seasons, hard treatments like blinds or shutters can keep the heat from getting through and maintain room temperature.

Another function of the hard treatment is to regulate light. The treatments soften sunlight to your ideal brightness. This is especially achievable with shutters. You can also achieve blackout if you wish by completely blocking sunlight out of the room.

Shades

Generally, shades are window treatments made of heavy fabric. The treatment comes as rolls or stacks.

While shades are not very good at filtering light like shutters and blinds, they are available in varying ranges of opaqueness. You can decide the density that best suits the lighting in your room.

There are different forms of shades: rollers (which you pull down); Roman shades (which flow down in folds); cellular (honeycomb); and vinyl shades.

Blinds

Blinds are cheap hard window treatments that are purely functional and offer little in terms of style. The treatments are usually made of metal or wood. Mini blinds, however, can be made of vinyl or aluminum.

Shutters

Shutters are quality hard treatments that are usually fitted onto window frames. The treatments come in vertical styles with horizontal planks. Shutters are designed to be robust and, therefore, don’t fold like blinds. However, they are available in varying forms that allow movement. Shutters can be made of wood, vinyl, or polyresin.

Soft Window Treatments

Soft window treatments are made of soft materials, usually fabric. However, while the treatments can be used to regulate sunlight, they are not that effective.

Soft treatments are generally used for aesthetic purposes. They are beautiful and come in varying designs, colors, texture, and pattern. The treatments offer “finishing” to a room in the form of decoration, giving the room a warm look and feel of a home.

Curtains

Curtains are soft window treatments usually made of soft fabric hanging on metal or plastic grommets on a rod above the window frame. The treatments are not permanent or even semi-permanent. They are easily removed and replaced like windows.

Curtains come in pairs that you can part to the sides. The treatments vary in their range of sizes, fabrics used, colors, and designs. Curtains are lightweight and have no meaningful ability to regulate sunlight or temperatures. They are installed only to create a nice finish to a room by complimenting the furniture as well as design.

Unlike other window treatments, draperies included, curtains do have to be custom-made. This makes them pretty cheap and popular. They also come in endless designs and patterns, which make custom fittings unnecessary.

Draperies

Just like curtains, draperies are fabric panels that often add a luxurious feel to the room. They are not that different from curtains, except they are made of heavy, expensive fabric. They are also a lot more expensive compared to curtains, mostly because of the rich material and intricate designs.

Draperies or drapes offer limitless designs and colors to embellish a room. You can also customize them to suit a particular architectural design.

On the other hand, draperies can provide the functionality for completely barring sunlight from entering the room. However, unlike hard window treatments, drapes don’t offer temperature regulation or much of anything else, except decoration.

Other Options

Other less popular forms of window treatments are molding and valances. There are also direct glass treatments such as stained glass (popular in cathedrals), and frosted glass sometimes used for bathroom windows.

Window treatments are excellent additions to your room. Whichever type you choose to go with, you may want to consult an interior designer or window specialist so that you can get the best bang for your buck.