2014 Smart Bedroom Window Treatments Ideas

Window treatments are decorative assets, but in a bedroom where privacy is key to feeling serene and calm window treatments are your strongest ally. They also can ensure a good night's sleep by blocking unwanted light and even dampening noise. Here are some window treatment options to help you make your bedroom an oasis.

Just as in the dining room or living room, a window treatment should suit the decorative style you are aiming for in your bedroom. And a room with precisely aligned bedding and symmetrical furniture placement calls for an equally crisp window dressing. It doesn't have to feel stuffy and formal, however. This plush design includes an upholstered valance, called a cornice, which tops the window with cushioned softness. It's also a neat camouflage to cover the clanking rods and rings that hold the curtains below. Made from softly tactile fabric, the curtains draw closed to shut out the light. Altogether, the look is a taut-yet-luxurious backdrop for the bed.

For bedrooms with less structured style, there are plenty of casual window treatments to choose from. Roman shades offer the color and pattern of fabric, or the textural variety of woven fibers, and they dampen noises. Plantation shades, shutters, and wood blinds are effective at light control and are integral in cottage or transitional decorating styles. In this room, the windows are dressed to deal with light and noise, but they also provide color and pattern to perk up the space. The lined curtains add cheerful color, while the subtle ivory privacy shade underneath glows brightly in natural light.

Sometimes all you need is one effective window treatment. Curtains with blackout lining block light, cellular shades are insulating against wintry chills, and cafe curtains let you see the view when privacy isn’t an issue. In the case of this bedroom, a single Roman shade made from woven rattan is a neat, tidy look at the window. Like an actor in an ensemble case, it performs as needed. It complements the colors and patterns of the bedding, but it doesn’t compete for attention, letting the bed take the starring role.

Although one is nice, a lot can be said for two window treatments working together in a bedroom, where function and style go hand in hand. For function, install a hardworking foundation, such as these plantation shutters. They control light and noise from outside and are an insulating barrier for cold glass. Yet they are hard, angular, and bland. The curtain panels provide softness, color, and pattern. Mounted above the windows, they don't interfere with the function of the shutters. They also help dampen noise inside the room, acting as sound absorbers to create a hushed and comforting environment.