Curtains or “Window Treatments?”
By Paige Mettarod

Who wants to just hang curtains anymore? Now we install “window treatments.” If you look online you’ll find that we can dress up windows in so many ways.

If you’re like me, maybe you have had the same old curtains hanging around for ten years or more. This year I’m going to do something to improve the look of every room in the house. I’ll do them one at a time. The first thing to go is going to be the old curtains! Curtains can change the whole look and feel of a room. They affect how much light gets in and what color that light will appear. Darken the bedroom with thicker, darker curtains or brighten the sunroom with white sheers.
 
My project required me to learn a new vocabulary. I had to know what to ask for. I found a good resource at www.countrycurtains.com. You’ll find details on fabrics, measuring, installation and curtain styles. They’ve got some articles on decorating, too. I liked the link about “Learn About Curtains.” I learned the proper names for lots of styles I’ve been seeing all my life and a bunch of new ones, too. You’ll see an A to Z list of curtain styles. For example, do you know what valances are? Or balloon curtains?

I needed pictures to help me, too. You can give me a whole paragraph describing a valance, but unless you show it to me, I’m going to wonder what you’re talking about. Now I don’t sew myself, but look at www.patemeadows.com. They’ve got curtain patterns for those who are so inclined. Their photo gallery helped me a lot and gave me some new ideas.

Keep looking until you find what you like. Sometimes you’ll like the shape, but not the fabric they used. You can usually find it the way you want it. Look around for the ones that you really like. Have fun dressing your windows!

For more information about curtains, click on this link