Dressing windows for stylish rooms

For years it seemed that every designer under the sun was maximizing each room’s exposure to the sun’s rays by leaving windows starkers. But modernism has now embraced ye olde yard goods as part of the mix (especially the glamorous mix), and curtains are definitely back.

 

Here are some tips:
Cover an entire window wall (or two) with crisp white sheers. This will not only soften the room but heighten the drama (and glamour quotient) and make the room seem more finished. It’s also the best way to handle oddly shaped or asymmetrical windows.

Curtains are not just for windows anymore. You can have a drapery wall without even having fenestration - and you can hang art in front of or behind the curtains (if it’s sheer enough). Interior draperies - those that stand-in for walls instead of just hanging in front of them - are a terrific and inexpensive way of setting off one room from another visually, especially in small spaces.

 

 

For maximum glamour, draperies should puddle or at least break (which means they’re a little bit longer than the distance between the rod and the floor).

BELOW: Simple sheer panels with loops for hanging but added a thick taffeta border which give the curtains the look of a wedding gown with a hint of train.

BELOW: There is no strict and fast rule that drapes need to be a single colour, our even two colours. One way to add colour and complement colours already used in a room is to take them to the windows.