So what will it be? Drapes or blinds? Or maybe curtains or shades? While there are so many different styles and types of window treatments available, the deciding factor should be whether the room requires privacy or light. Today, we are going to show you how you can find the right style of window covering for your space with some popular window treatment options. Let’s get started!

Drapes

Drapes can make a bold style statement. Plus, you will find that there are endless design possibilities. From simple cotton gauze to intricate patterns, you can easily find something that complements your room’s decor. Additionally, drapes are perfect for areas of the home that require more privacy, such as the bedroom. Drapes provide a good level of privacy while allowing natural light to flow into the room.

Roller Shades

Roller shades are easy to install and best suited for small windows. Roller shades provide a clean, stylish look. Plus, they are available in a wide range of colors and fabrics. You can select from many different light filtering options, including blackout shades. For increased functionality, you can purchase roller shades that have a motorized lift, cordless lift, or a continuous cord loop that is attached to the wall. Roller shades are great for bathrooms.

Blackout Curtains

Blackout curtains allow you to completely control the amount of light that streams into a room. This type of window covering blocks sunlight from the room. Blackout curtains are made with an inside lining that light cannot penetrate. Blackout curtains are great to install in areas of the home, such as the bedroom or the nursery.

Cellular Shades

Cellular shades are an energy-efficient window treatment option. They aid in preventing air from seeping into the room. Install cellular shades in rooms that require maximum privacy. In rooms with cellular shades, you can walk around without having to worry about being seen. This type of window covering also allows a lot of natural light.

Semi-Sheer Curtains

Semi-sheer curtains provide very little privacy, but they allow you to enjoy the beauty of natural light. Such window coverings are common in areas of the home, such as the living room or the family room. When purchasing semi-sheer curtains, choose a density based on the amount of privacy and light that you desire.

Did you know that Carpets N More offers window coverings? For more information on our selection, visit us here.

If you are ready to bring some style to a space with a stylish window treatment, then you are probably either considering purchasing curtains or drapes. Curtains and drapes are popular window treatment options. For many shoppers, both options are considered the same. Although, according to home decor experts, drapes and curtains are quite different from each other.

The Difference

Both curtains and drapes will instantly add a sense of style to a room and make your window more appealing. However, here are some of the key aspects of each form of window covering:

Curtains

Curtains are generally made from a thin and lightweight fabric that is simply designed to add a decorative flair to the window. While window coverings like blinds and shades are installed inside the window, curtains are mounted outside the window. Curtains can partially or completely cover a window depending on what type you purchase and how you install them. Plus, some curtains run to the windowsill while others are floor length.

Curtains are often used in combination with other window coverings such as blinds or shades. Curtains can help extend the life of your existing window treatments by preventing them from continually getting dirty so that you do not have to clean them as often. In addition, you can protect your blinds or shades from damage with curtains.

Since curtains are made from a translucent material and are not usually produced with lining, you cannot expect high levels of privacy and insulation. When used without blinds or shades, you will not be able to block out the light during the daytime.

Drapes

Unlike curtains, drapes are made from thick and heavy materials that can effectively block out the sunlight. Drapes are typically floor length. Compared to curtains, drapes are much more expensive since they are usually of higher quality.

Drapes have excellent insulating and soundproofing properties. Thick thermal drapes will keep the heat inside the room and hold cold air at bay during the winter months. They also provide a dampening effect to loud noises.

While curtains are more informal, drapes are formal and add a sophisticated flair to a room. Therefore, drapes are ideal for a room, such as the dining room or the living room, where you will be entertaining guests.

Now that you have all the facts, what are your thoughts? Do you prefer curtains or drapes? Let us know below in the comment section.

Curtains bring a sense of privacy and security to a room. They allow you to block out the sun and allow you that coveted, extra hour of sleep on the weekends. Curtains keep your television free of glare so that you can have everyone over to watch the early game despite it being a sunny afternoon. They provide you with a bit of privacy, even if you live so close to your neighbor that you could practically borrow sugar without leaving the house. Plus, curtains can also be that pop of color or touch of refinement that a room needs to feel complete. With the right knowledge, you want to choose curtains that are both purposeful and aesthetically-pleasing to your home. To help, we have four things you will want to consider.

What Type of Fabric?

Fabric choice is an excellent place to start when choosing your curtains. It is crucial to consider the purpose that your curtains will serve in any given room. Do you want privacy from the neighbors? Do you work the night shift and need to keep your room dark enough during the day to sleep? Blackout curtains may be the way to go. Possibly, you want to still let some natural light into the room, or you may just want to add dimension and another texture to the room. Velvet curtains are a great choice if you want a blackout curtain. Cotton and linen curtains range quite a bit in opacity, making them a great option if you still wish to add natural light. If you love the look of cotton or linen but need them to block out the light completely, you can always double them with a blackout lining.

Length and Width

Choosing the aesthetically-correct curtain for your windows can be difficult. For this project, let us move from the ground up to the ceiling. A good rule of thumb is to allow your curtains just to touch the ground – they should never hang higher than the floor. If you are trying for a more intimate look, you can let the curtains pool on the ground; this is only suggested for lighter cotton or linen curtains.

Once you have determined where you want the curtains to land, you must decide how high you would like them to hang. Typically, curtains are hung directly above the window frame, but you can create the illusion of taller windows by hanging the curtains just below the ceiling. In a similar fashion, you can create the illusion of wider windows by hanging the curtains outside of the window frame.

Color and Pattern Choice

Here is your chance to set the tone for your room with your curtains. Neutral and solid color curtains are timeless and can add elegance and refinement to a space. If your walls are a neutral color, you can add bold colored and dynamically-patterned curtains to change the look and feel of a room dramatically.

Hardware

The choice of hardware is another opportunity to either help your curtains blend in or stand out against the rest of the room. Curtain rods come in a variety of styles, so you can use them to add an extra touch of victorian refinement, rustic charm, industrial flair, or whatever style you may wish to accentuate in your home. Tiebacks and hooks are great opportunities to add flair or elegance to your curtains’ look.

The right type of curtains can bring something new and exciting to a room. They keep the light out when needed and can help solidify the style and feeling you wish to create in your home. Take these simple tips into account when shopping for your next set of curtains at Carpets N More.

Are you looking for ways to refresh your home’s design? If so, it may be the perfect time to reconsider your window treatments. While textiles, colors, and accessories add visual interest to the room, your window solutions can be the thing that grasps the attention of your guests. If you are ready to get creative, here are some unique window treatment trends that suit all budgets and styles:

Decorative Window Films

A lot of common window treatments are drapes, blinds, and shutters, but window film can provide privacy while letting in natural light. Decorative window film is made from a flexible vinyl substance that is cut to fit each individual window. You can find window film in a variety of colors, finishes and there is a range of patterns from florals to geometrics. Decorative window films are generally inexpensive.

You may be wondering, where are some areas in the home that really benefit from window film? You can get creative in your kid’s bedroom by choosing a film featuring a funky design. Combine with curtains for more privacy. In rooms such as the kitchen that do not require a high level of privacy window, the film would be a great alternative option.

Jewel Tones

Curtains and drapes with rich jewel tones like deep, dark reds, subtle blues, and rich greens can be great additions to any room. These hues create an air of sophistication and will make you feel like you are living in a luxurious space.

Personalize Your Window Treatment

Customize your window treatments to your personal taste by adding some embellishments. This is a great idea for store-bought pieces. You can add trim to cafe style or standard sized drapes and curtains. Go further by adding beads, shells, and buttons as you see fit.

Natural Elements

Using window treatments that are derived from natural or organic materials have become a popular choice. To embrace this trend, you can select window dressings such as matchstick blinds, woven shades, or bamboo design. You can combine such earthy materials with sheer linen panels for added detail.

Layering Shades

Another trend is to layer different types of shades. For example, you can install a sheer shade next to a window that has a blackout shade hanging from it. You can also layer a sheer curtain with a thicker drape on top of it on one window.

How do you dress up your windows? We would love to hear your style and inspiration in the comment section.

Hunter Douglas, the number one manufacturer of window treatments and designs in the USA, came up with 10 window trends for any homemaker to use. Read on and make sure to apply the following tips to update your home’s look.

Sheer Fabrics– Soft and see-through fabrics are becoming popular nowadays. Credit goes to the popularity it enjoyed in Asia. Create a soft and undulating look to your windows with these fabrics.

Controlled day lighting– Many of Hunter Douglas products possess automation features for blinds, louvers, slats, panels and vanes that can control just how much light you want in a room or in what direction you would like it to go.

Window walls– Also called ‘open spaces’, it’s becoming popular for some rooms such as bathrooms to have window walls to create or vanish the sense of privacy and increase intimacy.

Complementing with rugs– Window treatments are used to complement a favorite area rug in terms of color, shade, material and even size.

Cornices– A window treatment will never be complete without the finishing touch, a cornice.

Window gadgets– Hunter Douglas has a wide array of controls and gadgets to control the performance of your window treatments as far as amount of lighting and direction of light is concerned.

Eco friendly design– The Duette product comes in a honeycomb within a honeycomb design that offers natural heat insulation and traps harmful UV rays, thus reducing energy costs.

Online support– One can upload a photo of her own room in the Hunter Douglas website and can see instant outcome by trying on any Hunter Douglas products.

Room darkening fabrics-Products that can darken the room efficiently, thus making a person relax more and sleep better.

New! Neutral colors– Color trends tend to go to neutral palettes and new colors such as pale pink, purple and green.

Window treatments have the ability to give any room a finishing touch and practicality. When considering what type of treatment to invest in, consider adding automatic window coverings. This type of treatment is motorized and available in a wide variety of colors and sizes.

Conventional window treatments are operable using a manual cord; which can become annoyingly tangled as well as a safety hazard to children and pets. A window with out cords looks clean and streamlined.  Installing automatic window treatments can add value to your home in more ways than one. These treatments provide everyday advantages such as comfort, safety and energy efficiency. Investing in such an upgrade adds considerable value to a home.

Automatic window treatments allow you to choose the desired amount of sunlight you let in; thus providing visual comfort to you and your family. Most automatic treatments include a timer setting. This feature can allow you to protect your furnishings from fading and increase privacy at any given time. Setting your window treatments to a timer can have the same added safety affect as having your lights set to a timer while away.

A number of brands offer sun-sensing technology; which senses the intensity of sunlight and can adjust accordingly to your needs. Having the option to control the amount of sun light that comes in through your windows is energy efficient because it increases the insulation quality of your home. Windows not only let light in, they also allow temperature gain and loss.

Automatic coverings give you options for saving energy each season. Having better quality and control of your insulation will keep heating and cooling cost down considerably. For example one could set the timer to open during the sun’s strongest hours of the day, in order to heat up the interior during winter. Closed blinds at night keep the warm air in and cold air out (the reversed effect is true for summer).

The many advantages of having motorized window coverings far exceeds manual, conventional window coverings. Automatic coverings will most likely pay for themselves within three to five years based on energy savings and added resale value. From an aesthetic standpoint these coverings are ideal because they do not distract or detract views; while adding a sense of warmth and comfort. The window coverings that have cords are obsolete now and will soon be extinct. Make your life easier and make the switch from manual to automatic.

October is child safety month, and today’s parents have the ability to keep their children safer than yesterday’s, thanks to the many changes in home products.

One major change came from window blinds and shades. When the industry faced concerns about the dangers posed to children and pets by hanging cords, some manufacturers redesigned products to make them much more child-safe.

Hunter Douglas has proved to be an industry leader in this area. They manufacture the only roman shades with no exposed cords, avoiding choking risks. The company also developed a safer tassel on their wooden blinds that breaks open under pressure if a child or pet becomes tangled in the cord loop.

Other Hunter Douglas window products have no cords at all. Their LiteRise^® system eliminates cords completely. Shades or blinds can be raised or lowered to any desired position by pushing up from the top or down from the bottom. When you stop moving the blind or shade, it locks in the final position automatically.

An even easier tool available with Hunter Douglas window treatments is their motorized lifting system with a remote control to raise or lower your shades or blinds by pushing a button. There is one child safety issue with this product, however. Will you be tempted to strangle your children when they first discover this and your shades go up and down and up and down? For your sanity’s sake, just as with your television, put the remote beyond their reach!

When considering the purchase of window coverings, there are several things to keep in mind. Hunter Douglas provides everything you need to make your windows a beautiful expression of the way you live.

Considerations:

• Light Source – different products are designed depending on which direction your windows face
• Privacy – Do you need privacy from people such as neighbors or from objects outside that are not something you want to constantly view?
• Style – Traditional, contemporary, relaxed, formal, country warmth or urban sophistication. No matter what your style, Hunter Douglas has a product for you
• Color – Hunter Douglas stays on top of all of the latest color trends to offer you all of the color choices you could want
• Shapes – Have a difficult shape? From arches to angles, circular to Palladian, there is a Hunter Douglas product to fit your shape
• Special needs – need special assistance operating your window coverings? Hunter Douglas offers a variety of lifting options such as remote controls
• Energy efficiency – Hunter Douglas window coverings are impressively energy efficient
• UV Protection – Built in ultraviolet protection gives you the power to reduce harmful rays that can fade carpet and furniture
• Safety – Kids, pets or loose cords can spell trouble. Hunter Douglas offers operating systems and special features that are designed to keep your home safe

For more information and picture of specific products, visit the Hunter Douglas website or our product catalog here. There’s a variety of tools and a wealth of knowledge to be discovered!