Window dressing

The number of choices seems infinite. Getting the right curtains for your windows and choosing from the different styles and approaches on how to put or arrange them seems rather daunting.
First, decide on the fabric and colour. The desired mood of the room will help in the decision. Heavy silk or velvet is more suited for a formal setting. Billowy linen hints at a more casual outlook. Cotton and cotton blends suit in any kind of decor and produce a neat feel.
In terms of colour, ask yourself whether you want the curtains to stand out or to blend in. For the latter, choose a colour a few degrees darker than the wall or one that is subtly prevalent in the room.
Making your curtains stand out by using a bold colour will provide a dramatic effect. Keep in mind that if you use unlined curtains, sunlight will come through and produce a hue of the curtains' colour in the room.
What should be the length of your curtains? Shorter curtain panels often look boring and drab, generally speaking. The current curtain trend demands you to go greater lengths. Let your curtains just hover around very close to the floor or let them just touch the floor. Or even better is allowing the end of the curtains to fall and fold on the floor up to a couple of inches. This will, however, cause problems when cleaning and will prove inconvenient if you draw curtains often.
To show the view through the window or to let light sunlight pour in, using tie-backs is a sophisticated solution. The curved metal bracket or peg on the wall should complement the décor of the space. You can go for the simple ones or something fancy with gorgeous tassels.
Curtains often cover a large portion of your room. Even when that is not the case, with the window in place a curtain often becomes something we instinctively draw attention to. So here's your chance to flaunt some style!