The art of window dressing

Getting the right look for your window can make all the difference to the room. Large or small, whatever the size of the window, with proper planning and an eye for detail, you can turn it into a work of art.

Especially now since there is a large range of curtain, pelmet and blind styles available in the market from which you can pick and choose. The new look curtain pole is a design statement in itself. Amazing decorative and ornate finials will make a window treatment look truly stunning.

Wrought iron poles with matching hold-backs and poles are in great fashion these days. Even if you have a unique style in mind, any person who is in the business of making grills or wrought iron garden furniture should be able to make it for you.

Though the standard colour finishes are black, copper and white, other colours, too, can be made on order. If wrought iron is not your style then there are wooden or brass poles that you could use. Choosing the right fabric for the window curtain is very important.

A good way to overcome the problem of walking into a specialty store and getting baffled by the variety of designs available, is to quickly categorize in one’s mind the basic type of requirement. Remember the basic categories — whether the curtains are for the drawing-room, bedroom, dining room, children’s room or pantry.

See what your budget is and depending on that make your purchases. Don’t overemphasize the importance of the curtain because the other aspects of interior design like furniture, carpets and objects of art should stand out. Here are a few tips that could be useful to you.

• The curtain fabric should gel with the upholstery used for the furniture. The design and colour must merge and NOT clash with each other.
• If the sofa design is busy then go in for plain colour curtains so that they match well.
• Do not buy very thick fabric because the pleats will not fall well.
• For the pantry and children’s room, go in for bright colours and washable fabric.
• For the master bedroom go in for plain soothing colours so that they don’t clash with bedspreads.
• Preferably, curtain material should be of subtle designs. Go in for neutral shades so that it matches well with your paintings, wall hangings and other decorative objects in the room.