Where to Start

Begin by tackling one room at a time and asking yourself a few key questions:

• How much natural light does this room get, and how much of that light do I want to maintain?

• How will I use this space, and what level of privacy do I need?

• What’s my aesthetic goal for this room—how do I want it to feel?

• What other textiles, colors, and patterns am I planning to incorporate?

Pro Tip: Add Variety. Think about window treatments on a room-by-room basis rather than choosing a single style for the entire home. Different rooms serve different purposes and their window treatments should reflect that.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a clear roadmap for selecting the right window treatments. Below is our guide to the types of window treatments we sell here at Draperie—and when to choose them based on your answers above.

Curtains

Curtains are an excellent option for adding warmth and coziness to a space. They also offer great flexibility when it comes to controlling light and privacy.

Where to Use Them:

• Bedrooms: These spaces should feel soft, warm, cozy, and private—and nothing achieves that quite like curtains.

• Living Rooms: Curtains help create a comfortable, inviting atmosphere while allowing for adjustable privacy.

• Rooms that need complete darkness at certain times: Blackout curtains are essential for light sleepers, children’s rooms, and home theaters.

• Spaces with lots of walls or hard surfaces: In rooms with a single window or extensive wall space, curtains help soften the overall look and feel.

• Spaces with maxed out patterns: Did you choose a wallpaper for your space? Break up the pattern with soft solid curtains or a pattern in a smaller scale.

Pro Tip: Double up your window treatment if you need extra privacy. If your bedroom or living room looks directly out to your neighbors - layer your curtains with an unlined woven wood shade. This will give you privacy when your curtains are open during the day while still allowing light in. 

Cafe Curtains

Cafe curtains are an excellent option for spaces where you want to maintain natural light while still gaining privacy. Because they cover only the lower portion of the window, they provide practical privacy without blocking the upper view and light.

Where to Use Them:

• Bathrooms: Cafe curtains are an ideal solution for bathrooms, where privacy is always needed. A traditional shade would likely stay down most of the time, cutting off light and completely blocking the view. Cafe curtains, on the other hand, can remain closed while still allowing ample light to filter in and keeping the window partially visible.

• Kitchens: Kitchens tend to have lots of hard surfaces, and the soft movement of a cafe curtain helps balance and soften the space.

• Laundry Rooms, Mudrooms & Utility Rooms: Cafe curtains add a charming, vintage touch to these functional spaces. Like kitchens, these rooms can feel visually “hard,” and a cafe curtain introduces a softer, more decorative element—especially when you incorporate color or pattern.

Pro Tip: Consider your Rod Placement. The higher you mount your cafe curtain, the more privacy you’ll achieve. In bathrooms or other spaces that require additional coverage, install the rod about three-quarters of the way up the window for maximum privacy.

 

Woven Wood Shades

Woven wood shades are a cost effective way to add privacy, texture and warmth to your decor. All of our woven wood shades are unlined, they allow a ton of natural light in while still providing privacy.

Where to use them:

Almost anywhere! These are a great choice for almost any window - except where the room is really calling for fabric - and even then you can layer woven woods with curtains to provide the warmth and softness these don’t bring.

Keep In Mind: Unlined woven wood shades won’t provide full privacy at night. All of our Woven Wood shades are unlined and therefore fairly sheer. They allow ample light to come through during the day, but this does mean they don’t offer full privacy at night when it is dark outside and lights are on inside. For example, if the TV is on people won’t be able to see what you are watching, but they will be able to see the glow of the TV.

Pro-tip: Inside Vs. Outside Mount, if you can, default to inside mount - it looks cleaner and is definitely the better option if you plan to layer your shades with drapes. This is especially true if you have nice trim that you would like to highlight. Inside mounting requires about 3” of wood space in between your window and the face of the trim. If you don't have the space, opt for an outside mount.

Chosen your window treatments? Now it's time to measure. Check out our comprehensive measurement guide to get started. 

Need more inspiration? Check out our gallery to see how we've styled Draperie.