Window, Window on the Wall

How many of you break into a cold, hard sweat at the thought of window treatments?  Well, you are not alone. All that measuring and oh my, what if you get it wrong?
Well, today I'm going to tell you some of the tricks of the trade. Show you what it takes to get that "designer" look in your home.

1. All window treatments need to be lined.  Spiderman panels in little Adrian's room may look cute (that's debatable) but not from the outside.  Line, Line, Line.  Think about the last time you were walking behind someone with white pants on, viewing the heart adorned panties- just ain't right. Designer tip- Make sure all window treatments are lined in the same neutral color.  I like white or cream. 
2. For stationary panels: Double the width of store bought panels and use 1.5 time width if you are custom fabricating. So that means four store bought panels for one window. If you are having your panels custom fabricated you'll want 1.5 times the width of the fabric, e.g., 54" width should end up at width of  54+27=finish width of 81".  So when thinking in these terms and you want your finished panel to be 108"  your running length needs to be as follows: 108" + 6" for hem + 6" for rod pocket, so you'll need 120" or ten yards per panel.  So that mean a total of 30 yards. Ten for the left stationary panel, ten for the right and ten more yards where the width will be split at 27" and added to each side panel to create the required fullness.  Don't be cheap with your fabric, it always shows.
3. Hang em as high as possible.  Just below the crown molding works for me.
   Don't stop your panels at the bottom of the sill.  Bring them to the floor, unless there's a tub or counter-top below, and then re-think your idea of using panels.  Would a cornice work better?
4. If the look you are aiming for is puddling - make sure they puddle.  Any less and it looks like a mistake.  Well fitting panels will brush the floor.  Be careful that once you "tie" back the panels that they don't appear too short.  Not using tie backs is a more modern look, but if you are going to use them, don't just hook the two ends together, instead screw both ends into the wall. You won't ever have to mess with them again.
5. If you are using two stationary panels (left and right side of window) use two rods.  Don't cheap out and only purchase one rod.  Why would you want to look at that big, empty rod everyday?
   When placing your rods on the wall, remember, you only want to cover the outside corner of the window. Come into the window maybe 6"- 8" with the rod, just enough to cover the corners of the windows.  If you going to tie back the panel, you may need to come in a bit further. If space allows, I like taking the rod a good 6"-10" beyond the outside corner of a window to make the window look wider.

Tipsy Tips:

"Metallic surfaces are hot "Silver, bronze and gold metallic fabrics layered with sheers are making a grand appearance in homes today. The simple layering of these metallics draped from a classic metal rod blends beautifully with the latest color trends.

Charcoal and slate are the new neutrals and layer really well with the metallics.
Be sure to double your width on store bought and 1.5 on custom.

Multiple windows don't have to have the same treatment styles.  If your living room slider and dining room windows are in a single space, spice up the look by adding stationary panels on the slider and a padded cornice on the dining windows with sheers to add some light.  The best way to accomplish a cohesive look is to keep the fabrics the same, (cornice in DR and panels in LR) but just change the style of treatment.

Fence posts and closet dowels from your local hardware store make inexpensive, custom looking hardware for hanging window treatments.  They can be stained or painted to accent any decor.

Below are some "before and after" shots of a recent installation.  The first two are of a breakfast nook.  We used an inexpensive sheer fabric and added a border of expensive fabric at the top and bottom to add depth and give it that designer look.

The next two pictures are of a living room.  The windows are huge.  Instead of dealing with the extreme height, we choose to go way above the first set of windows and hang from there.  This cut the cost considerably, as well as added balance to the room.  What you can't see are the dining room windows, which do not have the height as in the living room. Had we treated the living room at full height, the dining room windows would have been dwarfed.

The picture on the left is show using simple, inexpensive, painted fence posts screwed in  the wall. We followed the curve of the window.
The next picture shows nail heads used in the window cornice to mimic small nail heads in dining room chairs.