Window Treatment Ideas for Bedrooms

One of the rooms that every homemaker is keen to decorate with unmatched elegance and full-on functionality is the bedroom. A cozy appeal, a feel-good ambiance, and a touch of glamor complete the aesthetics in good taste. But that’s not all, the bedroom must be so planned that we can effortlessly fall into a deep undisturbed sleep to be rejuvenated for the next day. And bedroom window treatments take up a big part of that responsibility. 

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Varied Options for Bedroom Window Treatments

Bedroom window treatments need high functionality to provide the highest level of privacy and effective control over the inflow of light. We want a bright and airy ambiance when awake and a den-like coziness and enclosure at sleep time. 

Additionally, during extreme heat and cold weather, we also want some extra insulation from window treatments to maintain the room temperature. Finding bedroom window treatments that meet all these needs efficiently can be a challenge. 

So to help you along on your journey, our stylists enlist below the various options available, so you can weigh the pros and cons of each and make a choice that suits your bedrooms perfectly.

READ MORE: 5 TIPS FOR DRESSING A WINDOW FOR PRIVACY

Curtains & Drapes

The most traditional and popular bedroom window treatments, curtains are the one and only type that make generous use of fabric and utilize its full potential to drape gracefully. Lavish employment of the drapery fabric assures flawless privacy and light control that is unparalleled in such efficiency. 

Easily the most insulative of all window treatments, curtains are also high on elegance and opulence. Being a fabric treatment, curtains have limitless potential to feature any color, pattern, and texture that may be needed for a room’s decor, making the design venture that much more uncomplicated and enjoyable. 

Well suited for traditional homes where blinds and shades may prove too modern, drapes with their rounded pleats and ruffled looks express maximalism with utmost ease.

Getting all the boxes ticked for ideal bedroom window treatments and additionally exuding informal appeal and softness, curtains and drapes almost look like a default option. The exceptions could be modern decor dwellings that need more minimalist dressings, small windows that may get overwhelmed with sumptuous dressings, and small bedrooms that can’t spare wall and floor space to stack drapery.

STYLIST TIPS: 

• Choose blackout fabrics or add blackout lining behind non-blackout fabrics to maximize room darkening in the bedroom when needed.
• To avoid light leaks from the edges of your curtains, it is advisable to mount drapery poles a few inches higher than the window frame, and also extend a few inches on either side.
• Curtains come in four standard sizes: sill-length, apron, floor-length, and puddled. Bedroom windows must ideally be dressed in floor-length drapes to make the most of the visual elegance and minimize light leaks from the bottom. An exception to this would be nurseries and little kids’ bedrooms, where floor-length curtains may risk trips and falls. 
• Choose from over a dozen heading styles like the traditional pinch pleats and the modern flat panels and grommet tops depending on whether the bedroom is formal or casual, dressy or minimalistic. Since bedroom windows are operated frequently, opt for styles that use rings or clips so that the curtains can glide easily on poles for frequent use.  
• Coordinate with other textile accessories like cushions or bed runners featuring the same fabric for garnering a high-end customized look while decorating your bedroom.

READ MORE: HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR BEDROOM INTO A WARM RETREAT

Roman Shades

The next is a fabric treatment that fits the windows in exact proportions and offers the softness of drapes with the functional efficiency of blinds. Roman shades, quite literally, offer the best of both worlds. 

Where roman blinds can look too cold and industrial, roman shades offer clients a delightful alternative to feature any color or pattern under the sun on their windows.

Since curtains look best at floor length, clients who have small bedrooms, small windows, or inbuilt seating under the window, also prefer roman shades for their bedroom window treatments. The sill length also makes them the best candidates for homes with young kids and pets as being out of their reach increases safety and lowers maintenance.

Perfect for modern homes offering clean lines, roman shades are topline choices for minimalists who value fabric treatments for their aesthetic potential and characteristic softness. And, although not as luxe as curtains, roman shades can also go well with traditional settings with the right fabric details such as the material, motif, and embellishments.

STYLIST TIPS: 

• If used as stand-alone bedroom window treatments, make your roman shades sleep-friendly by choosing blackout fabric or adding blackout lining at the back.
• To avoid light leaks from the edges and maximize room darkening, consider outside mount roman shades and extend a few inches beyond the trim. 
• Avoid European/relaxed style roman shades in bedrooms as they need frequent manual fold training, and also allow more light to pass through the edges than other styles. 
• Consider mounting sheer roman shades layered with blackout curtains for bedroom so that you can ensure privacy during the day.
• Make a cohesive arrangement with coordinated fabric for the cushions, upholstery, and bed runner.

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READ MORE: BEDROOM ROMAN SHADES: HIGH PERFORMING ELEGANCE

Roller Shades / Solar Shades / Cellular Shades

Either made of fabric or vinyl, roller shades, solar shades, and cellular shades are similar to roman blinds except for the way they are attached to the headrail and clear off the window.  They are rolled up in a sleek cassette out of which they unfurl like a scroll on the pulling of the cord. 

• Roller shades are made of thin transparent or opaque materials or a combination of both, allowing clients to adjust the settings according to their preference for privacy and light.
• Solar shades are made of a chemically treated transparent fabric that keeps out UV rays. However, they can rarely be used as stand-alone bedroom treatments for their transparency compromises privacy at night. 
• Cellular shades are double-layered highly insulative shades designed for extremely hot places. Their honeycomb structure makes their cleaning a real task though.

Bedrooms stand to gain from more insulative treatments, especially if their windows are facing the west or south. The negligible stacking room that these shades take away from the windows makes them good bedroom window treatments choices for small windows and modern minimalistic homes that appreciate decor accessories with fewer details. 

However, none of these shades stand a chance to meet the aesthetic requirements of every client. While they have scope for featuring colors and patterns, they are nowhere close to the level that curtains and roman shades provide. 

Blinds

Blinds are window dressings that comprise vanes or slats, laid out either horizontally or vertically and linked to cords such that on the pulling, they stack on top of each other. They can be made of metal, wood, or faux wood and are usually found in neutral colors. 

The slats can be adjusted at various angles to afford desired levels of control over privacy and light. However, they do make the cleaning that much harder as the individual slats will have to be reached out one at a time.

The gaps between the slats allow free air passage while still ensuring privacy, making them good candidates for small bedrooms that need more air circulation to stay fresh. However, those gaps also leak thermal energy increasing the energy consumption for heating/cooling. 

The machine-made looks also don’t sync well with bedrooms that flaunt handmade decor accessories and rich detailing. Their neutral coloring and inability to feature patterns sometimes fall short of a little chic in bedrooms that are counting on window treatments for the same.

Double Layered Bedroom Window Treatments: When Two is Better than One

Whether from an aesthetic or a functional perspective, having double-layered bedroom window treatments help immensely. 

Since body temperatures drop during the night in extreme weather conditions, doubly insulated bedroom window treatments can save almost thirty percent of the energy spent on artificial heating or cooling. From a designer’s perspective, this is your opportunity to layer solids, patterns, and textures generously.

There are two ways of layering: both layers can share the functional and decorative aspects equally or one can fulfill the function and the other lend the ornamental touch. 

Let’s take you through some of the combinations for your perusal.

Double Layered Curtains

In this method of layering, curtains are layered such that one is made of sheer material to provide daytime privacy and the other of ordinary or blackout material to facilitate room darkening for good sleep.  

READ MORE: SHEER BEDROOM CURTAINS: IDEAS & TIPS

Curtains and Roman Shades

This combination provides more versatile control over privacy and light as one layer opens horizontally and the other vertically. You can introduce a transparent layer for daytime privacy – inside-mounted sheer roman shades with opaque curtains or inside-mounted blackout roman shades with sheer curtains framing them.

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Curtains and Valances

In bedrooms where privacy during the day is not a necessity, you can forgo the semi-transparent layer and give an ornamental topping to the curtains with valances for bedrooms. You can install valances that do not expose their hardware and beautifully cover off the hardware of the curtains as well. So, even with open curtains, the window will have a decorative dressing, a nice way to visually soften the hard trims of the window.

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Curtains and Blinds

In bedrooms designed with natural materials, cotton and linen drapes with wood or faux wood blinds underneath are a befitting choice as bedroom window treatments. Note that blinds made of vinyl or metal may not look coherent with curtains since they represent different eras and makings unless your overall bedroom design is characterized by the juxtaposition of the traditional and the modern.

READ MORE: HOW TO PUT CURTAINS OVER BLINDS

Roman Shades and Solar Shades

Solar shades are recommended for hot locales as they keep away UV rays very effectively from the home. When layered with roman shades in the front, the effect is doubled and the night transparency of the solar blinds is made up for. 

Since solar shades are usually in neutral colors, roman shades help to give the softness and color that you’re keen to introduce. 

Fans of minimalistic aesthetics may love this option that brings together two flat-surfaced window treatments. It is ideal for small bedrooms that need more insulation but lack floor space for curtains. If the window recess is deep enough, both the shades within it.

As you have seen, various combinations of window treatments work for bedrooms. When layering window treatments, these are the top considerations to be made:

• Aesthetics: Watching the palette is recommended so that both layers complement each other and work like a pair that makes a whole. You can keep one in a solid color and the other in patterns that accent it. Or, let them both be in solid colors that complement each other and voice the palette of the room. Avoid mixing two patterns because in such close proximity to each other, they can overwhelm the eye.
• Functionality: Consider whether you need both treatments to share the functionality equally or whether one can take up the function and the other complement it from a purely aesthetic perspective. Decorative curtains and roman shades can introduce a layer of color, pattern, or texture to the bedroom. For example, single panel, stationary drapes on the sides can frame fully functional, blackout roman shades. And relaxed roman shades or faux roman shades can be outside mounted with zebra blinds or Venetian blinds within the window recess.

Last, But Not the Least

We are hardcore fans of curtains paired with roman shades because we believe that there’s nothing better than soothing and softening fabric window treatments for bedroom windows. But whether you want roman shades or curtains or both from Spiffy Spools, be assured that the 3000+ fabrics here will leave you with no dearth of choices. 

Since it is in bedrooms that you spend the first few moments of your day, make sure that you dress them such that a restful sleep and a fresh start are guaranteed. So we invite you to browse through our collection for more inspiration and read through our blogs to get more guidance. Happy reading, browsing and shopping!

READ MORE: NEUTRAL BEDROOM CURTAINS: A DECOR GUIDE