Window treatments can be very costly so it is best to think carefully before you select something. If your budget allows you might have them done professionally. You will need to determine if your room is formal or casual to find the right style for you. Next you should think about the color and the fabric to match your existing furniture. Layering the look gives the room an opulent feel and can also provide privacy.

A more formal look is the drape. The are long panels of pleated fabric that can hang from ceiling to floor and puddle at the bottom or they can be mounted on the window trim and end just above the floor. Drapes can be hung from traverse rods that open and close or they can be hung from a decorative rod with rings that are manually moved. The pleat design can vary depending on your style, some are hand made and some are created with pleating tape.

Curtains are stationary and hung on rods that can be adjusted with strips of fabric called tie-backs. They are more casual and appropriate for bedrooms, bathroom and kitchens. They can be pleated and hung from rings or tabs, they can also be flat panels of fabric.

Swags and cascades are overlapped pieces of fabric that hang over a rod or are combined on a decorative pole. They run on the top of a window and are always in a formal room. They require more material than other types of window treatments so factor that into your budget. This more decadent treatment is often seen done in a textured fabric.

To camouflage the hardware or tops of shades use a valence. They are decorative treatments that only cover the top of the window hiding all the mounting brackets and unsightly things you don't wish to see. They can be straight or have a shaped bottom edge and are mounted on dust boards, poles or rods. The are similar to cornices in that they cover the top of the window and hardware but they are soft.

A cornice is a padded box that covers the top of the window in fabric and or trim. The bottom of the cornice can be shaped. It is made from a board either lightly or heavily padded depending on the look you are going for and then covered in the fabric of your choice. It finishes the look of a drape or curtain and can be either informal or formal.

Shades are very versatile in that they come in many colors, patterns and fabrics. They operate by raising or lowering with cords or rollers. They can be various styles like Roman which has horizontal pleats, Balloon or Cloud that are puffy when raised or Austrian which has a vertical shirring that looks full when down. You will see them attached to a mounting board covered in fabric either inside the window trim or outside of it.

Another style of cornice is the lambrequin which has panels that hang down the sides of the window covering more of the frame. They are used in rooms where you want to play up one window making a statement. This style is great for apartments or in places where the view is not so good.