Lets play dressup.....with windows!

Window dressing...

First a reminder!

I am super excited to announce my very first giveaway and what a giveaway it is!

Safavieh Home and Carpetshas generously donated this fabulous french occasional chair!

Gorgeous painted Provence chair, ideal for a living room or a dressing area.

 The link on Safavieh's webiste is http://www.safaviehhome.com/product_info.php?cPath=6_44&&noborder=noborder&newPath=44&products_id=2695

Details on how to win are on the bottom of this post!

Windows and treating windows can make me dizzy. When we look at a completed room, we are taking in the overall feel, the immediate impact that the room has on us. It is not until you start deconstructing the room that you notice all the fine details. Window treatments are often a backdrop to what else is going on in the room, yet without them, a room can easily lose its appeal especially in more traditional homes.The fabrics, the trim, the styles....do you even treat a window at all? In many contemporary homes and some transitional ones, if one is lucky enough to not have the need for privacy, often windows are kept as is and one chooses to focus on whatever beauty looms outside. 

However in most traditional homes, you will almost always see some kind of window treatment/application. I have resorted to my "online inventory" of some beautiful rooms and their fabulous treatments. At the very least these pictures are beautiful and hopefully inspirational.  I know I have drawn inspiration and some ideas have  started to crystallize for specific rooms that I am working on. I appreciate many different styles, and love the effect of trims, I feel it adds a finished look to the window treatment whether its a simple panel or a fancy  formal swag. It is wise to carefully consider window treatments before taking the plunge as they can be very expensive and extremely costly mistakes if you rush into making a hasty decision. That is why I continue to study these pictures and thankfully I continue to be drawn to the same looks.  For bedrooms I don't mind a more constructed feel but for living rooms and dining rooms, I think I like the less structured, more billowy, free forming treatments...... Do you have a favorite?

Decorative panels on a pole in a coordinating bedroom fabric is a popular way to decorate in a traditional home, often as you see here, you will see different treatments on different windows....the effect is cohesive and warm

Pretty butterfly sheer flat Roman shade with unadorned panels allows the focus to remain on the setting outdoors

Gorgeous monochromatic dressing room by Barry Dixon gets a simple pull down shade, a flat Roman I believe,  which is shirred, looks like its a luxurious but more casual linen, like this more than I would silk here (Southern Accents)

In this monochromatic living room, panels were used on top of a sheer butterfly valance

Simple panels are the perfect choice for this serene and elegant room

This cozy breakfast room keeps it simple with a delicate looking London shade, by Markham Roberts

An elegant swag treatment is the right way to go for this luxurious study (Architectural Digest)

This is a classic board mounted swag window treatment....aren't the colors in this room wonderful! (Architectural Digest)

This beautiful treatment is done in a creamy silk in this beautiful soft toned living room by Markham Roberts

Love this oriental inspired cornice on top of panels....so elegant

For this incredible bathroom high in the sky, a simple pull down semi sheer shade was used so as to not take away from the breathtaking view

A formal cornice with panels and sheers is a beautiful choice for this elegant master bedroom

A Sheridan window treatment is appropriate for the formality of this living room

A less structured look, swag over a pole with billowy panels is always so pretty, love the colors in this room (Mario Buatta)

For very tall windows, Alex Vorvoordt choose to not take away from the magnificent scenery on the walls, and used simple restrained panels all the way up in this grand space

A shaped cornice to mimic the shape and fabric over the bed make for a soothing and soft monochromatic look here (Architectural Digest)

In a setting of all white, it is appropriate that they opted for full creamy panels that don't obstruct the view or block the sun or disrupt the quiet feel of the room

Simple pop of color here on the panels is all that is needed to keep this look understated

Here is a swag and a sheer underneath, it a less heavy alternative to doing the entire treatment in a heavier fabric

This entire treatment is done in a sheer but with a trim, my guess is they don't need the privacy but wanted to "finish" the bathroom (Mario Buatta)

Fit for a queen...what a bathroom. Formal application in silk here, very appropriate considering the formality of this bathroom (Tiggy Butler)

In this more transitional bathroom, they opted for simple sheer panels on either side of this large bay window

For this unique bathroom which has french doors going to the outdoors, a pull down shade was the right way to go....I like the fabric and the color

Simple linen panels with a pull down neutral fabric shade help continue the masculine feel in this bathroom (Arch Digest)

In this David Easton room, the very tall windows get a simple application of soft solid colored panels (David Easton)

Heavily pleated panels grace these pretty french doors

Soft billowy white balloon shades are the perfect choice for this stunning blue and white bathroom (Traditional Home)

A very full balloon makes this bathroom feel old fashioned and old world

A simple shade in a pretty soft fabric add just the right subtle finsishing touch

In this soft colored bathroom, a soft tailored modified balloon was used (Architectural Digest)

In this apt. high in the sky....in order to allow for maximum enjoyment of the view, gathered panels were used on one set of windows and roman shades on another (Elle Decor)

Love this nursery! So unconventional but beautiful....same scalloped cornice mimics the crown above the crib, love the colors! (Elle Decor)

Here you have a soft balloon with a soft valance and a full panel on the window seat area..notice how they finished the corner with the treatment, not sure I am a fan

This vibrant and happy room gets a simple swag over a wide dormer window (Coastal living)

This muted bedroom used a flat roman and panels to treat their large bay window

In this gold hued bedroom, a solid panel, with a full patterned panel and a modified balloon is used all to cohesive effectiveness.

To maximize the view and allow the sun to pour in, simple bamboo flat shades were used here

In this Manhattan master bedroom, very full balloons were put under full shirred panels, to create a soft, billowy monochromatic look and feel (Arch Digest)

Heavily patterned and trim adorned treatment in this large bay window uses swags, jabots and panels (Architectural Digest)

Pretty gold large plaid window treatment with single swag adorns this beautiful soft room

Soft full plaid panels dont' take away from all that is going on in this lovely room

One of my favorites here.....this beautiful treatment is a combination of the bed fabric and a coordinating plaid...love how it was tied in with the canopy on the bed (Architectural Digest)

Large, formal grand bedroom gets a matching treatment in the silk that was used on the canopy on the elegant bed, there is a lot going on in this room but it definitely works (Architectural Digest)

Giveaway information:

Be sure to follow me or subscribe to this blog to be eligible. The way it works is you are automatically eligible by being a follower or subscriber. For additional entries to win:

• Join Safavieh on facebook or follow Safavieh on Twitter (1 entry)
• Go to www.safaviehhome.com, look at their fabulous selection of home furnishings and leave a message on their facebook page telling them which item you like best (1 entry)
• Leave me a comment anytime between now and the 17th telling me what your favorite post is since I have been blogging about a month ago.....good luck! (1 entry)

I will use random.org to pick the lucky winner..... this wonderful giveaway will take place on Friday, Feb. 18th . Item will be shipped that week directly from Safavieh's warehouse
Hope you have an enchanting day!