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Design

Your Whole Home Cheat Sheet To Picking The Right Window Coverings

It wasn’t until I was deep in the design world that I ever really considered any other window covering besides a curtain panel. It was the only kind my parents used in my childhood home (besides mini blinds and the dreaded vertical blinds). And it’s safe to say the majority of the non-design people in my life who are decorating their own homes also use panels as a default. As elegant as they can be, they are not always the best selection for the window you’re trying to cover.

Say you have a small little window above eye height that panels would look silly on. A roller or Roman shade is going to be your best bet. Or maybe you have a beautiful picture window that faces the street where you don’t want to block the view but you also would rather people walking by not see you hours-deep into a Golden Girls marathon. Light-filtering cafe curtains will do the trick.

If you’ve ever struggled with what direction to go with covering your windows, this post is for you. Oh, and you’re going to want to Pin this info to save for later, too, because it’s advice that will never not be useful.

First, here’s an *actual* cheat sheet for you on when and where to use the four most common types of window coverings: Roman shades, pull-down shades (like rollers and honeycomb), panels, and cafe curtains:

Of course, there is an exception for everything, and these are not die-on-the-hill rules, but I’d guesstimate that they would apply about 90% of the time. And yes, there will be windows where any of the above options would work, and in that case, it’s really just a visual, budget, or maintenance preference. Let’s take a look at all of these more closely to show you examples of why they work where they are pictured (and some other thoughts).

Roman Shades

First up: Roman shades. Super versatile, clean and tailored and a great option for a lot of tricky spaces.

That’s my kitchen up there (and that cute baby is also mine). I have a giant window in my breakfast nook that frankly was very hard to figure out. I could have done panels, but there isn’t much clearance above the window to hang draperies, plus I didn’t want to deal with panels kissing the floor of a VERY active kitchen (anyone who has ever fed a toddler knows what I mean). In her eyes, they’d be two giant napkins and…a hard no for me. So the next option was a shade of some sort. Frankly, a light-filtering roller shade might have been the most practical solution since I don’t want to block daylight, but I knew I wanted a more decorative look to really spruce this side of the space up, so Romans it was. I went with an outside mount as my sill is super shallow and the shade stack would have protruded awkwardly with an inside mount.

design by ajai guyot | photos by ellie lillstrom | from: see how ajai transformed her client’s builder grade guest room -get ready for a ton of cozy design ideas & working-mom real talk

How cute is this bedroom? EHD contributor Ajai Guyot had a tiny little window (above a decorative ledge, no less) that didn’t have many options. A Roman is perfect for a window like this since panels would only draw attention to how small it is.

design and styling by emily edith bowser | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: moto reveal: emily bowser’s bedroom “after” is unrecognizable from the “before”

Another spot where a Roman is clutch is above furniture. This is Emily Bowser’s bedroom, and because of the square footage of the room and her home, she really needs to maximize her space. Pulling her dresser out six or so inches to leave room for panels to drape behind was just not a good solution. The drapey Roman she chose is both practical in this application as well as visually soft, not stealing too much attention from anything else in the room.

design and styling by emily edith bowser | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: emily bowser’s kitchen reveal! plus the 8 ways she really maximized her galley kitchen storage

Another Bowser space where a shade (or cafe curtain) was the best move. As I mentioned, there are going to be plenty of times when you have your pick of what to use, and there isn’t a wrong answer. A cafe curtain would feel charming and Old World, while a Roman is polished and fully covers the window when it’s down at night, etc.

Roman Shade Recap

When to use:

  • On a small window where panels would not work aesthetically or functionally
  • If you want a clean, tailored look
  • In a casual space like a kitchen or breakfast nook
  • On a window above a piece of furniture, radiator, or baseboard heating
  • As a complement to draperies in a room with a lot of windows
  • If you don’t have enough wall space to support drapery rods/panels

Drapery Panels

design by arlyn hernandez | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: arlyn’s moody dining room reveal is all about the insane power of paint

On to panels. Okay, so this was my old dining room (I MISS YOU!!!) and looking back, I 100% should have opted for Roman shades here. It was one of my first projects, so, as mentioned, panels were my go-to. And look, I love the drama of the deep green velvet panels flanking both casement windows, but could never actually open those windows both because I had stuff on the credenza in front but also because the panels didn’t nest fully to the side of the window so they got in the way. Plus, they collected SO.MUCH.DUST underneath. Pretty, yes, but not practical.

(Hot Tip: If you’re using a Roman shade on a casement window, make sure it’s installed high enough that when the shade is fully up, it doesn’t block the window from opening. It’s not something you need to worry about with a standard single-hung window, but it is for this type.)

design by arlyn hernandez | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: reveal: arlyn’s bright & happy rental living room makeover

I wanted to show you my old living room to talk through two different things: #1 – panels are great for covering a very large window or set of windows you want to make feel like a single window. Honestly, I’m not sure a Roman shade of this width is even a thing (maybe but it would likely have been three instead of one and would have felt choppy). Plus, I wanted to accentuate the ceiling height, which is always a job best done by curtain panels. #2: You see how the panels to the right where the ceiling slopes down don’t line up with the hardware on the large front window? It really wasn’t the end of the world and didn’t bother me that much in person, but panels on the picture window and Roman shades on the two lower, smaller windows would have been a nicer mix, for sure. You live, you learn, (you laugh/love).

design by arlyn hernandez | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | styling by emily edith bowser | from: 3 years in the making then an unexpected move: arlyn’s bedroom reveal is a lesson in the beauty of “unfinished” design

I guess I can’t stop showing my old apartment. But for real, it’s just easier for me to talk through the “whys” since I know them. In my old bedroom, I picked curtain panels because I wanted a soft, romantic look, which is exactly what drapes deliver. Cafe curtains would have felt too dinky with the large scale of my furniture (plus it wouldn’t have given me enough privacy), and Romans would have been too stiff for my styling.

design by caitlin higgins | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | styling by emily edith bowser | from: the reveal we’ve all been waiting for! caitlin’s mostly thrifted, postmodern regency deco living room

Here’s Caitlin’s beautiful, eclectic living room. She opted for a combo of woven Roman shades and panels both for texture, privacy, and drama. I love this combination in a space that’s layered and rich. Any material of shade would work if you want the two window covering types, though typically you’ll want to choose something light-filtering and not too heavy.

design by julie rose for velinda hellen design | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | styling by emily edith bowser | from: a kitchen makeover that focused on small changes for a big impact (julie and velinda did it again!)

We’ve yet to see curtain panels on any doors in this post, but if you’re trying to cover something sliding or even French, panels are a great choice. This dining space by EHD alum Julie makes great use of the lengthening power of panels by hanging the curtain hardware all the way up to the ceiling line to match the cabinetry on the wall and give clean, continual lines to the area.

art direction by emily henderson | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | design and styling assistance by emily edith bowser and julie rose | from: reveal: a budget and rental-friendly living and dining room (with 80% thrifted finds)

This sweet little breakfast nook had just about any option available to it for covering that window, but the panels hung high make it feel much grander and more dreamy than it would have with any type of shade or even a short cafe curtain.

creative direction by emily henderson | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | design and styling by emily edith bowser | from: this organic, punchy bedroom may be our new favorite makeover

This whole room is literally jaw-dropping, but it’s also an ideal example of how dramatic (yet tailored) panels can be. These are inset into the ceiling so there is no visible hardware. It’s a detail that needs to be worked out in the design and renovation process of a room, but man is it worth it. ::chef’s kiss::

Drapery Panel Recap

When to use:

  • In any room you want to accentuate ceiling height
  • In any room you want a grand, elegant feeling to
  • On a window you want to make feel larger (by hanging a drapery rod high and wide)
  • When you want to make multiple windows next to each other feel like a single “unit”
  • If you have a large window or sliding/French door to cover

Cafe Curtains

design by arlyn hernandez | photo by veronica crawford | styling by emily edith bowser | from: arlyn’s rental kitchen reveal just might have you wishing you had brown—or even cherry— cabinets (yes, really)

Surprise! It’s me showing my home again. A lot of you followed my rental kitchen refresh, and those that did will know I swapped out the wood blinds that were in the window above my sink for a cafe curtain (also called tier curtains). I did this both for charm but also for maximum light.

design by julie rose | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: moto reveal: julie’s anything but beige, amazing diy bathroom refresh

Another rental space, this time by Julie in a previous apartment of hers. As renters, your options are limited, and cafe curtains hung on a tension rod are so great in a small window that needs privacy but can also be reverted back to move-in condition.

design by emily henderson and arciform | photo by kaitlin green | from: the dining nook restyled – an accidental style move back to being eclectic

Of course, we all remember Emily’s farmhouse dining nook where she added in a DIY boro fabric cafe curtain. As she doesn’t have a privacy issue necessarily, she opted for the cafe curtain specifically to add print and impact to the space. Cafe curtains are a great way to use up a small piece of fabric you absolutely love but either don’t have the budget to buy tons of yardage or can’t get more because it’s vintage.

design by emily henderson and arciform | photo by kaitlin green | from: **introducing** our farmhouse primary bathroom reveal (finally)

Cafe curtains aren’t just for small windows, either. The gorgeous, tall windows in Emily’s farmhouse primary bath let both light and tree views in without letting any ::cough cough:: unwanted views out.

Cafe Curtain Recap

When to use:

  • In a room you want both privacy and light/views
  • If you want to add some dreamy charm to a space

Pull-Down Shade

design by emily henderson | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | styling by brady tolbert | from: 14 rules for how we style the perfect bedroom (+ 3 new reveals)

I left the most modern and practical window covering type for last but that doesn’t mean you should. Non-Roman shades are typically roller or honeycomb, though you’ll find a few other types. These are usually interior mounted (so you need at least 2-3 inches of window sill), and come in both light-filtering and blackout. Because they sit tight to the window, they also provide great insulation for both sound and temperature. I opted for a honeycomb black-out shade in my daughter’s room behind pretty panels, and while the shade itself isn’t the most aesthetic thing, it kind of disappears and is immensely functional.

In the Portland project from a few years back (above), many of the windows went the way of the shade since the architecture of the home was pretty modern and clean-cut. Could you add panels around the window with this type of shade, too? Yup, absolutely, but if you want something simple and unfussy, this is the window covering for you.

design by emily henderson | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: the final mountain house reveal (for now): all the details of my master bathroom

The same applies to the mountain house, which was Emily’s take on modern Scandi lodge. The ceilings, windows and views in this house did the heavy lifting, and covering those up with anything that made too much of a statement would frankly steal from that. You can see how minimal they are when fully open above in the spa bathroom and in one of the guest rooms below.

design by emily henderson | photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: all the new fall target products we used at the mountain house are now available

Pull-Down Shade Recap

When to use:

  • When you want a simple, modern look
  • If you need privacy with either light-filtering or black-out qualities
  • If you need better insulation of sound and energy for your window
  • In a space that needs a low-maintenance and low-profile option

And there you have it! I hope that was helpful and useful for you if you’re trying to figure out window coverings in your home. Again, a lot of it is personal preference, but like I walked you through, there *are* right and wrong answers depending on the situation. While drapery panels are the most versatile (read: you don’t usually need to go the custom route like you would for a Roman or pull-down shade), I hope this post opened the window to the world of coverings (pun very much intended here).

See you next time, friends!

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Portland Project: The Living Room Reveal

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Mary Evers
11 months ago

What would you suggest I use above a cafe curtain when you want privacy at night? I’ve never seen examples of how to address this issue. Currently I’m using a cheap roller blind. But it looks awful!

StephanieZ
11 months ago
Reply to  Mary Evers

I would maybe do top down bottom up shades .

KL
11 months ago
Reply to  Mary Evers

+1 to top-down bottom up shades! I have a huge bank of tall bedroom windows and we obviously needed privacy on the bottom half but didn’t want to block the light. Mine are a soft Roman honeycomb style from Hunter Douglas. We leave the top half mostly open because I like waking up to natural sunlight, but you wanted nighttime privacy, it’s super easy to pull the shades all the way up to the top mount.

Blake
11 months ago
Reply to  Mary Evers

TEAM TOP UP BOTTOM DOWN CELLULAR SHADES! the best!!!

Mary B.
11 months ago

I am taking notes, and just ordered swatches from Barn & Willow when I followed back through all of the links to Bowser’s dining nook! Serious question for anyone out there – what about transom windows?? We have one above our bed, and with the sun starting to rise earlier and earlier again it’s becoming an issue, again. It gets so bright, but I can’t figure out what sort of covering to use. It’s 3 windows that are each 18″ tall, and 24″ wide, and I am LOST. Anyone out there figure out how to do this!? I’ve been trying to google images for 2 years now. Help! ha!

KL
11 months ago
Reply to  Mary B.

I’d go with a simple Roman or roller shade, one for each window. If they’re awkward to reach, you could use light-filtering material and just leave them pulled down all of the time, or else get motorized shades (I hear the battery operated ones aren’t too pricey, but no personal experience).

AK
11 months ago

Love these posts that create some methods to “color within the lines” — thereby removing the huge risk of inaction because of feeling overwhelmed by too many choices. THANK YOU! I devoured this post earlier today (despite needing 0 window treatments) but when looking for similar info on coffee tables, found this EHD post where drapes and romans work so compatibly in the same space. Here you go! https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/design-milk-family-room-reveal 

Amy B
11 months ago

We have a Victorian farmhouse built in 1888. I opted for old-fashioned roller shades from Melton Workroom for a few of my windows. They have sweet, little brass pulls and you can add scalloped edges or stencils if you want a little more detail.

Molly Phillips
11 months ago
Reply to  Amy B

Thank you for sharing that site!

StephanieZ
11 months ago

I have Roman shades that are an outside mount and pull down solar shades that are an inside mount. That way I can keep the roman shades open during the day, but give myself more privacy, yet still have light coming through if I’m in the room. Its a bedroom with the front window 2 ft off a sidewalk and the side window 2 ft away from my neighbors front porch.

Allison
11 months ago

When do you decide to do an inside or outside mount for Roman shades? If you have the space for inside mount, would you recommend it over outside mount?

KC
11 months ago
Reply to  Allison

I’m ordering an inside mount because I have really pretty detailing on the windows casings/woodwork around my windows and have the space, but I think both can be lovely.

KL
11 months ago
Reply to  Allison

Inside mount shades will leak light around the edges, if that’s a consideration (only an issue if you’re aiming for blackout, it’s not blinding leakage or anything). And if you have multiple windows set in a single casing, IMO it looks cleaner to have fully-touching outside mounts. My house is also on the modern/contemporary side so the window trim is plain and simple, not ornate or detailed.

Dree
11 months ago

We have painted wood plantation shutters on every window that were installed in 1982. They keep the heat out in the summer and the cold out in the winter. Super easy to clean with a swipe and minimize dust in the home. How many people have 40-year-old window coverings that still work and look great? By far the most environmentally sustainable option!

AK
11 months ago
Reply to  Dree

Agree 100%!

Caroline
11 months ago

Thanks for this helpful post! We’d like to do outside mount Roman shades, but not sure how wide/ high to mount the shade- I want to maximize the amount of window that shows. Is it ok to mount the shade high so that the bottom of the shade when it up just touches the top of the window or would that look weird? Thanks for any advice!

Patti
11 months ago

i’m in Florida where my condo was just renovated after Hurricane Ian damage (still no answer from insurance 🙄). Now I’m told that I have to put window coverings on my massive sliding doors facing the beach as there can’t be any light emanating from the building at night due to turtles. So they can’t be inexpensive sheers. I already ripped off my horrid vertical blinds after the hurricane. Help!!! 😫

Tyan
11 months ago

This post is really helpful! Does anyone have a recommendation for attractive bottom/top down blinds? It’s so hard to trust company reviews!

Pip
11 months ago

We purchased lovely cream color floor to ceiling panels for our living room/great room with 10 foot ceilings. They hung beautifully and framed the views majestically. And then, the black cats walked by….and then the aussie dog slept crunched up against them…then the dust bunnies gathered…sigh. They were impossible to keep clean – something to consider if you have critters (as well as adorable toddlers!). And, don’t forget that panels should never hang in front of baseboard heaters, which are usually located underneath larger windows! So, I shall use your cheat sheet to determine the next window coverings…after saving…and saving…

Jocelyn
11 months ago

Very helpful. We have plantation shutters on the living room windows at the front of the house. They make the north facing room too dark, but the slats provide the right comb of privacy and view even when open. Struggling with what to use instead. Drapery won’t provide privacy. Bottom up/top down roller shades would provide the right kind of privacy, but they seem too casual. Maybe both?

Julie Villanella
11 months ago

Has anyone had luck with hardware for cafe curtains? I can’t seem to find the rods anywhere. Any suggestions are much appreciated!

Lauren
11 months ago

I’ve gotten ours at Rejuvenation. This was ~10 years ago but at the time they had a nice selection and it was easy to swap out different rings as we made some small tweaks.

Grace
11 months ago

Try Rejuvenation or the Shade Doctor of Maine 🙂

Elissa
11 months ago

It would be so awesome if you linked the shades in the example photos from this post!

Cleo
11 months ago
Reply to  Elissa
  • Navy Roman Shades (Portland Project) – by Kirsch from Decorview (search “THE BIG REVEAL – EMILY HENDERSON’S PORTLAND PROJECT!” on Decorview’s website)
  • Striped Linen Shades (Arlyn’s Kitchen) – made by Arlyn, hardware off Amazon, Siena Stripe LInen fabric in Buff from Tonic Living
  • Natural Woven Shades (Sage Bedroom) – Levolor Natural Woven Shades from Blinds.com
  • Emily Bowser’s House – Belgian Flax Linen Relaxed Roman Shades with Blackout Lining from Barn and Willow
Lauren
11 months ago

I’m struggling with window coverings in our 1920s home. We still have all of the original woodwork, and it’s quite a lot of wood. I’d like to do curtains, but we have giant radiators at the base of every window. I like the functionality of a top down bottom up blind, but the aesthetics just really takes away from the details on the frames. Anyone dealt with something similar and come up with a solution? I’m leaning towards just simple side panels curtains and forgoing privacy. Sun isn’t much of an issue since these windows face north.

Christina
11 months ago

Really appreciate this post. Please do a part 2: mixing/matching window treatments in a great room! I’m in such a conundrum with my large room with windows of different sizes and heights- some need/have panels, but I need some roman shades on at least two which flank a fireplace/are above builtins. I had planned to do matchstick as the wood would be perfect, but I’m wondering if I ought to have roman shades made with the same fabric as my panels. I know that got personal, but in talking with my sisters and girlfriends, this is a common question. Sure hope you can share your wisdom- Part 2. 🙂

janelle
11 months ago

Should a house have the same shades throughout? We are doing roman shades + drapes in the bedroom, but I’d like roller or solar shades in the rest of the house to allow more light and have a cleaner look. What do you all think?

Meredith
11 months ago

Such a great post!!! I’d love a variation of this where you talk about curtains for unusual window shapes. The bedrooms in the front of our house each have one large window (42”x60”) with one small “sidelight” window (10”x60”) next to it (it’s a 70s contemporary house). We need something for privacy and light blocking, but it’s hard to figure out what to do with this unusual window layout. One large Roman shade mounted above the window? Roller shades inside (if we can find some that come in 10” wide)? Curtain panels that span both windows? I’m sure I’m not the only one struggling with unusual window shapes/layouts 🙂