Give your room a completely different look simply by altering or changing your window treatments. There are many clever ways to trick the eye into seeing a larger, taller, or more intimate space - just by paying some attention to your windows!

Some ways to create optical illusions with window treatments include the following.

Taller Ceilings

Buy drapes, panels, or sheers that are longer than what you need to fit the length of your windows. This length will provide ample material to puddle on the floor, which makes the room's ceiling seem taller. Also, move your window treatment fixtures about 6 inches above the top sill to further enhance height in the space.

Natural Light

The more natural light that you allow in your space, the airier and larger it will seem. Try leaving the upper portions of windows open and covering the lower panes with valances on spring-tension rods. This technique will allow for privacy and obscurity but will also get enough light in your room to give it a bigger feel.

Practically Bare Windows

Another way to achieve the open, lofty mood is through using window film on the glass panes instead. Using film will keep small spaces untethered by draperies, fixtures, and hardware, while allowing a lot of natural light into your home. Choose window film that mimics stained glass, frosted panes, or etchings, to bring some visual interest and a bit of privacy to the spaces that you use them in.

Classic Cornice

Tired of your current treatments? Add a simple, classic cornice to the top. Cover the hardware and rods with the cornice, positioning it a few inches above the top window frame. The cornice provides a border and interesting feature that makes visitors look toward your ceiling, creating an aesthetically appealing and relaxing vibe.

Decluttered Space

Remove furnishings and objects from underneath your windows; many homeowners think that putting a couch or other large piece directly in front of a window in the home is the way to go. But this positioning will make the room seem cramped and the windows nonexistent. Instead, pull furnishings back to create a look that draws the eye upward, making the rooms seem more open and welcoming.

Cozy Comfort

Want to make a larger room seem more welcoming? Go with room-darkening panels or curtains, and further create intimacy with crystals or suncatchers suspended from your window fixtures or hardware.

Use the wall with a window for your accent wall, and paint it a bold color that contrasts with the primary wall and ceiling color to warm up your space. Try painting the window frames a contrasting color to also give the room a chic but cozy look.

Ceiling Art

Opt for simple window treatments, such as sheers, blinds, or shades, and keep the wall color and ceiling color uniform. Then add some sort of central motif, image, or emblem in the center of the room's ceiling. If you have a light fixture in the middle of the ceiling, even better; paint or stencil around it, to create a central focal point that will create cohesion and the illusion of an open space. 

Clever Accents

Get clever with your window treatment hardware and accents to give the illusion of pricy draperies or curtains. You can do so many things with recycled or damaged jewelry; use pieces like old broaches or pendants to pull back curtains or sheers. Use a rubber stamp and ink to add motifs to simple cotton panels and hide any stains or damage, creating the illusion of new treatments!

Step up your window treatments and create an illusion in your own home. Talk to the experts at Genie's Drapery Service INC for the right fabrics, styles, and hardware to makeover your windows and enhance the overall appearance of your home!

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