Install Window Treatments
Window treatments are the jewelry of a living room. They soften hard surfaces, control light, provide privacy, and add color, texture, and pattern to your design scheme. Whether you choose flowing custom drapes, sleek motorized roller shades, or timeless plantation shutters, proper selection and installation make windows the design feature they deserve to be.
Time Required
1-2 days
Cost
$2,000-$10,000+
Difficulty
Easy to Moderate (installer)
Custom Drapes and Curtains
Fabric selection for living rooms
Linen offers a relaxed, textured look that filters light beautifully. Velvet adds luxury and excellent light blocking. Cotton and cotton-linen blends provide a clean, tailored appearance. Silk is stunning but fades in direct sunlight. Choose fabric weight based on function: sheer for diffusing light, medium weight for privacy and softness, heavy for blackout and insulation. Budget $50-$200 per yard for quality drapery fabric.
Fullness and length
Custom drapes should be 2 to 2.5 times the window width in fabric to create proper fullness when closed. For length, drapes should either just kiss the floor, puddle 1-2 inches on the floor for a luxurious look, or stop exactly at the windowsill for cafe-length styles. Breaking at the floor is the most common and practical choice for living rooms.
Lining matters
Always line custom drapes. A cotton lining protects the face fabric from sun damage, provides light control, and gives drapes a fuller, more professional appearance. Blackout lining adds total light blocking for media rooms. Interlining, a flannel layer between face fabric and lining, creates the ultimate luxury drape with beautiful body and superior insulation. Budget $300-$1,500 per window for fully custom lined drapes.
Motorized Shades
- Roller shades for clean lines: Motorized roller shades offer the sleekest profile of any window treatment. They disappear into a hidden pocket or fascia when raised and provide clean light control when lowered. Solar shades with 3-5% openness preserve the view while reducing glare. Blackout rollers block all light. Budget $400-$1,200 per window for quality motorized rollers.
- Roman shades for softness: Motorized Roman shades combine the soft, tailored look of fabric with the convenience of push-button operation. They fold into neat horizontal pleats when raised. Choose flat-fold for a modern look or hobbled-fold for a more traditional cascade. Budget $600-$1,800 per window for custom motorized Romans.
- Dual shade systems: Layer a sheer shade behind a blackout shade on the same motorized track for maximum flexibility. The sheer diffuses daylight while maintaining privacy, and the blackout lowers for movie watching or sleeping. Dual systems cost 40-60% more than single shades but provide unmatched versatility.
- Smart home integration: Connect motorized shades to your smart home system for automated schedules. Program shades to lower at sunset for privacy, open at sunrise for natural light, or respond to sun sensors that track the sun's position throughout the day. Integration adds $100-$300 per shade for the smart bridge and programming.
Plantation Shutters
- Material choices: Real wood shutters in basswood or poplar are the gold standard for living rooms, offering warmth and a natural grain that paint enhances beautifully. Composite and faux-wood shutters cost 20-30% less and resist moisture better for windows near exterior doors. Both look excellent from normal viewing distance.
- Louver size: Standard 2.5-inch louvers suit traditional homes. Wider 3.5-inch and 4.5-inch louvers give a more contemporary look and allow more light and view when open. Wider louvers also mean fewer slats per panel, creating cleaner sight lines. Choose the size that matches your home's architectural style.
- Frame and mounting: Inside-mount shutters fit within the window frame for a sleek, built-in look but require minimum 2.5-inch depth. Outside-mount shutters cover the frame entirely and work on any window. For arched, circle-top, or specialty-shaped windows, custom shutter panels are the best treatment option. Budget $300-$600 per window for quality plantation shutters installed.
- Divider rails for tall windows: Windows taller than 48 inches benefit from a divider rail that separates the shutter into upper and lower sections. This lets you tilt the top louvers for light while keeping the bottom closed for privacy, which is a highly practical feature for living room windows facing streets or neighbors.
Rod and Hardware Placement Rules
- •Mount rods high and wide: Hang curtain rods 4-6 inches above the window frame and extend them 6-12 inches beyond each side. This makes windows appear larger and taller while allowing drapes to stack fully off the glass when open. Mount rods at ceiling height for the most dramatic effect.
- •Use proper brackets and anchors: Curtain rods spanning more than 48 inches need a center support bracket to prevent sagging. Use toggle bolts or snap toggles when mounting into drywall without a stud. Lined drapes are heavy and will pull inadequate anchors right out of the wall.
- •Consider ceiling-mounted tracks for a modern look: For a sleek, contemporary living room, recessed ceiling tracks eliminate visible rods entirely. The track hides in a pocket built into the ceiling during framing, and drapes appear to float from nowhere. This requires advance planning during the framing phase of your remodel.