Add Warmth in Small Spaces

If your living room lacks square footage, like this snug space designed by Avery Cox Design, it doesn’t have to lack in personality. Here’s one (of many) takeaways from this space: consider a darker window treatment to lean into the coziness.

The olive tone picks up the green in the fireplace and artwork, while the floor-to-ceiling length fends off cold breezes. All of it makes you want to cozy up with a roaring fire and good company.

Install a Roller Shade For a Minimalist Look

This Scandinavian-esque living room, designed by Anna Popov of Interiors by Popov, kept every element minimal, from the bare walls to the streamlined furniture to the hard-working but barely-there window treatments.

“The striking view of the backyard was an integral design element in this hygge-inspired family room, but it left the homeowners with a glare while watching TV,” Popov says. The challenge: eliminating the glare without introducing an additional design element or obstructing the view. The solution: installing a semi-opaque, minimalistic roller shade that matched the color of the wall and window trim.

“This allowed the window covering to disappear into the architecture when rolled up,” Popov says. “Plus, it provides much-needed light blocking for a comfortable TV-watching experience when lowered.”

Experiment with Layering Window Treatments

Selecting one window treatment can be intimidating enough, but take it from designer Nina Hendrick: two can be even better. “Layering window treatments can give your home a stylish and sophisticated look, while also allowing you to adjust the amount of light and privacy,” Hendrick says.

Filter—Don’t Block—Light for an Airy Feel

It’s hard to complain about large windows and plentiful natural light, but sometimes too much sunlight can be harsh, especially in spaces meant for relaxing. That was the case in this midcentury-inspired open-concept living room and dining room, which features near wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows.

“We needed to find a solution that would filter rather than block light in order to maintain the light and airy design intent throughout the space,” Popov says.

Get Creative With Curved Walls

Go for the gold with bow windows. Chances are you’ll have to invest in custom curved curtain rods to fit the specifications of your space, but as this Anastasia Casey-design spaces proves: the investment is worth it.

Don’t Overlook Sliding Doors

Treatments for windows? A given. But, if your living room leads to a patio, you may want to add treatments to those doors too, both to filter light and provide privacy.

“Drapery finishes and softens every room,” Jaimee Longo of The Layered House says. “Including beautiful drapery on sliding doors instantly elevates this space.”

Go Bold Mixing Patterns

Interior designer Sara Johnson doesn’t shy away from juxtaposing one bold pattern against another. But there’s a method to her pattern-pairing madness. Start with the walls first, she tells us.

For this living room, that meant a medium-scale grasscloth wallpaper in soft shades of blue and beige. Then came the layers: a solid textile on the sofa, a stripe in the rug, and a print on the throw pillows—all in various textures, like wool, linen, and velvet. The plaid window treatments were the final ingredient, pairing perfectly with the wallpaper in scale and hues.

When in doubt, Johnson says plaids are always a solid pick for window treatments. “Plaids on a drape are pretty, as they create a horizontal, linear pattern when they’re stacked back,” she says.

Add Vertical Panels

There are 100 notes we could take from this Avery Cox-designed living room, but we’ll start with one. Take a close look at the window treatments. Each panel starts and ends with a velvet strip, adding texture, definition, and an unexpected dose of color to the curtains. Brilliant!

Aim High

If you have ample vertical space in your living room—lucky you—it’s almost always a good idea to place your window treatments well above the actual windows, as Meredith Owen Interiors did here. That’ll draw the eye up, taking advantage of your tall ceilings and adding a sense of grandeur to your living room.