Window treatments are divided in 3 categories:
Hard window treatments are made of hard materials like wood or vinyl. Such as: shades, blinds and shutters. Soft window treatments: anything made of soft materials such as: sheers, curtains, drapes, swags, valances, roman shades - from flat to hobbled styles. A combination of both is called a layered window treatment.
Hard Window Treatment
Window Shutters: Louvered or fixed slats. Attached with hinges so they can be opened and shut. Made of wood or plastic. Shutters may be employed for a variety of reasons, including controlling the amount of sunlight that enters a room, to provide privacy, security, to protect against weather or unwanted intrusion or damage and to enhance the aesthetics of a building. The term window shutter includes both interior shutters, used on the inside of a house or building, and exterior shutters, used on the outside of a structure.
Woven Wood Shades
Woven wood shades, often called bamboo shades or matchstick shades, offer an exotic, natural look and are a great way to add textured, casual good look to almost any decor. Woven wood shades offer complex textures, exotic reeds, grasses, woods, and sophisticated natural colours.
Cellular shades
feature a unique honeycomb design that maximises energy efficiency and insulates home. Cellular shades come in single cell, double cell, and triple cell. They also offer different levels of light control from light filtering to blackout. Cell shapes in the blinds hold trapped air and create a barrier between the window surface and the a room which helps to keep the warmth inside during the winter. Unlike window blinds which are made of hard materials, they are made of a soft paper- or cloth-like materials. Typically spun lace and bonded polyester are used, but other fabrics can be used during the manufacturing process.
Pleated blinds
Made from a pleated material that pull up to sit flat at the top of a window to hide from sight when open. Both Pleated and cellular blinds can have a Top Down- Bottom up Blind (An ingenious addition to the world of windows. Offers easy control of light).
Venetian Blinds
Made of wood, metal or plastic. They are suspended by strips of cloth called tapes, or by cords, by which all slats in unison can be rotated through nearly 180 degrees. The slats can be rotated such way that they overlap with one side facing inward and then in the opposite direction such way that they overlap with the other side facing inward. Between those extremes, various degrees of separation may be effected between the slats by varying the rotation. Slat width can be between 16 and 120 mm, with 25 mm being a common width.
Vertical Blinds
Unlike horizontal blinds, vertical blinds are less likely to collect dust because they stand vertically. Since they draw to the side rather than lifting and lowering, they operate better on doors and windows that also slide from side to side. Generally they require less muscle strength, and are faster to operate. Are an excellent solution for covering windows that are extremely wide and for patio doors as well. Fabric blinds are noise reducing and will insulate from the heat of the sun and the chill of the wind. Vertical blinds are available in flat plastic (PVC), fabric, embossed PVC, faux wood materials, metal, wood and also S-curved slats. Vertical blinds are also used for door ways in public spaces in order to keep the warmth inside the room and/or in warmer climates in order to discourage flies and some other insects from entering the building
Shoji Panels
Used in Japanese decorating. Can be used as room dividers, doors and window coverings. These screens are made of wood or bamboo with a translucent rice paper, which is porous and easily allows light into the room. It can be also used as folding screen (free- standing furniture). It consists of several frames or panels, which are often connected by hinges or by other means. It can be made in a variety of designs and with different kinds of materials.
Panel Tracks
Sometimes called sliding window panels. Offer a simple, versatile and stylish solution for sliding doors or picture windows.
Roman shades
Fabric that hangs flat when closed; folds horizontally into pleats when raised. Provides privacy, light control, and offers insulating qualities; can be made in any fabric. Roman shades are usually opened with a cord mechanism, allowing the user to adjust the height of the covered area. Many different kinds of materials, from wood to fabric, can be used to create Roman shades, as well as natural materials such as bamboo.
Roller Shades
Roller shades, also called roll up shades or roller blinds, are an easy and economical way to add colour, style and texture to any decor. Constructed with modern fabrics and offer simple functionality for ease of use.
Drapery
Also referred to as curtains, can be used to create an elegant, casual or a sophisticated look. May draw across the rod or remain stationary on either or both sides of the window. Curtains come in a variety of shapes, materials, sizes, colours and patterns, and they often have their own sections within department stores, while some shops are completely dedicated to selling curtains. Curtains vary according to clean-ability, ultraviolet light deterioration, oil and dust retention, noise absorption, fire resistance, and life span. Curtains may be moved by hand, with cords, by press-button pads or remote-controlled computers. Measuring curtain sizes needed for each window varies greatly according to the type of curtain needed, window size, and type and weight of curtain.
Sheer Curtains (Net Curtains)
A sheer or net curtain is one that is made from translucent (sheer) fabric. The sheerness of a fabric is expressed in 3 main characteristics (extremely rare, very thin, barely visible). The materials which can be made translucent include gossamer, silk, rayon or nylon. Sheer fabric comes in a wide variety of colours, but for curtains white and shades of white, such as cream, winter white, eggshell, and ivory are popular. They are sometimes referred to as privacy curtains; during the day they allow you to see from the inside out whilst preventing people outside from seeing directly into the space.
Café curtains
straight curtains hung from rings that slide along a rod. May cover the lower portion of the window or the entire window. It is great when you need to allow lots of sight into the room while keeping lower part of the room (above dining table, or in the bedroom) private.
Austrian shades
Fabric shade that is gathered in scallops when down and pulls into tighter scallops when raised. It has a touch of luxury. Can be made out of different materials including sheer fabric.