26 Bedroom Window Treatment Ideas That Offer Privacy and Style

Let Your Space Dictate Your Shopping

Before you do anything, take a look at your space. Where is light coming in? And what kind of light are you working with? If sunlight streams through your bedroom window and onto your face every morning, you might need some light-blocking drapes.

If the sun rises on the other side of your home, however, you could opt for sheer curtains—or no window treatments at all. Start by understanding how light works in your space, and then shop for the combination of curtains, drapes, and blinds that perfectly suits your needs.

Choose a Base Color You Love

The color of your curtains is bound to become a prominent shade in your space, so put a little thought into your palette. You could match your curtains to your bedspread, your rug, or your throw pillows.

Or, you can opt for a neutral window treatment that pairs well with your walls for a timeless look. No matter how you decide, just be sure to choose a color you’ll love looking at—it’ll be the first thing you see when you wake up each morning.

Invest in Statement-Makers

Window treatments are a practical buy. But, that’s no reason not to have fun with them. Feel free to invest in a statement-making shade or a bold pattern in your window treatments.

Get a Custom Roman Shade

Drapes and curtains aren’t the only way to dress up your windows. Blinds can offer a sleeker, more minimalist way to get the benefits of window treatments. And since Roman shades are rendered in fabric, they can feel just as luxurious as their drapier counterparts.

Etsy Custom Roman Shade $37.00

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Take Advantage of Texture

When many of us think about show-stopping window treatments, we imagine pretty prints and stunning colors. But, texture can be just as fun to play with. Blinds come in all kinds of different materials, and with enough digging, you’ll discover that curtains do, too.

Urban Outfiters Millie Macrame Window Panel $89.00

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Don’t Be Afraid to Go Short

Long curtains are incredibly popular, and it’s not hard to see why—they feel luxurious, elegant, and even palatial. But, shorter curtains can look just as lovely.

If you don’t mind taking a décor risk, consider giving shorter curtains a try. They’ll look especially great in minimalist, contemporary spaces where longer, more traditional options might look out of place.

Hang Window Treatments Behind Your Bed

Window treatments typically adorn windows, but they don’t have to. In fact, hanging drapes behind your bed can be an easy way to make your space feel cozier and more luxurious—even if there’s no window there.

While this approach is a favorite among bohemian decorators, it can just as easily skew sleek and contemporary. Just opt for opaque, neutral drapes, and let them run from ceiling to floor. You’ll have a hotel-worthy space in no time.

Match Your Curtains to Your Walls

Curtains can be a great way to add contrast to a space, but they can just as easily help you cement a monochromatic palette. If you opted for an out-of-the-box wall color, consider choosing curtains that match.

Matching curtains will give your palette even more of a presence in your space. And if you’re ever in the mood for a change of pace, you can simply open up your curtains to expose your windows.

Don’t Neglect Your Glass Doors

Glass doors are just as capable of letting light in as windows are—and they often deserve window treatments of their own. Snag a set of curtains that you can easily slide to the side, and opt for a curtain rod that’s wide enough to let you do that.

Layer Prints and Patterns

Mixing and matching patterns can be a great way to create a dynamic space, so take advantage of all the textiles in your space—including your window treatments. By opting for delicate patterns that fall within the same color scheme, you can craft a space that’s fun, eye-catching, and still veritably subtle. 

Ballard Designs Bowen Striped Drapery Panel $107.00

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Introduce a New Color to Your Space

Many of us choose window treatments that match a color that’s already present in our space. But, you can just as easily use yours to introduce a new color to your palette.

If you go this route, you can make your curtains as statement-making—or subtle—as you want them to be. Just remember that your curtains will become a pretty prominent accent piece.

Craft a Monochromatic Palette

Letting your drapes run from ceiling to floor is a very popular move—and it’s one that can create a real atmosphere of coziness in your space. And if you want to take this décor scheme to the next level, you can get your actual ceiling and floor involved, too.

Match your curtains to your ceiling, and make sure the rugs lining your floor match, too. This floor-to-ceiling palette will immediately set the tone every time you step into your space.

Play With Matching Accents

Many of us shy away from matchy-matchiness, but in the right context, it can be a whole lot of fun. Consider getting custom-upholstered throw pillows that match your chosen drapes—just keep the rest of your décor from feeling too uniform, and you should be good to go.

Choose Curtain Rods That Complement Your Windows

Curtain rods are a necessity, and when chosen thoughtfully, they can also double as décor. Invest in curtain rods that aesthetically suit your space, and if your windows are statement-making, consider buying curtain rods that match. It's important to pick curtain rods that play well with other accents in your space.

CB2 Curtain Rod $40.00

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Don’t Shy Away from Sheer

Sheer curtains may sound like an oxymoron. After all, aren’t curtains supposed to block out light? But the truth is, sometimes you don’t want them to. Sometimes, you are looking for a little light diffusion, and in these moments, sheer curtains really do the trick.

Treat Your Bay Window to Custom Drapes

Oddly-shaped windows deserve just as much love as traditional ones. If you’re working with a bay window, consider investing in custom drapes that suit your space. Sure, this is bound to be a bit of a splurge—but the result is sure to be elegant, luxurious, and incredibly stunning.

Experiment With Raw-Hem Options

Raw-hem curtains won’t suit every space. But, they will make a striking addition to rustic interiors—and maybe some industrial ones, too.

Remember that texture can be just as fun to play with as print and color. Consider which combination of those three elements your space needs, and spring for an option that offers just that.

Layer Curtains Over Blinds

Having trouble choosing between curtains and blinds? Simply opt for both. These window treatments tend to serve different purposes, so it isn’t excessive to buy both. Plus, the two can look incredibly eye-catching when paired.

Play With Print and Texture

There’s more than one way to match your curtains to the other accents in your space. If you have a bedspread that’s textured with tufted polka dots, you can pair it with a similarly tufted set of curtains. Or, you could pair it with a set of polka dot curtains, which create an interior that feels dynamic and cohesive.

Mix and Match Window Treatments

Your space might be filled with windows of different shapes and sizes, and that makes for beautiful contrast. To balance this, mix and match different window treatments to get the job done.

Use Curtains to Dress Up a Bare Wall

Not every window needs a window treatment, but if you have a window-lined wall that feels a little bare, curtains are a great way to go. Even a set of simple white curtains can add texture to your space, dressing it up without making it feel cluttered.

Pair Complementary Prints

You’ve heard of complementary colors, but you can achieve a similar effect with prints and patterns, too. Start by choosing a base pattern, and then choose a different pattern that’s similarly bold and colorful.

Be sure to pay attention to how large the print is—you want the pieces to have a similar visual weight. Seek out prints that look like fraternal twins, and rest assured knowing that if they look more like cousins, you can probably pull the design motif off.

Let Your Curtains Create Contrast

Your curtains can add a contrasting color, texture, or pattern to the mix. But, they can also offer a contrasting aesthetic. So, if you’re cultivating a modern Victorian vibe—complete with an ornate bed frame and antique décor—opt for window treatments in a more contemporary print.

Contrasting window treatments make the other pieces in your space stand out even more. You can keep things feeling cohesive by adding another contemporary accent or two throughout the room.

Double Up

Give your room a touch of hotel-worthy flair by investing in two layers of curtains. The inner layer closest to the window can be a little sheer, while the outer layer closest to the bedroom can be thicker and more opaque. This will allow you to customize your natural lighting situation—plus, it just feels luxurious.

Bring a New Print Into Your Space

Your curtains are just another accent piece, so they don’t have to match anything else in your bedroom. They could bring a new color into the mix—or even a new, bold pattern. Be sure your curtain selections have something in common with the other pieces in your space so the bold colors don’t feel too unwelcome.

Anthropologie Holly Velvet Curtain $78.00

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Opt for Unexpected Accents

Often, our curtains are darker than our walls—but they certainly don’t have to be. Take a counterintuitive approach and pair sleek navy walls with crisp white curtains. This inverted palette will leave your room feeling unexpectedly eye-catching and delightfully cozy.