Stenciled Shade

• An economical way to get custom window coverings is to stencil them. Plain white shades or light solid colors work best. Find a pattern that complements the room's décor in a craft store, paint store or art supply shop. Use blue painter's tape to fasten the stencil to the shade while painting. Sponge on several layers of hobby paint colors for a textured effect. Use varied hues and intensities for a more nuanced design. Large patterns are easiest to manage and make a dramatic impression when the shades are pulled down.
  
  

Shade Walls

• Drapes can seem formal and heavy and may not suit the light and airy room you have in mind. Try a window wall of pleated shades instead. Match the color and fabric for the shades to textures and colors in the room. A large window could get several shades, rather than one long shade, along its width to allow for light control and privacy. A room with French doors or sliding glass doors, as well as multiple windows, looks coordinated when the doors are covered by the same shades as the windows.
  
  

Tall Walls

• A small room wears a sense of grandeur with floor-to-ceiling drapes. Place the rods at ceiling height even when the windows don't go that high. When closed, the drapes are imposing and, when open, they let in a lot of light. Pale drapes that match pale walls make the whole room seem larger. When you can't find drapes long enough to hang from the ceiling, add a band of fabric to the bottom in a contrast color to save the cost of custom curtains. For real elegance, allow the drapes to pool dramatically at the floor.
  
  

Edgy Whimsy

• No rule says that drapes have to be stuffy. Add an unexpected border to plain drapes for some instant eye appeal. Pale chartreuse silk drapes with hot pink scalloped edging are hard to ignore. Navy cotton canvas drapes with red and white candy cane borders pick up the pace in a boys' room. Black velvet drapes with metallic silver or piano-key borders are theatrical and chic. Update an old set of drapes or plan the new ones with borders to frame a little fun around your windows.