Window Treatments

Window treatments in a child's room deserve special consideration. Beyond the choices of color, style, and pattern, are the basic safety and function issues.

Many home experts recommend avoiding long draperies in a child's room, especially during the years when they are crawling and learning to walk.

It is all too easy for small children to grab onto long flowing fabrics, with a danger of pulling the hardware down. Cord hardware on blinds is one area where major improvements have been made. Ask for newer breakaway and safety cord options when purchasing blinds for a child's bedroom and perhaps throughout your home.

Here are some great options in window treatments for children's rooms.

Keep things simple. Window treatments for a child's room should be as light and airy as possible.

Avoid long "to the floor" draperies for very young babies and children. Go for window treatments like shades, blinds, or shorter curtains instead.

Be especially careful about installation and hardware choices when windows are in close proximity to cribs, beds, shelves, or other furniture. For example, a changing table placed near a window can offer tempting opportunities for a child to grab fabrics, pull on cords, or twist mini-blind slats.

Soft fabric shades with blackout linings are custom-made to fit a window.

Raise these window treatments completely for light or view then lower them for privacy and light control.

Window treatments like mini-blinds or wood blinds will also control light somewhat, with a cleaner, more contemporary look than fabric shades.

Old-fashioned window treatments like roller shades can be a good choice for a nursery. They can be ordered in light blocking versions and can be raised out of the way during the daytime to allow natural sunlight into the room.

Cornice boxes can be ordered in many styles from a drapery workroom. Or build your own box inexpensively out of stock lumber. Paint, molding, and wallpaper or fabric panels can customize the look for your room decor.

Nothing says I love you like custom window treatments.

Cornice boxes hide blind or shade hardware, but can also be designed to provide a theme area or display shelf space.

If you use a fabric on your window treatments, try to repeat that fabric around the room in at least 3 or 4 other places -- on chair seats, pillows, quilts, bed skirts, table runner, lampshades, etc.