When it comes to window treatments there are lots of options. You can get ready-made curtains, custom drapery, blinds, shades or swags, it all depends on the design of your home and your own personal interior decoration. You can layer the look to add dimension. If you are bored with the way your living room looks changing out the window treatments will certainly give your room a fresh new feel. It's best to understand what your options are before you go out shopping.

Draperies are panels of pleated fabric hung on a traverse rod or a rod with rings. There are many different types of pleats you can choose from. Some are hand made and other use pleating tape.

Curtains are usually stationary and can be held back with tie-backs. They are less formal than drapes and may have pleats and are hung using rings, gathered on a rod, hung from rings or they can be flat panels.

Swags and cascades are swags of fabric that can be overlapped or combined with a decorative pole or a covered dust board. They may be pleated for a more formal look. They can be added to cascades, also know as jabots or tails, at each end of the window as an accent. A swag is a piece of fabric that runs over the top of a window and is always attached to a swag. They are always in a formal room and require more material to create the fold and pleats than other styles of window treatments. This type of treatment would look great with a textured material to set it off.

Valences are decorative treatments that only cover the top of the window to hide the mounting hardware of drapes or shades. They may be pleated, straight, shaped, flat or arched and can be mounted on rods or poles. They are similar to a cornice in that they cover the top of the window and hardware. They are usually soft treatments and can be trendy.

Cornices are covered in fabric and trim. The bottom may be shaped. They are mounted above a window to conceal mounting hardware or rods that you don't want to see. Cornices are boards covered in fabric that can be soft or hard depending on the amount of padding used. It gives a finished look to a window that may be formal or informal.

Fabric shades are available in many sizes and colors. They raise and lower by a system of cords or spring loaded rollers. Roman shades can be pleated horizontally, raising horizontally. Cloud or Balloon Shades have gathers or pleats giving them a puffy or soft look when raised. Austrian Shades are shirred vertically looking fuller when they are down. All shades are normally attached to a board mounted either outside or inside the window trim, some are mounted on rods.

Lambrequins are cornices with extensions that come down the sides of the window. This style covers more of the window frame. They are often used in rooms that have only one window and are great to use when the view outside is boring and are wonderful for apartments.