Country style: elegant windows

Gorgeous window ideas
Window treatment tips
Shutter style

The right window treatment can soften the look of a room, frame a good view, disguise a bad one, shade a bright area and let light into a gloomy one. The bhasic rules for achieving a stylish rustic look are: simple, dainty patterns (gingham, sprigged flowers and natural motifs) suit smaller windows, while bold botanical prints are a stylish choice for larger ones; painted shutters brighten a neutral room.

Blinds

Blinds are neat in places where you don’t want a lot of fabric getting in the way – kitchens, bathrooms and at small or deep-set windows with no space for curtains to draw aside. Roller and Venetian designs are the most tailored, cut to fit inside the recess. Roman and London blinds add a softer line, pulling up in folds to create a ready-formed pelmet across the top. Blinds can also be combined with curtains for a more formal effect or to exclude the light behind thin fabrics such as voile.

Curtains

The simplest designs are often the most effective – a flat panel of old French bed linen or sheer embroidered muslin hung as an alternative to old-fashioned lace or net curtains; a single curtain draped to one side with a tieback rather than sliding completely clear of the window; tabs, ties and clip-on rings provide a variation on gathered headings. If you want fuller curtains, put in an elegant wooden or metal pole, or install a pelmet to cover a basic sliding track. At a small window, try curtains hung on metal portière rods that will swing back against the surround like shutters.

Shutters

These are the traditional option – whether panelled in classic Georgian or simpler Shaker style, or slatted for a Mediterranean effect – and allow a degree of light through. They’re available to fit bay and bow windows, too – or, for a tall window, consider two-tier shutters, where upper and lower panels can be folded across independently.

For great window treatment buys, visit...   
Brume: decorative window film cut to size
Emily Bond: country fabrics on natural linens featuring dogs, boats and birds
Ian Mankin: cottons, linens and organic textiles in simple plains, stripes and plaids
John Lewis: fabrics, curtain accessories, blinds, shutters
Shutterly Fabulous: custom-made slatted plantation shutters, which can be painted
Vanessa Arbuthnott: charming country-style prints

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Gorgeous window ideas
Window design tips
Shutter style