House Beautiful Windows

Windows and window treatments influence and enhance the decor of every room, affecting its view, light, and privacy. And, when you focus on scale, proportion, color, and harmony, a world of wonderful possibilities opens up! Select from treatments appropriate to every decorating style, from ultra modem to historic. Imagine exquisite festoons of striped silk taffeta in an elegant living room, or the sheer flutter of organdy drapes trimmed with grosgrain ribbon. Louvered shutters instantly evoke summer days; consider ones painted a bright Caribbean blue, or a beautiful variation with graceful curved tops. Sheets can become curtains too, and they will look especially glamorous when suspended from a metal shepherd's crook pole. The mechanics of window treatment -- how and where to use them -- appear -- along with traditional and offbeat materials and accessories. Plus: profiles of six home owners who have devised their own unique approaches.