Unless you've got a thing for waking up with the sunrise or the exhibitionist in you is dying to flirt with the neighbors, covering the windows of your home might be a good idea.

From a strictly functional standpoint, a cheap blanket or bedsheet nailed to the window trim would do for blocking out daylight or providing privacy. But like most aspects of a house, window treatments have been elevated above the purely practical and often are key to defining the interior decor of any home.

Available in an infinite array of shapes, sizes, styles and colors, common window treatments include mini-blinds, wood blinds, roller shades, panels, sheers and Roman shades.

Hard treatments like matchstick blinds, Venetian blinds and interior shutters are typically available through home improvement retailers as well as custom fabricators. Simple soft treatments like panels and even some Roman shades in standard sizes and styles are available in limited fabric options from a slew of catalog retailers and department stores.

But, for the most part, such soft treatments as swags and jabots, London blinds, balloon shades and others need to be custom designed and manufactured.

Whether you prefer custom or off-the-shelf, window treatments lend a sense of drama and completeness to any decor. As Baltimore interior designer Amanda Austin says, "Window treatments are the final touch to a room."

For help navigating the functional and stylistic options, interior designers and specialized retailers are the best places to start. Calico Corners and Alexander Blank Fabrics & Design, for example, offer a nice variety of in-stock fabrics and special-order options, as well as on-staff designers who can provide in-home consultation.

Typically, interior designers collaborate with a local workroom like Drapery Contractors in Baltimore to create one-of-a-kind window treatments designed specifically to coordinate with other elements of an interior scheme. As part of a larger project, interior designers might also recommend money-saving alternatives for achieving a custom look.

For example, Austin suggests that one way to pinch pennies is to "buy ready-made draperies and then customize them with fabric or grosgrain ribbon banding."

You can also sew two panels together to add width and a feeling of higher quality," she says. "Or because duvet covers are the width and weight of drapery panels, some simple modifications will give them the look of custom curtains."

Budget first, then style

Not up for pulling together the designer look on your own? If you're interested in custom options, says Judi Bradshaw, senior designer with Alexander Blank, one of your first decisions should be how much you are willing to spend. Depending on the yardage and cost of the fabric and the complexity of design, a single window treatment may range anywhere from $300 to $3,000 — or even more — so it helps to set a budget.

Along with cost, establishing functional and stylistic needs early in the design or selection process is essential. According to Calico Corners' Tricia Macneal, the main reasons people need window treatments are, "light control, privacy, and aesthetics." Such functional needs, in turn, help define in which rooms window treatments are most commonly installed.

"Family rooms because of TVs, bedrooms for light control and privacy, and bathrooms for privacy," says Bradshaw.

Regardless of whether you need window treatments that are functional or purely decorative, you want them to look great. To help ensure you can live with the look, Calico Corners' Macneal recommends starting with a little homework — design magazines, online research and visits to stores with window treatments on display will help you develop an idea of what styles, colors, patterns and textures you like best.

One of the first considerations is style. Like furniture, window treatments can be formal, casual, contemporary or traditional.

"You'll also want to decide on inside mount versus outside mount," says Austin. "Inside [the window frame], mounts will highlight beautiful casings and trim, but if you have more basic millwork or 'architectural mistakes' you'd rather hide, outside mounts can bring drama to an otherwise bland space."

Skip trends, buy what you love

Type and style determined, the color, pattern, texture, durability and fiber content of a fabric needs to be considered.

"Cottons, linens, synthetics and indoor/outdoor fabrics offer extreme durability. There are also many blends combining natural fibers with synthetics that offer the best of both," says Macneal.

Still, notes Drapery Contractors' Robin Wieman, nothing can compare with the beauty of natural silk, and although "silk fabrics are more fragile, there is no reason to limit your selection, as long as the proper linings and interlinings are used in manufacturing."

Fabric selection is crucial not only to defining the longevity of a window treatment but also the style. Quality window treatments will continue to look new for five to 10 years or longer depending on a variety of factors, including fabric durability, interlining and location. Unlined silk drapes in direct sunlight are not going to last as long as curtains that are lined or in a more shaded location.

Longevity can also be subjective.

"You may tire more quickly of trendy selections," says Bradshaw. And while most experts try to avoid trends in favor of more timeless design, I was able to extract a few of the more popular current local preferences.

Because Drapery Contractors works only with interior design professionals and isn't selling fabric, design and manufacturing services to the consumer, Wieman has a unique perspective on the latest trends and suggests that people "are choosing more solids or smaller patterns rather than large patterned fabric."

According to Macneal, popular color schemes include aqua and teal, terracotta, apple green, chocolate and neutrals.

"However," she says, "buy what you love, regardless of trends." That way you won't grow tired of your curtains depending on whether the fabric is in style or not.

Still, because custom window treatments aren't cheap, simple, classic designs and tones tend to be the most common. Trends come and go, and the average custom treatment will last longer than this year's hot color or fashionable pattern.

To stay fresh with the trends, Bradshaw recommends "draperies embellished with decorative banding to give a splash of color and detail without locking in to a style. Then you can change out [less expensive] pillows and accessories based on the season or design style you are trying to achieve. Something like bold graphic patterned pillows or more traditional floral tapestry pillows can add your own personal style."

Dennis Hockman is editor of ChesapeakeHome magazine and can be reached at dhockman@chesapeake.com.