“Stunning artwork, fabulous wall or floor coverings and fashion-forward furniture are often the primary focus of home decorators,” notes Talley, who has styled magazine covers for some of the most prestigious design publications. “Using window treatments in much the same way that gorgeous frames accent cherished photos or paintings can make all the difference.”

Talley offers the following tips to bring out the best in windows throughout your home:

Scale and Proportion are Key

The most common mistake homeowners make when doing their windows is getting the proportions wrong - a valance or cornice that’s too small; draperies that don’t stack off the window and cover up too much of the view; or skimpy side panels made with too few widths of fabric. These little design flaws make all the difference in the finished appearance of a window and a room.

“Getting proportion right takes a good eye and a lot of experience,” notes Talley. “One size definitely does not fit all, so it can pay to have treatments created specifically for the windows in your home.”

“Custom furnishings are often comparably priced to ready-made, and can represent great value when you factor in the time and expertise of professionals,” adds Talley.

Functional or Decorative?

This has a lot to do with the design and proportion of a window treatment. Does it need to clear French doors? Protect from hot afternoon glare? Provide privacy? Or enable you to see a television or computer screen without an eyeshade? Understanding what the room requires will help create the appropriate design solution.

A room that requires privacy will need blackout shades or interlined fabric panels, wood blinds, woven wood or cellular shades to provide functionality. A second layer with soft fabrics and pleasing color accents adds an inviting decorative element. A more formal room might benefit from a third layer in the form of a valance, cornice or other top treatment.

“The different elements of a room, or a window, should be in harmony,” advises Talley. “Even a simple decorative band of trim in a pretty, complementary pattern on a solid fabric panel can add visual interest to a window and tie in the other design elements of a room.”

Finding the perfect window treatments for your home is all about the details. Using the right materials, determining the proper scale and proportion and addressing both functional and decorative concerns will help make your home more comfortable, more stylish and a distinctive expression of your design savvy.

Celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2008 as one of America’s leading interior design retailers, Calico Corners provides expert advice, decorating solutions and in-home design consultation in addition to quality designer fabrics for the home, trims, custom window treatments and upholstered furniture. They also offer measure and install services for window treatments. For more information or to find a location near you, visit www.CalicoCorners.com.

If your kitchen needs an extreme makeover, updating it might seem like an impossible task. The existing cabinets largely determine the overall feel of your kitchen, and replacing them can be enormously expensive. Luckily, there are easier, less expensive options for giving one of the most important rooms in your house the new look it deserves.

If you have an outdated kitchen, one of the simplest and most rewarding fixes is to add new door and drawer fronts and reface your cabinets with veneer. By also adding new knobs and pulls and painting the kitchen walls, you can literally transform your entire kitchen without a lot of hassle and expense.

If you buy new doors and drawer fronts and want a painted finish all that is required is to paint the doors and drawer fronts to match the cabinet boxes. If you want a natural wood finish, you’ll probably want to apply new veneer to the cabinet boxes so they match the new doors and drawer fronts.

The four basic steps:

1. Remove and discard existing door and drawer fronts. They will be replaced with new door and drawer fronts made to your specifications.

2. Resurface cabinet sides with hardwood or veneered plywood in the same species as the new doors that will be installed.

3. After prepping the face frames, apply a flexible peel-and-stick wood veneer and wrap it around the front and edges of the face-frame rails and stiles.

4. Install new doors, hinges, knobs and pulls.