I love the word "treatment" for window coverings...like a prescription to make the window healthier, a cure, a fix. So what is the primary ailment of windows? Its dirt, dust, water marks, and/or an unsavory view. Window shades, blinds, curtains and draperies can indeed save a room from a less than ideal view, and they can mask the dirty window problem. My problem with window "treatments," however, is that they are often worse than the original ailment. They block light, can get way over-done, over-decorated, over-coordinated, and can be so-so-so fussy. I am a big fan of simple, simple and more simple. I would love all of my windows to sparkle with the sun shining through, completely naked of treatment. Unfortunately that is not always practical... for the sake of privacy, and temperature. (The summer's heat and the winter's cold can be an issue in untreated panes. )Even me, a purist and true minimalist has to admit that asthetically, sometimes the right window treatment makes a room feel RIGHT...it may balance the "weight" of a room, provide "support" for a floating ceiling, or finish the open "hole" a window may leave in a wall

Here are my suggestions: Simple drapes that can be drawn open and shut; neutral shades that go up and down, blinds that are wide enough to make cleaning possible. Try making a window appear larger by over-hanging the rod on either side of the window. During the daytime, open your curtains to the framing. Also, try changing up textures and colors on larger windows that might require more panels. sometimes darker on the outside and lighter on the inside gives a stage-like impression...

Stay away from multiple layers of heavy draperies (dusty, heavy, yucky), and also those mini-plastic blinds (also dust collectors).