Bedroom window treatments should naturally provide privacy, but should also be comfortable and inviting.  We put together some window treatment selections for your bedroom that are both functional and beautiful, and a guide to selecting bedroom window treatments you'll love - balancing the needs of privacy, light, decor and the way you'll interact with your new window treatments.  All at a great value. 

Privacy and Light Control

A primary consideration for your bedroom window treatments is how much light you want to allow in your window.  For some, the #1 consideration of bedroom window treatments is improving the sleep environment by making the room totally dark.  If this is your top goal, skip straight to shades with the blackout feature.

Blackout

The blackout feature is intended to provide total light blockage for your bedroom window.  Shades are much more effective at blocking all light than blinds, and blackout is an option for nearly every type.  Most commonly, the effect is created with a light-colored, sewn on liner that faces the outside.  Since this option is available for nearly all shades, you can rest assured that better sleep is on the way and instead, focus on something more enjoyable, like style and color!

Top down bottom up

If you're not going for total darkness, top down- bottom up is another feature that offers flexibility in privacy and light control.  With a top down-bottom up bedroom window treatment, simply grasp a small unobtrusive handle on either the top of bottom of the shade material and position as you like.  The ability to open a shade from the top is a great way to let in light while retaining privacy.

Styles

For many of us, bedroom window treatments must simply provide privacy and light control, without the need for total darkness.  If this is your case, your primary consideration will be style.  Here's a primer on the major types of bedroom window treatments:

Blinds are simple, classic and highly functional.  From inexpensive white vinyl blinds to wood blinds with a stained finish and cloth tape in a complementary color, blinds can be anything from spartan to sophisticated and can be dressed up with curtains or a valance.  Valances are the covers at the top of the mechanism and can be flush to the window, or can protrude for a more high-impact look.  Choose blinds if you want to match existing styles in your home, or if you simply prefer the operation of the slats over the solid material in a shade.

Shades are solid material that provide a degree of light blockage based on the nature of the material, and adjust by sliding open and closed, versus a blind's ability to vary light across the full window from minimum to maximum by adjusting the slats.  Their advantage is privacy WITH light.  Blinds provide privacy only by blocking light.