Ideas for Multiple Windows

Three large windows dressed with heavy khaki-and-blue-striped draperies over bamboo blinds form a warm niche for the family room sofa. Layering window treatments adds interest to the room and gives multiple options for blocking light. Installing the curtain rods near the ceiling gives the illusion of higher ceilings.

Tailored silk panels add a touch of glamour to this modern living room. Woven wooden roller shades add a casual flair to the window treatment. Because the roller shades come in various widths, these windows are able to have matching treatments despite being two different sizes. Now the room has a sleek, uniform look.

Woven roller shades add an element of earthiness and tone down the formal look of this library. Paired with solid color curtain panels, the window treatments add to the room's traditional style and break up the patterned walls by giving the eye a place to rest.

Dove gray Roman shades add a casual touch to French doors in this formal living room. The Roman shades block out light without blocking the use of the doors. Another benefit of using Roman shades is that they come in different widths, which makes it easy to cover smaller side windows in a similar treatment.

Covering each window in matching stripe curtain panels gives this living room a uniform look. Metal rings that slide along a pole allow the hardware to take a staring role in this window treatment and make it easy to open and close curtain panels.

Simple wheat-hue silk panels turn a living room wall with two modest windows into a dramatic focal point. By hanging the panels from floor to ceiling and overlapping the edges of the window trim, this treatment is ideal for camouflaging mis-matched window sizes -- and concealing uneven wall surfaces.

Patterned window treatments add tone-on-tone interest to this dining room's blue walls. Dramatic shirring and rods installed just below the crown molding draw the eye up, making the ceiling of this formal dining room look even higher.

Leaving window treatments off multiple windows is a great option when the windows are as lovely as these. To help the window stand out, a dark brown color draws attention to the window frames and sets them apart from the molding and walls.

This dining room blends classic style with natural fibers. Woven shades give the room texture, while the oat color curtain panels blend in with the room's cream color scheme. Pleated curtain panels are a classic choice that add a formal touch to the window treatments. Covering all the windows in this treatment gives the room a uniform look with casual elegance.

These bamboo blinds are an inexpensive way to add texture and control light in a porch. The blinds give privacy and block some light, but still allow small amounts of light into the room. This is an ideal treatment for a sun porch. Drapery panels add softness and color.

For a clean, contemporary look, try outfitting multiple windows with identical wood slat blinds -- or mini-blinds. Top the trio with a curved-edge cornice for unifying touch that also becomes display space.

A long curtain rod and a single pair of drapes is another way to treat a set of windows. These panels add privacy, but also let in light.

Pairs of identical curtain panels are a smart solution for this great room wall that features a large window flanked by a pair of French doors. The panels create a uniform appearance, but allow the doors to be opened and closed when needed.

When multiple windows are separated by a small stretch of wall, unite them by using the same top treatments. Topping the windows with a cornice adds to the room's formal flair. Pulling the draperies back on opposite sides opens up the spaces and creates a frame for whatever rests on the wall between the two windows.

When space between windows is too narrow to use but too wide to simply cover up, curtains or drapes in a shade close to the color of the wall can both divide and blend the windows. The long, gold sheers on these windows accent the room's height while blending into the wall color.

Valances can be a flexible and affordable way to dress multiple windows. They require fewer yards of fabric than draperies and they conceal roller shades or mini blinds. In this living room, a single valance style suits the single window as well as the wider bay window and the narrow pair of windows that flank it.

Natural shades are available in a variety of materials from skinny matchsticks to woven rattan slats. These are adorned with a fabric border, giving the windows color and definition. Simple window treatments such as these don't distract from the other elements in the room.

• Ideas for Corner Windows

Swags give any room a formal look. Because this classic treatment makes a strong style statement, it works best in rooms with equally strong architecture and furnishings. This window treatment covers multiple windows to create the illusion of one large window.

Multiple windows may not be identical. In this home, the windows on the left have built-in cabinetry below, while on the right the drapes can fall all the way from the ceiling to the floor. Using the same fabric relates the treatments even though they do not match.