Your bedding is what I call your 'anchor' in the room - the largest piece of fabric and the most important pattern in the room. If you want a coordinating, put-together room, you need to make sure your window treatments compliment (they may or may not match) your bedding. You CAN bring your room together whether you're buying 'ready-mades' or 'custom'.



For the DYI'er.

1. If you're in the process of shopping for new bedding, I would strongly suggest that you purchase the coordinating window treatments as well. Most often, the retail stores do carry coordinating accessories with their assortment of bedding - so if you've already found the pattern that you like, it's easy to just purchase the whole set. You can always get more information on ready-made curtains at www.CurtainHowTo.com.

2. If you're happy with the bedding, but unhappy with the type of the window treatments available, you can always purchase them anyway, and then just use the fabric to make up any other window treatment you like (you will be getting into some custom work here)

3. If you're happy with your current bedding and are looking for just the window treatments here are a couple of tips:

a. Be sure to match the main color pallet from both the bedding and the treatment. Not all colors have to match, but the most prevalent one does.

b. If your bedding is highly patterned, it's easier to select solid drapes (this works the other way around too).

c. Purchase an extra panel and make up a pillow - even a little touch like this can make a difference. Your local cleaner can make one up for you.

d. If you want to be really audacious, purchase several panels, and use the fabric to make a bed skirt and several pillows or shams. This might be a bit too advanced for a local cleaner and you'll have to find a seamstress.

4. Purchase an extra panel and use it as a throw at the foot of the bed. While there is nothing wrong with mixing patterns, it will be easier for you to use a solid throw on a patterned comforter (and the other way around).

Custom work.

As with anything with custom, the sky is the limit, but here are your basic considerations:

1. Be sure to select the fabric for your bedding first. It is your anchor and all other elements are derived from it. As such, make sure you really love it!

2. It's best when your comforter fabric and window treatments fabric do not match. That's right, I said do not. Because both will use such a large amount of fabric, seeing the same pattern in 75% of your room will just be too much of the same thing. Of course, having said it, some of design is subjective and personal - if you really love it, go for it!

3. Choose at lease three patterns: one main one and two secondary. If you love high pattern and not afraid to try, go for five or six.

4. It will be easier for you to select a solid comforter fabric and use various patterns for pillows and shams.

5. Custom bedrooms look best when completed with a bench at the foot of the bed.

If you're completing your bedroom through a retail store, there are some simple steps you can take to make your bedroom beautiful, put-together, and on the budget. If you're making custom treatments, decide how much risk you're willing to take with your patterns and what feel you want to accomplish. The designer will help you with selecting the right fabrics.