Curtains are a beautiful, elegant part of any home. They are one of those small, warm touches necessary to transform a house from someplace where you simply stay, to a place where you feel at home. When looking for a window curtain design for your home, you want to make sure you find the right one to give your place the proper atmosphere of warmth and comfort. Here are a few tips regarding the components of various curtain designs, and some ideas to help you decide on a Look for your curtains.

Curtain Rods - regarding curtain rods, some decorative ideas include using brass designs at the ends of the rod, or even exotic carvings. Also, curtain rods aren't just a matter of picking something to hang your curtains from. You can actually buy matched sets of curtain rods that will allow you to layer multiple curtains in tiers, giving you more creative options when it comes to your design.

Curtain Ties - curtain ties hold back the curtains from the window, allowing sunlight in. More than this, however, the PLACEMENT of a tie can be itself a decorative touch. Some people for example split the curtain in the middle of the window and use ties to hold the curtains at the edges of the window, essentially framing it.

Others use a single tie and a single piece of fabric, tying the curtain to one side, giving the window a unique look that can be likened to a woman wearing a single-strap dress. The height of the ties also allows some control over the pattern of the curtain. While usually placed in the middle of the height of the window, ties can be placed higher up the curtain to allow the fabric to billow out, or can be placed lower down to give the curtain a more fluffy effect.

Curtain Fabric - The actual fabrics used in the curtain are important, obviously. The choices to explore are entirely to your taste. You can choose from a wide variety of cloths, from warm, down to earth choices like cotton, to the more elegant options of silk, satin, and lace. The color and design patterns on the fabric are likewise another area to let your creativity take free rein.

Some people for example prefer solid earth colors, while others prefer brighter ones on their curtains. Solid colors aside, floral print curtains enjoy a lot of popularity as well. Taking into account the additional layering options provided by using multiple curtain rods and ties, it's also possible to mix and match different fabrics and different colors to further give your home's window curtains a unique appeal.

The above three are the basic, simple components of any window curtain set. Aside from them, the cut of the cloth and the manner in which it falls are also factors to take into account when looking for a window design. Here are a few of the more popular window design types that you can choose from that will be readily available from most curtain manufacturers:

Valance - a valance is not a curtain per se, but rather is a short drapery lain across the top of the window. It accents the curtain across the supporting rod, and adds a nice, neat little layering effect.

Swag - swag curtains are designed with a reverse V-shaped cut across the bottom. This means that the window itself is displayed between the 2 sides of the V, which themselves frame the window beautifully.

Panel Curtain - this is the classic type of curtain composed of a flat, square piece of cloth that hangs down from the curtain rod.

Ruffle - ruffle curtains are designs that have a vertical rippling effect, making the window curtain look like it's flowing instead of looking like just a piece of hanging cloth.

Sheer - Sheer curtains are made from semi-transparent material, and are popular because they let sunlight in easily and have an ethereal and relaxing quality about their appearance.

Scarf Curtains - this design is similar to a Valence in that it's main feature is a piece of fabric supported across the rod to accentuate the main curtain near the top. But where a valence is generally a square piece of additional paneling, a scarf curtain's accent is tied tightly upwards at the ends of the curtain rod, allowing only the central part of the scarf to cascade downwards.

The designs given above are not mutually exclusive to each other; rather, they themselves can be mix and matched by a creative mind to make even more elaborate designs. For example, you can go with a Ruffled Panel Curtain made of Sheer Fabric, or a Swag Curtain with a Scarf to accentuate it. These are just a few samples of the things you can do.