One of the most difficult part of any home interior design project, even when it comes to window treatments, is figuring out exactly what you’re going to do in the room that you’re working in. Sometimes you may have lots of ideas and you simply can’t pick a single theme or style to go with. Sometimes, however, you may look at a room and come up with no ideas other than using the same old curtains or blinds that are already on your windows. This is especially true if you’re looking at window dressings for your own home because there’s a point where you’re going to have a very difficult time imagining anything new or exciting in the same space you inhabit almost every day. Here, then, are some ways to stir up your imagination and get those creative ideas for window dressings flowing.

Interior Design Magazines – By far the best “bang” for your buck when it comes to the sheer amount of amazing ideas, suggestions and other tips for redesigning your house or living space. There are lots of different interior design and decorating magazines to fit just about every taste from country to modern to a contemporary mix of styles. If you’re completely overwhelmed with what magazine to go for then consider two of the more popular interior design and suggestion magazines. The first magazine, House Beautiful has been around for a number of years and almost never disappoints with its blend of design trends, renovation projects and clever ideas for how to turn your house to a home worth living in. If you’re looking for something a little more geared towards city-living, then look no further than Dwell magazine which has a modern, more up-to-date and stylish slant to its writing and design suggestions. Both are popular magazines and both are relatively inexpensive and easy to order online.

Your Neighborhood – Would you like to get great window treatment ideas for free?  You can by just going for a walk or hopping in your car and touring your neighborhood.  Chances are the homes around your own are similar in size and maybe even architecture and design, so taking a look at what your neighbors are doing with their windows can really give you a lot of different ideas and inspiration.  Do they let direct sunlight warm their homes or do they use thermal curtains and blinds to keep out the heat?  Do they have Roman Shades, horizontal blinds or vertical blinds?  What looks best on their larger windows?  These are things you can easily see from the road by just paying attention.  Remember: window treatments are as much for the exterior of a home as they are for the interior of a room.

The Design Directory of Window Treatments – Sometimes considered “the Bible” of window treatments and window dressing ideas, this book by Jackie Von Tobel features over 1,300 different illustrations showing the infinite number of design elements and ideas which can be used to properly accent any window in any home. It includes a CD-Rom and a design system which is meant to be used by professional interior designers and style-conscious home-owners. Even if you don’t need to use an entire design system with worksheets to decorate your windows, you’ll definitely appreciate the amount of time and effort which went into these many, many great window treatment ideas.

As you can see, finding great inspiration for window dressing ideas are really all around you, whether you’re looking for them or not. Professional interior designers use formal sources of inspiration in the form of books and magazines as well as information inspirational sources to come up with unique and beautiful ways to dress windows. And you can, too!