Create a chic café look in the kitchen or a sleek and elegant solution for your living room. But, with so many options to choose from, selecting the right window covering can be a challenge, especially if this is your first serious foray into the wide world of windows.

Before we dive right into an examination of some of the most popular solutions for each room, here are a few guiding principles as you embark on this project:

• Different rooms call for different styles of window coverings. The curtains that look lovely in your living room may not suit your first floor powder room! Let the space guide the window covering solution and not the other way around.

• If you see something you like but aren’t sure if it will work for your space, ask an expert! Window treatments are highly customisable because they have to be – with so many different sizes and styles of windows out there, a one size fits all approach would definitely not work. We also recommend getting a swatch sample to test in your window.

• Make sure you look at it from the inside of your home and outside, during the day and at night when the lights are on. Sometimes when a shade is perfectly “private” during the day, at night someone might be able to see into your home. It’s good to know exactly what it will look like at different times of the day, and night.

• Looks aren’t everything (but they are important!). It is perhaps smartest to begin your window covering search by visualising the problem that you are trying to solve or the effect you are trying to create rather than finding a style you like and hoping it will just happen to suit your needs. That said, window coverings can be layered. If you want motorised blinds for convenience, you can still add decorative curtains over them to achieve the look you're going for.

• Again, when in doubt…ask! All the options and lingo can feel overwhelming, but people who work on window coverings are experts, and they love sharing their knowledge.

When considering window treatment options for your bathroom, it is likely that privacy will be your number one concern, especially if your bathroom is situated on the front of the home or faces a close neighbor. Solutions include roman blinds, curtains with tiebacks, and natural fiber blinds. Other concerns that might inform your search?

Light: Many bathrooms, especially bathrooms in older homes that haven’t been renovated recently aren’t always as bright as we might like. If your bathroom lacks light, you will want to stay away from dark, heavy materials and instead opt for something sheer. Consider a roller blind in a light color to maximise privacy while still allowing light in.

Ventilation: Bathrooms can get moldy and stuffy, and you don’t want your window coverings to contribute to the problem. Choose lightweight materials that will dry quickly on their own, or your new curtains could quickly end up smelling like an old towel.

When selecting window coverings for the bedroom, it is important to find a solution that balances light blocking ability and your desire to not live in a cave.

Blackout curtains are an obvious choice for the bedroom, but drawbacks include the fact that they block out light during the day as well. Blackout curtains, like most curtains, can be motorised, however, which means it is easy to open and shut them depending on the time of day, with just a click of the button on your remote control.

Plantation shutters are an elegant option for the bedroom. These full-length shutters can be opened completely or angled to allow some light in. When they are fully closed, they create a snug, light tight room that is perfect for relaxing.

Roman blinds are another popular solution for the bedroom, and one that works well as a motorised solution. The gently layered folds that characterise roman blinds lend themselves well to the bedroom. A light, neutral color contributes to a feeling of calm that helps you unwind at the end of the day.

The most important thing to remember when you are considering window coverings for a child’s room is that the cords and chains that are so common on traditional blinds are a no-no. Young children can get tangled in these cords, and the chain link strings on many blinds are a definite choking hazard. Steer clear and stick with roller blinds, or curtains (without ties). Motorised roller blinds, cellular/pleated or curtains work very well in kids’ rooms since they typically are cordless. When it comes to kids, safety is always first, and window coverings are no exception.

Living rooms are among the most varied and versatile of all room types, which means that when it comes to choosing window coverings, almost any type goes! Because the living room is so often a gathering place for company, the tendency is to pick a solution based on what will look best from an aesthetic standpoint. However, when it comes to window coverings, both form and function must suit your needs.

A sheer curtain that matches perfectly with your couch but that leaves guests blinded by sun, for example, is not a good solution. Before making your selection, return to our guiding principles (above) and determine what problem you need your window coverings to be a solution to.

If you are looking to save on energy bills, honeycomb or cellular blinds are winning options. Heat, or cold air in the winter, is trapped in between the different layers that make up these blinds, so it never makes it into your home.

Living rooms, family rooms or dining rooms that have valuable electronics or artwork in them may be good candidates for heavier curtains. Curtains not only come in a vast number of shades, hues, and textures, but they are sturdy enough to block out any nosy neighbors or strangers who might want to see what kind of TV or other gadgets you have.

Roller blinds are one of the most common solutions for the living room. They are low profile, can be cut to fit almost any size window (even tricky and high up windows), and they can be motorised. Roller blinds can allow some light to come in, but do a wonderful job of protecting furniture, floors, and photos from the discoloration that comes from constant sun exposure.

When it comes to selecting window coverings for your kitchen, we have two words for you: grease stains! The kitchen is the hub of activity in many homes, and window coverings have a tough job. Finding a solution that keeps the kitchen cool (at least when the oven is off), can be washed or wiped down easily, and won’t mean a lot of cords or chains is a tall order.

Wood or faux wood blinds are a great choice, because they can withstand some abuse and are a dream to clean. We recommend that you steer clear of heavy curtains and light gauzy materials. Heavy materials will soak up odours and require frequent washing or dry cleaning, while light and gauzy materials are too stain prone to be practical.

These tricky spaces need quality window coverings as well! Too often they are left naked and bare because it is difficult to find a solution to suit. Roller blinds, and wood or composite wood blinds are great options for these transitional spaces. Best of all, the solutions just mentioned, can be motorised. Especially for skylights and other hard to reach windows, motorised options can mean the difference between changing blind positions once a day or once a year!

Now that you have a sense of which window covering options will play nicely in your space, it is time for the fun part! Shopping! Our advice? Whenever possible, try to see a product or at least a material swatch in person rather than just online or in a catalogue – as they can quite often look completely different on the screen in comparison to seeing in your own home.