8 Window Treatment Trends That Are Everywhere in 2024

From cafe curtains to cordless shades, these are the window coverings interior designers are seeing everywhere this year.

Window treatments provide the ultimate finishing touch that pulls a space together. They’re an often overlooked room element, but interior designer Mimi Meacham stresses the importance of choosing the right option. “Window treatments are important for shade and privacy, but they’re also a key element of your overall design and should be treated as such,” she says. To help you pick new window treatments or update your existing coverings, interior designers and window experts are sharing the most popular window treatment trends they’re seeing this year.

The consensus is that bold colors and traditional details—such as pleats and decorative trims—are replacing the minimalist designs and neutral colors that have dominated window treatments in recent years. Additionally, old school favorites, such as cafe curtains, are making a big comeback, providing the perfect balance of privacy and natural light and a big dose of charm.

These are the window treatments designers are calling the biggest trends of 2024.

Related: The 12 Best Curtains Our Editors Recommend

Cordless Shades

“One major change in the world of window coverings is the new federal standard for cordless shades,” says interior designer Allison Garrison. Cordless window coverings come in a variety of styles and materials and offer a clean and uncluttered look. “We love the streamlined look and safety of cordless coverings, so I think as a consumer this is a real positive change,” she says.

Sheer Curtains

Sheer curtain panels are making a comeback in 2024. “I’ve been seeing an increased interest in sheer curtains,” says interior designer Julie Arnold. She credits their resurgence in popularity to how versatile they can be. “They offer a good balance of privacy while still allowing filtered light through, which is ideal for many areas of the home.” Use sheer curtains in rooms where full privacy is not needed or as part of a layered window treatment design in combination with shades and heavier drapes.

Traditional Details

“I am seeing a lot of ‘old school’ details in window treatments—pleats, beautiful trims, and rod and ring hardware,” says interior designer Maren Baker. These classic and often ornate details are replacing minimalist curtain designs in 2024, turning window treatments into an integral part of the room’s overall design. An interesting decorative trim, whether it features a traditional pattern or something textural such as tassels or pompoms, is a great way to add visual interest to solid colored curtain panels. When lining the length of the panels, beautiful trim also helps elongate the curtains, creating the illusion of taller ceilings.

Cafe Curtains

Cafe curtains are back in style as one of the year’s most popular window treatment trends. “They have a simple yet elegant look, and offer privacy without losing natural light,” Arnold says. This style of curtain covers the bottom half of the window and is a popular choice for kitchens and bathrooms. When it comes to making cafe curtains look current yet classic, Arnold says, “A simple stripe or small-scale patterned fabric always looks nice on a cafe curtain.”

Baker also points out the practicality of this curtain style. “This is a great option in an urban setting where you are close to your neighbors so need some privacy, but don’t really want to mess with anything too fussy or that blocks all the natural light,” she says.

Layered Window Treatments

Layered window treatments have been a popular trend this year, adding a warm and cozy feel to any room. “Layering is big when it comes to window treatments,” Meacham says. Window covering specialist Maria Pulice explains, “People are still spending more time in their homes and desire more warmth, so they are moving away from cold minimalist looks of just a single shade or shutters by layering window treatments.”

If you’re not sure where to start, Pulice recommends starting with the shade for privacy, adding sheers for softness, then layering in colored drapery to bring the whole space together. “All the options can be automated and integrated into the home’s entire system,” she says. To achieve a lived-in, warm and inviting feel, Meacham’s go-to approach is to hang an inside-mounted shade and frame it with drapes.

Curtains with Decorative Headers

When it comes to window treatment trends that will continue to rise in popularity, Garrison says you can expect to see plenty of kinds of drapes. “Drapes will have more creative installations with ripple folds and other unique details in addition to the more traditional look of pinch pleats,” she says. Curtain headers such as ripple folds, pinch pleats, or pencil pleats are an excellent way to add a sophisticated touch to a simple curtain panel and instantly dress up the whole room.

Bold and Colorful Curtains

Neutrals have been a go-to in the world of window treatments in recent years, but 2024 has seen a resurgence of bold colors and a departure from more muted shades. “Colors are back in a big way with all types of window coverings,” Pulice says. Add a pop of color to a small bedroom with a fun roman shade or make a dramatic design statement in a formal space such as a dining room with bold colored floor-to-ceiling curtain panels.

Shades with Fun Prints

“Clients are also becoming more open to fun colors and prints when it comes to shades and drapes,” Meacham says. If you’re itching to try a fun print in your home but don’t want the expense or commitment that comes with wallpaper, a window shade provides the perfect vessel to introduce pattern in a smaller dose. Additionally, since you can have the shade rolled up or pulled down, you get to control how much of the print is visible.

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