"Selecting appropriate draperies is a little like putting together an outfit. They should enhance the bones of the room, support the way the room is used and harmonize with your family's lifestyle," write the Women's Day editors in a new book, "Beautiful Windows: The Ultimate Window Treatment Design Book" (Filipacchi, $17.99).

Aimed at the do-it-yourselfer, both novice and skilled, the 128-page paperback book boasts 200 color photographs. It presents common problems and offers easy solutions.

 Tips are abundant. For instance, when dealing with difficult-to-dress windows, such as curved or bay windows, swivel sockets allow rods to conform to the window's shape; enlist a partner to help you install drapery hardware because two sets of eyes are better than one when deciding on placement, and two sets of hands make installation easier. Mount curtain-rod brackets 2 to 4 inches above the top edge of the window frame and 2 to 4 inches out from each side of the window frame.

If your decor is casual, choose an easy-to-open treatment that's also sturdy, especially if there are children at home. Contemporary rooms benefit from simple treatments that draw visual interest from texture rather than pattern or color. Traditional or formal rooms can handle more elaborate treatments, with several layers of panels or heavily draped fabrics and rich trims.

While custom window treatments are wonderful, offering a limitless selection of fabrics and styles, plus measurement and installation by a professional, they also are a homeowner's most expensive option. Semi-custom window treatments, in which you do the installation, are less expensive, but styles are limited and precise measuring by you is required. Ready-made curtains are budget-friendly, and nowadays stores such as Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Bed Bath & Beyond, JCPenney and Target offer a nice selection in stores and online.

So what's in and hot in window treatments? "Motorization," says Sherry Zadony, Kaleidoscope showroom manager at the Michigan Design Center in Troy. "Hunter Douglas offers a battery-powered PowerRise Platinum Technology remote, which combines the best features of infrared and radio communication to control motorized window blinds. It means you can adjust the window coverings from around the corner or in another room. It can also be integrated into a home automation system. This feature comes with Silhouette Duette and Luminette window shadings."

HGTV's Caren Baginski reports on several window-treatment trends that can turn any window into a favorite focal point. "Organic materials are literally bringing nature indoors," Baginski says. "Exposed wood grain in blinds and natural woven shades is joining the ranks of bamboo as popular choices." Smith+Noble sells natural woven shades that let in diffused light but still offer privacy.

Color makes a statement, and this year ocean hues (teal, aquamarine, soft green) are hot, as are soft lavender and gray. Persimmon, orange and gold are the popular jewel tones, while brown is the new basic.

Luxe fabrics such as silks, velvets and damasks that beg to be touched are in. Linda Henry of Window Fashions magazine says this trend includes "sparking crystal, beaded tassels and lavish embellishments on every element of the window -- hardware, trimmings and fabric."

Simple, sleek lines dominate window fashions in everything from flowing drapes (sometimes dubbed Drama Drapes) to chrome decorative hardware. A quick way to get streamlined treatments is with panel-track systems, influenced by Asian shoji screens, which are made of fabric or woven-wood panels and can be used as room dividers or on window walls or doors.

Bolder and bigger prints with texture are hot, too. Bright florals that attract updated traditional tastes and graphic geometric patterns that offer youthful spunk are new and fresh.
Finally, affordable and environmentally green designs appeal to consumers looking to combat allergies or to those looking for heat or cold-repellent window panels.

Honeycomb shades, for example, are made of a spun woven polyester that, combined with the shape of the bee honeycomb, create a detour for the wind or the cold, keeping it out of the house. Performance fabrics have gone green with anti-microbial, anti-fungal traits and nontoxic dyes woven into the yarn.
Looks like there's no excuse for a bare, boring window.