Window coverings are essential to any successful designer space. The options today in window coverings are endless. Everything from window shades to remotely operated coverings are available for the modern home.
The first step to choosing the appropriate window coverings for a designer space is to take into consideration the function of the covering and the room it inhabits. A covering is used to block or offset light and heat coming into the room. As you are looking to utilize the coverings in your living room, you will want to ensure the light coming through the window(s) can be modified depending on the time of day and the mood you are wanting to create. Sheer coverings help offset a portion of the light and are great for semi private areas such as a living room. Sheer coverings come in many different forms depending on the manufacturer.
Some of my personal favourites from Hunter Douglas include: the Silhouette and the Pirouette. These are wonderful products which are known for their easy to use manner. The Silhouette is great as it offers the ability to control the amount of light coming into your home without obstructing the window's view. They work exceptionally well in family rooms as they help diffuse light which helps with “glare issues” while watching television.
When selecting window coverings, it is important that you look at the direction of the window. The morning sunlight comes from the east and the afternoon sunlight comes in from the west. With that being said, for homeowners who like to maximize the natural light to bring in heat into their home, it is important that they look at a covering that can be opened during cool winter afternoons. During the summer, the window covering can be closed to obstruct this same natural heat that was utilized during the winter months.
Windows, depending on their function have different hardware built in that needs to be kept into consideration while selecting window coverings. For instance, the window covering itself should not obstruct the lever to open or close the 
window. This will ensure that your window coverings will not be damaged by setting them aside every time you want to open the window.
Another thing to consider is the location of the windows. Do you have cathedral ceilings that you cannot reach without the use of a ladder? It would be a huge inconvenience if you would have to fetch a ladder every time you want to open or close your coverings! A great alternative is to purchase remote control coverings. They are also great to use in regular windows so that you can easily close them from the convenience of your sofa. It's as easy as clicking on the button of your remote and your coverings will instantly close.
With privacy in mind, homeowners must also consider the opacity window coverings. Wooden blinds offer utmost privacy and are great to block unwanted light. They are quite chic when used in the right setting and add that “je ne sais quoi” to designer spaces!
A thing to remember when selecting window coverings is to take out your measuring tape and measure, measure and remeasure. This is the type of job that you can't just “eye” and hope all goes well. Precision is of utmost importance as window coverings come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Compliments of Marc Atiyolil, Canadian Home Interiors with casaGURU