If privacy is paramount, top-down, bottom-up Roman shades will block the neighbors' view of your bathtub but let you gaze at the sky while you soak. Or possibly a bamboo or parchment shades and simple curtain panels made from fine cotton twill or translucent linen. These materials let light stream in during the day, provide privacy at night and add touchable texture to a room.  Favorite window treatments: sheer fabric shades with built-in blinds. They look great and offer so much versatility.

Other window treatment tips:

• If windows are narrow, extend curtain rods a foot or so on each side to suggest width.
  
• If your ceilings are low, hang rods right at the ceiling line and consider window treatments with vertical stripes to create the illusion of height.