"Some people think they’ll spend $100 or $200 a window, but that’s going to buy you a basic blind in today’s market," says Barrett. Be realistic about what you can afford. Do a little homework in stores to get an idea of fabric prices, and surf the web for costs on blinds, shutters and ready-made draperies. Window treatments "are not the least expensive thing to do in a room, but there are ways of saving money," says Donna Babylon, author of More Splash Than Cash Window Treatments (Windsor Oak Publishing), who makes all her own window treatments. (Before you roll your eyes, Babylon points out that all that’s really involved is cutting out rectangles and sewing straight lines.) A consultation with a window treatment expert may well be worth the cost ($50 and up for two hours) if it helps you avoid mistakes, Barrett says. Find professionals through friends, furniture and fabric stores and the yellow pages. What rooms and what windows are the most important for you to dress?

Barrett suggests you do the rooms you really live in first, such as the bedrooms and the family room. Try to set a schedule for doing other rooms, so you don’t end up six years down the road with the same inexpensive aluminum blinds on the windows that you first threw up there for privacy’s sake. Do you have kids? Do you entertain a lot? If your window treatments will go in a high traffic area such as by a sliding glass door, opt for durable, washable materials (nylon, acetate, acrylic, cotton) and save the silk for another window. Similarly, if you cook a lot you don’t want delicate fabrics in the kitchen, where they’ll absorb splatters. Next, think hard about function, says Kara Roberts, merchandising manager for Smith+Noble. Do you want your window treatments to provide privacy? Control the light coming in? Frame a beautiful view? Insulate against cold and noise? Some basic guidelines: For light control, blinds and shutters offer the most options, since you can tilt slats or louvers to allow in just the amount of light you want.

If it’s a bedroom that needs to be totally dark at times, opt for blackout shades or blackout lining for draperies. For energy efficiency, honeycomb blinds actually trap hot or cold air in cells, keeping the room cooler or warmer with the season. To block noise, "the more fabric you put up, the quieter it is," says Babylon. Consider layering window treatments such as a shade, then sheers, then lined floor length draperies (add a fabric-covered cornice at the top). Charles "Pete" Randall, author of The Encyclopedia of Window Fashions, faced all these questions when he and his wife moved into a Mediterranean Spanish-style house in California a year ago. "There were zero window treatments in my home office," Randall says. The room boasts an ocean view, so Randall opted for vertical blinds. "I can block a little bit of light and still have the view," he says. There are no hard and fast rules in choosing a style, says Randall. Currently, there’s a trend toward "cleaner, urban looks – less fussy," says Roberts of Smith+Noble.

That translates into natural woven wood shades, Roman shades and new flat panels that run on a track inspired by Japanese shoji screens.Wood Floors Beyond Repair Barrett suggests clipping inspirations from magazines and books. Hot Tub Parts Seattle Wa"If you can’t make up your mind, then narrow the focus and just pull things you don't like," she says. Is Bamboo Flooring As Good As Hardwood"If you show me a pile of tailored cornices and Roman shades that you hate, that’s one product category we can eliminate." The Encyclopedia of Window Fashions offers hundreds of examples, and includes charts for stack back widths, general yardage requirements and explanations of drapery terminology. (This is very helpful for those of us who didn’t know that jabots are decorative pieces of fabric hung over seams or between swags on a valance.)

Think about the feeling you want in any given room. "If it’s a family room and you’re only in it at night and you want a cozy, comfortable feeling then you need some layers and softness at the window, not just blinds," says Barrett. Window treatments can reflect both your home’s architecture and your personal style. This means that maybe my minimalist approach to our living and dining rooms (white solar shades) may be just fine — they’re simple, uncluttered rooms with clean lines. Measure more than once, to make sure you’re covering all your bases. For detailed info on the right way to measure, consult the internet. Draperies should be hung at least four inches above the window frame and should overlap the frame two to four inches on either side of the window. Standard length for draperies is 1/2 inch from the floor, although now many draperies are cut to stack 1-1/2 to 3-inches onto the floor, the way pants cuffs break at the ankle, says Barrett. The "stack back" — how much space the draperies take up on either side of the window — should be approximately one-third the width of the window.

"People should change their finials like they change their earrings because it can really change the personality of a room," says Henry. Any fool can see that blinds are the way to go--mini-blinds in particular, according to the man who calls himself Mr. Blindman."All types of people use mini-blinds, low end and high end," says Mr. Blindman, a.k.a. Steven G. Cahn of Steve's Beautiful Windows, a mobile company whose biggest areas of operation are Laguna Beach, Anaheim and Irvine."I have seen your nicest houses with mini-blinds; I've seen renters use mini-blinds. They're economical, quick to install, and there are 300 different colors to choose from."Though the heyday of mini-blinds was in the 1980s, a number of specialists, including Cahn, are still on the move in the '90s.Costa Mesa-based Budget Blinds has been described by a spokesperson as "a blinding success." Five years since its founding, and three years since developing a franchise concept, there are 133 U.S. locations, 12 in Orange County.Local cleaning services include AAA Two Twins From Texas Mobile Mini Blind Wash & Wax, International Ultrasonic Blind Cleaners, and Mini Blind Laundry.Budget Blinds founder Chad Hallock says that despite declining popularity, mini-blinds still represent a whopping 45% of the window-treatment industry market share

, $4.2 billion in sales.That's because penny-wise consumers have it made in the shades with mini-blinds: According to Cahn, a mini-blind for an average-sized window--say, 72 by 48 inches--can cost as little as $19.But there's another reason too."Mini-blinds are like Kleenex," Hallock says. "When you buy a tissue, you buy Kleenex. People think the only kind of window treatment is a mini-blind. . . ."At major chains, he notes, "People ask for a mini-blind, they show them what's available in a mini-blind. They don't explain other options."At Budget Blinds, where options are explained, those who end up with mini-blinds are usually owners of commercial buildings or first-time home buyers who flat-out aren't interested in hearing about other options."More than likely they don't have a lot of money or they're not into interior design," Hallock says. The first-time home buyer can barely scrape the money together to buy the house. Second- and third-time buyers are more particular. For the nickel and dime to go into something nicer, we can usually sell an upgrade," he says.

The upgrade might be to fabric blinds or wood blinds. Many people prefer vertical blinds to horizontal.Continues Hallock: "When a consumer comes to a store, the salesman doesn't know what the home looks like. We come to the home to see what the customer really should buy. If a mini-blind is $30 and a wood blind is $45, they'd be crazy not to go with the wood blind."Just call Tom Matthews crazy.A retired builder himself, the Newport Beach resident didn't worry about upgrades. As far as Matthews is concerned, the mini-blind gives him everything he needs in a window covering."Basically, you can see through them," Matthews says. "You can adjust them for sunlight."We have a hell of a view from this house. We face east, with a view of the Back Bay and Fashion Island and the mountains. If you put up curtains, they cover half your windows even if you pull them back! If you've got a million-dollar view you sure don't want to cut it out. Mini-blinds aren't necessarily economical. That window Cahn quoted at $19 can easily run as much as $99.

At the upper end, the consumer might be paying for an exotic color such as dried mustard or coral dust, for a particular brand name or for an eight-gauge mini-blind, which uses a heavier metal than the usual six-gauge."But 99% of our sales are white or alabaster, 99% of our sales are six-gauge," Cahn says.Generally speaking, the larger the blind, the more expensive, but because of the difficulty of making very small sizes, blinds less than 12 inches across cost more than identical blinds 36 inches across.Cahn stresses the importance of taking measurements for each window."Every installation is special," he says. "You might think five windows are the same size, but each might be an eighth- or a quarter-inch different. It amazes me when customers think that you carry the blinds already made on your truck. . . . I tell customers that there are 300 different colors and 9 zillion different sizes. We can install ready-made, but I would definitely recommend custom-made."Cahn cuts mini-blinds to within one-eighth of an inch.

Cahn reports that the inventor of mini-blinds is none other than . . . "From Australia," he adds.No matter who invented them, the inspiration was no doubt Venetian blinds, 2-inch aluminum blinds popular in the 1950s and '60s.Other fast facts: Mini-blinds, usually aluminum but also available in wood, have 1-inch slats. Levolor is a popular domestic name brand. Concerns have been raised about some imported plastic mini-blinds containing lead. Half-inch micro-blinds (no word on who that inventor might have been) are also marketed.Mini-blinds can be made in many shapes, including oval; round (one of the most difficult to accommodate); Odd shapes can send costs skyrocketing. According to Cahn, covering a half-circle with mini-blinds can cost three times as much as using a cellular shade.Hallock believes that all blinds are energy efficient, especially cellular shades, which employ insulating honeycomb pleats."I've been in brand-new tract houses sweating like crazy, maybe 100 degrees inside, and after installing blinds it'll be 20 degrees cooler," Hallock says.