Outdoor Curtains

1. Don't have the budget for an outdoor room? Outdoor curtains can create one at minimal cost. Add a set of curtains, and covered patios and decks become sunrooms and second living rooms, increasing outdoor appeal by screening out glare and insects, UV rays and the prying eyes of neighbors or passersby.

2. The outdoor setting offers interesting possibilities for "interior" decor. Greek or Roman pillars combined with sheer outdoor curtains and dramatic tiebacks would evoke a classical portico. Outdoor curtains are also terrific for tropical rooms such as lanais, Hawaiian roofed patios that function as furnished living rooms. Wood cabins and Adirondack "great camps" are classic themes for traditional outdoor drapes.

3. If you've never used a set of outdoor curtains, don't be worried about durability: these are not your standard fabrics. Today's outdoor curtain fabrics are more durable and stylish than ever, thanks to material advances that enhance their UV blocking abilities and fade resistance. Water- and mildew-resistant patio curtains can withstand rain and sun alike without losing their color or form.

4. Exterior decorators have devised some ingenious ways of naturally integrating outdoor curtains into both patio decor and the outdoor elements. Concealing curtain rods within open wood beams or trellis or arbor-style roofs is one possibility. If your options for concealment are limited, ivy or hanging vines would artfully blend the transition between home and yard.

5. When you're adding a set of outdoor curtains, it's also a perfect time to update the style of your patio furniture. Contemporary materials such as resin wicker, aluminum, teak, and all-weather furniture fabrics have brought interior-worthy style to outdoor furniture - a durable complement to all-weather curtains. Conversation sets, sofa sectionals, and resin wicker bar sets are just some of the versatile furnishing possibilities for new outdoor rooms.

6. Here's an outdoor room idea you probably haven't considered: outdoor bedrooms. It needn't be the whole year through, but in those summer months when you're running the AC just so you can sleep, fresh air and outdoor breezes would be awfully nice. Sectional patio daybeds are among the most popular innovations in contemporary outdoor furniture. For night sleeping or afternoon napping, daybeds are comfy outdoor curtain companions.

7. Independent structures such as cabanas, pergolas, and gazebos are among the most beautiful settings for creative uses of outdoor curtains. An enclosed and curtained gazebo with a sofa sectional set is a discreet, glare-free spot for napping, reading, and relaxing.