Dressing new windows with curtains, blinds or shutters can be a significant expense that you may not have factored into your budget.

If you’re set on shutters, consider having them installed café-style, halfway up the window, so that they provide privacy at the lower level while still letting in light at the top. In this living room (above), interior designers Hám have achieved the same effect with café-style curtains on poles halfway up the windows – a simple and inexpensive option.

To save on full curtains, go for pencil pleats, which require less fabric than pinch pleats, and if you want to add a designer edge without splashing out on an expensive print, try a plain fabric with the addition of a patterned trim. Installing Roman blinds, rather than full-length curtains, is another way to bring in the softness of fabric while keeping costs down.