Simple silk drapes are ideal for the landing in your stairwell

Many older homes include a window on the landing of a stairwell. Whether this is for architectural purposes or because the staircase was moved during a renovation, landing windows are a nice detail for any home.

But since the staircase serves as a connection between floors – and likely the public and private parts of your home – it can be difficult to know what to do with one of these in terms of window treatments.

You certainly wouldn't want to leave it bare, since that would make the house chillier, and might allow neighbors to see you in your pajamas as you're heading downstairs for your morning coffee. But if you were to choose curtains and drapes that were too loud or bulky, it could prove to be a distraction on the stairwell.

When dressing a landing window, it's best to go with something classic. Silk curtains will look subdued yet elegant, and are sturdy enough to withstand this high-traffic part of the home. Best of all, they don't have to pack a lot of color in order to be visually interesting thanks to that impressive sheen, so you can feel free to go with a white or cream drape, and still know that it looks nice.

These can be hung in the window and paired with sheer drapes, which will help to obscure the interior of your home from the prying eyes of your neighbors. As an added bonus, a sheer will not block light from coming in, so your staircase will remain as sunny and beautiful as it always was.

It's best to stick to classics when you are looking to dress a window on a stairwell so that it compliments the design elements of the rest of your home, rather than competing with them.