From in-stock, standard sizes at your local discount store to custom-made coverings crafted by a decorator or interior designer, home decor elements such as window treatments run the gamut of prices in Howard County, Maryland.

Standard sizes of drapes, blinds, shades and shutters are the least expensive - especially if you take them off the shelf or order them right out of a catalog. Whether custom or standard, the bigger the window treatment, the higher the price.

Tell your interior designer or decorator what you would like to spend and ask her to stick to those limits. Often she can find alternatives that will work well and allow you to stay within your budget. Many window treatment stores have decorators on staff who will come to your house and make suggestions, as well as take accurate measurements.