All Entries in the "Windows" Category
The Stylish Home Notes and Venetian Blinds
The main function of the venetian blinds is to block out the unwanted light. You could add them to your home or your office for it is a kind of window covering that is made of vertical or horizontal slats of plastic, metal or wood that could be opened or closed depending on the amount of light that you need.
Usually these blinds come in neutral colors, but you could spice up the room a bit if you add some decorations to the venetian blinds.
First you should repaint the blinds with a solid color. Then use sandpaper to rough all the slats and so it will have better adherence for the paint.
Add another layer of paint to the slats, but this time follow a striped pattern by using different colors on each slat.
In order to go with the decorating process, close the slats of the blind to have a flat surface. Then paint something on the slats that will become visible only in case the slats are in that certain position. You could also paint something else on the other side as well.
Window Treatment Trends 2011
Window treatments are an integral part of the home décor and need careful planning and execution. A home with the best of décor would look bare without complimenting curtains or shades.
The curtains can be an extension of the décor in your home or they can be the focal points and the topic of discussions.
Though curtains are essential, maintaining them can be a pain for most people who are busy on the treadmill of life.
This year’s trend tends towards the minimalist and elegant designs that require minimum maintenance.
Curtains are a very functional part of the décor as they are required to keep the sunlight and prying eyes outside.
When the two factors are not considered, curtains add to the beauty of the room, even if they are pulled back to enjoy the view.
This year has a lot to offer, right from sheer fabrics with modern patterns to bamboo Roman shades for the organic lovers.
Organic is the choice to go with even if all you use is wood or bamboo for decorative hardware like pulls or finials.
Window Shades From Simple To Exquisite
Bored with the plain window shades that have no identity of their own but daren’t spend too much on the exclusive stuff? How about some exclusive window treatments that don’t cost the earth?
All this and more is all yours even if all you can afford are the $12 window shades from K-Mart. The secret ingredient is an inexpensive trip to your craft store and plenty of creativity.
With some heavy duty drapes and a dash of ingenuity there is a lot you can do to add pizazz to plain old boring shades. Here are three of the many things that can be done with them.
Window shades can be made personal with a unique message on them. It could be something as simple as a good morning or good night or a favorite quote or saying. You can choose your favorite phrase or word.
Before you embark on this personalization program the things that you will need are roller shades (of course), tape measure, Gaffers tape (chose from various colors available), scissors, rulers, small paintbrush, floating medium primer, acrylic paint (craft) and alphabet stamps (foam).
Replacement Windows Installation with Minimum Damage
In case you are going to install replacement windows at your home, here are a few steps, which you should consider carefully, in order to install the windows without damage.
The first and the most important thing is to measure the old window frame. Make sure you are measuring the frame’s height from the top of the sill to the underside of the head jamb. Record the smallest measurements, for they will guide you to what window to choose.
Use an angle-measuring tool to measure the slop of the still. Remove the old sash from the window frame as you pry off the wooden stops, in order to remove the sash.
Be careful for prying off the jam liners. The best thing you can do is to use flat bar, for you will pry them free. Prep the frame as you remove all the loose and blistered paint.
Scrape them off and sand the jambs. Then you can paint the surfaces. In case this is the first window replacement you are doing, then you need to remove the original sash weights from their pockets. After that, simply insulate the frame with insulation foam. Spray it into the holes and into the sash-weight pockets. Leave the foam for 6 hours and then continue with the work.
10 Modern And Beautiful Home Blinds
In these times and days, when everything you lay your hand on is being customized for your need and use, why should home blinds stay far behind? Window blinds not only add to the interior décor of the house but give your home that distinctive edge over others’, whether to be used for regulating light or privacy for that matter.
1. Sound Blind Speakers
In today’s world of restricted spaces, here is an innovative product from an innovative designer.
These home blinds work as blinds as well as speakers eliminating the need for additional space for your sound boxes.
Vintage Window Styles For Visual Impact
For an interesting visual impact to be created, vintage window styles can come in very handy. Not only do they make for an interesting look from the outside, they offer a different indoor perspective as well:
The Quatrefoil window:
This sort of window is in the shape of a four leafed clover, and is evocative of a Gothic ambience. These can be plain or fitted with colored or stained glass to offer interesting shades of light or color.
The Fanlight Window:
Traditionally this is a window shaped like a fan as the name suggests, and usually sits atop another window or even a door. It can be not just an interesting design element, but it can be a source of natural light into the room.
The Bay Window:
This one is evocative of days gone past when there was time to sit by the window on the widow seat and read or just watch the trees growing. A bay window offers light and air to the room and the semicircular shape offers a view of the outdoors the way other window types cannot.
The Dormer Window:
Increasing Energy Efficiency With Curtains And Window Coverings
Energy efficiency is not just about saving your hard earned money but also about doing your bit for conservation of resources and minimizing your carbon footprint.
If you think about it, what is good for you is actually also good for the environment, as is true in this and several other instances.
Good and effective insulation is the best method for increasing energy efficiency of a home or work environment because this is what makes it possible for you to lower your electricity bills which are largely composed of heating and cooling components. This is particularly true for windows, which is the main channel for heat or cold to enter a house.
What good insulation does is it also decreases the amount of noise that enters the house, because it muffles the sound from outside, letting less of it into the house.
Thermal Curtains: These are usually heavy drapes[window drapes] or curtains that are made with an insulating lining so that they form a kind of barrier at the window, preventing loss of heat or cool air from within the house as well as keeping the elements at bay more effectively.
Cleaning Windows To A Sparkle, The Natural Way
There are several reasons not to be using strong chemical based solutions to clean your windows or other areas of the house.
They could be toxic to you and your family, they are certainly not good for the environment and there are simple alternatives that you can use instead of these which may even be actually cheaper to use.
Did you know that you can get excellent results by using some common things that you will find lining your kitchen shelves? Did you know that white vinegar, baking soda, corn starch, club soda and lemon juice can all be useful for cleaning and particularly for cleaning windows?
Also these items tend not to leave any residue, which builds up with chemical formulations that can itself be rather an irritant which needs to be cleaned.
When cleaning widows, newsprint is an excellent item to use, since it is lint free, disposable and when done the right way, it leaves no streaks.
Another tip for when you are cleaning windows: cleaning in circular motions will create more streaks than if you were to use side to side cleaning motions or vertical up and down strokes.
Window Treatments To Add Personal Touch To Your Home
The windows in your home are some of the areas that need your attention, especially when you’re remodeling or adjusting your current home decoration.
Whether you’re going for a look that is contemporary or classically chic, there are window treatments to suit your needs. Some of these window treatments are available as curtains, blinds or shades.
These window treatments can be used and manipulated to suit your particular design and style.
Before you decide which window treatment to adopt into your home décor, do some research. This will help you to find exactly what you’re looking for without further delays and unnecessary confusion. If possible try to get an expert’s opinion.
Window treatments are a very creative way of upgrading your home interior at affordable prices. Besides the above stated window treatments, there are also roll –up blinds, custom window cornices and natural woven window shades to add that needed touch to contemporary and country style curtains.
Alternatively, you might be interested in using high fashion Thai silk draperies which will be ready made and ready-to-ship. These will light up any room and make it a guaranteed showstopper. Another alternative is faux silk curtains, which are available in various colors and patterns and are reasonably affordable.
Treatments That Work Best For Bay Windows
A bay window is defined as “a large window or series of windows projecting from the outer wall of a building and forming a recess within”.
What this means, if you’re lucky enough to have one or more in your home, is extra light, a more panoramic view, and a wonderful focal point for the interior of any room.
Bay windows are also a delightful way to exercise your creativity.
One purpose of a bay window is to provide the interior of a room with a more spacious appearance, which may be why this type of window architecture became so popular in San Francisco’s typically narrow residential structures.
Also, a good view can only be enhanced by the perspective offered by these angled, offset windows.
When it comes to decorating, bay windows lend themselves beautifully to a wide range of treatments.
Window treatments are simply decorative and/or functional items that are added around or in front of a window. Anything from sheer curtains to roller shades can be adapted to your particular window.
If your bay window gets plenty of natural sunlight, you might consider turning the ‘bay’ into a mini-garden.
