How to Use Modern Window Dressing in your Interiors

Although when it comes to interior designs windows do not tend to get as much attention as say, a different coat of paint or some new furniture, there are actually a wide variety of modern and stylish window treatments that don’t cost a lot of money to buy and only takes a little bit of time to install.

Luxurious curtains for your interiors

When it comes to the more traditional kind of window treatments, probably the first kind that come to mind are drapes or curtains. However, what provides a bit of a trendy twist is by selecting ones that are made with by luxurious fabrics such as silks, suede or velvet. If you do decide to go this route, you’re going to be paying a bit more money for the yards of fabric, but if you can sew a hem, it can still be a pretty affordable investment.

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Roman shades add a touch of modern design

If you don’t want to use curtains or blinds, Roman shades are an ideal compromise. Whether you want a casual, classic or formal look, one great thing about this particular option is that there are plenty of websites that can walk you through how to make them by hand.  Just make sure to put “how to make Roman shades” in the search field to locate the instructions.

Consider sheer window dressings

Do you love having the sun wake you up in the morning? If so, another option to consider is going with some sheer fabric to add a bit of warmth to a room without compromising the natural light that comes through the windows. Sheer window dressing come in all kinds of colors and patterns. Another nice fabric alternative to them (especially if you are eco-friendly) is organic linen.

Blinds are a good window treatment option

Whether you purchase blinds that you can maneuver by hand, the great thing about this option is that they come in a variety of materials (such as wood or plastic) and colors. This helps to either give a room a really casual or a more formal appearance. A particular kind of blinds that are currently all the rage are honeycomb blinds. That’s because they’re not only stylish and affordable, but they are eco-friendly too. Speaking of eco-friendly, two other great materials for blinds are sheer linen panels and bamboo blinds.

Choose curtain rods that add beauty to your window dressing

If you do decide to go with curtains, you need some curtain rods to hang them from, right? A current style that is a timeless fashion statement is rods that are made out of stainless steel. They’re sturdy, they’re attractive, they’re appropriate for any room of the house (whether it’s a formal dining room or a laidback bonus room) and they will last for a lifetime. Definitely a look worth eying.

For more window dressing ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Choosing the Best Winter Window Treatments

Image Via: Amy Werfel Interiors

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Windows That Make A Space, Airy & Light

Winters need the sun and hence there is no need to run away from it. Huge transparent openings can sift in abundant sunlight, enough to make your house, comfortable and warm. What may concern you though is the glare. The problem of glare can easily be dealt with by using window coverings near the ceiling level. Curtain valance can solve the problem very efficiently. Use materials and colors that complement your decor and voila you will have a space that will be a treat in the winters.

Image Via: RLH Studio

The Double Layered Look

Double layers too, work splendidly in winters. An outer layer of thin bamboo venetian blinds and an inner layer of thick fabric curtains could prove to be a worthy winter window treatment. You could draw out the curtains and let the sun through the bamboo screen during the day and trap in the heat by drawing the heavy curtains in the evenings.

Image Via: Norman Design Group, Inc.

Take It From The Top

For those of you, who want a single layered window treatment but are looking for something out of the box can try the ‘Take It From The Top’ look. Instead of hanging the curtains just above the lintel you can hang fabric blinds right from the ceiling. Use heavy fabric but lighter colors so that the sun comes in and stays in.

Image Via: Marcelo Brito & Pedro Potaris

Fun With Fabrics

While we are at it, might I also suggest some busy looking fabrics to grace your windows. Busy looking patterns and motifs generate a subtle warmth. Hence, when we use them in the colder part of the year there is an inherent heat that comes in with that beautiful medley. Try and use oranges, reds, browns and yellows instead of blues and greens to get better results.

Image Via: KH Window Patterns

Bare Windows

Or might I suggest the completely bare look! Forego all curtains and blinds and let the transparency connect with the outside. The very fact that you are sitting inside with a cup of piping hot tea might generate the requisite warmth:)

Image Via: Whitten Architects

The walls and windows of our house form a boundary that segregates the outsides from the insides. Instead of treating these unavoidable partitions as a strict threshold and by letting them become doorways leading to each other, can create very interesting and humane spaces. Do share with us what your favorite window treatments are, especially for the colder months. We would love to hear from you.

Click here for more Window Treatment Ideas!

]]> https://stagetecture.com/choosing-best-winter-window-treatments/feed/ 0 73818 https://stagetecture.com/summer-decor-windows-can-fun/ https://stagetecture.com/summer-decor-windows-can-fun/#respond Wed, 25 Jun 2014 14:35:53 +0000 https://stagetecture.com/?p=66800 There is something fun about summers despite the heat and sweat they get along. Whether it is in the form of enjoying popsicles with your siblings or going for an evening swim with your dad, some merriments belong to summers alone. Likewise it goes for decor. Summer Decor, can fill our homes with cheer, zest and vivacity.

Bringing you some perky summer decor ideas in the form of interesting window decorations, that take a leap ahead from the mundane window drapery.

Fun Picket-Fences

Gorgeous foldable picket-fences, form a subtle screen, that sieve in the requisite light but keep out the harsh summer sun. The fence forms a great forefront to the expansive greens of your outdoors and a perfect screen for the summer months. This, in fact is a fun summer project, that you can sculpt  in your garage workshop and then paint, in your favorite summer colors and patterns.

Image Via:Collectionsetc

A Mini Herb Garden By Your Window

Plants by your window can be a resplendent sight and a mini herb garden by your kitchen window can do wonders to your meals and decor. Green foliage, adds a refreshing fragrance to your house and brings about a spurt of liveliness into your summer decor. Imagine the smell of fresh mint in the hot summer months! Ain’t it intoxicating?

Image Via:Myrecipes

Display Your Summer Craft

Summer sees to it that you and your children are busy doing school craft projects together, so why not put it onto display. Be it colorful butterflies, cheerful pinwheels, smiling flowers or mini postcards, you can string them using colorful ribbons and hang them on the windows. Not only will you encourage your children but you will also provide your neighbors and yourself some pleasant and cheery view.

Image Via:dom.ya1

Stencil Refreshing Themes On your Curtains And Blinds

Who says blinds and curtains need to be formal and boring. Stencil out some refreshing, invigorating themes on your light colored summer drapery and give your summer decor a perky uplift. Choose from themes like summer fruits, flowers or even traditional motifs and stencil them out in a summer inspired color palette giving a rejuvenating twist to your plain summer decor.

Image Via:DIYenthusiasts

Inspiration From Nature

Dry twigs and fallen branches can provide some really serendipitous inspiration. Arranged in pattern,so as to form a sort of screen, these twigs generate intriguing compositions and filter the goodness of the summer sun into your house.

Image Via: MequedoUno

From The Old School

Its all so incomplete without the mention of the evergreen bamboo blinds. A welcome break from the usual drapery, bamboo blinds induce a feeling of freshness and crispness into the surroundings, keeping away the severity of summer.

Image Via: Simple Form

Every season comes with its flavor and character. Summers somehow stand synonymous with subtle laughter, fun-filled activities and a sunny, cheerful decor. These window decoration ideas exemplify the true essence of summers and bring about the true flavor of the season into your decor. Go ahead and get inspired!

Creative Ideas for Window Shades

Image via: Pinterest

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Color Match Window Shades

Each room can have a certain character, defined by the color of the furniture, wall paintings or linens. Try to match the colors or compliment the room’s décor with the window shades, to give the room an unbeatable look.

Image via: Homebunch

Choose Window Shades that Pop Out

If you have a room that is otherwise poor in color, why not choose a vibrant color or a design that will pop out and cheer up the whole room? Make the window treatments the center focal point of the room to add character and appeal to an otherwise boring room in no time.

Image via: BHG

Use Unexpected Materials

The good thing about window treatments is that you can use almost anything you can think of to provide you with the character and look you are aiming for. They are also inexpensive, since you can up-cycle old items. Consider using roll-up maps for your home office or the kid’ s room, burlap for an earthy living room or even left-over wallpaper attached to a plain roller shade.

Image via: Pinterest

Try any of the above décor ideas to make your home and any room stand out with window shades. Changing the window treatments is an easy and inexpensive way to make a quick home make-over, now that spring is here and calling for a change of our mood, after a long and dark winter.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Tips for Choosing Curtains and Window Dressing for your Home

The truth is that when done properly, window dressing can really make the room, and is the understated, unappreciated pièce de résistance to any ambitious interior design.

So just how can it be pulled off effectively? Here are a few quick tips.

Make Finding Curtains for your Windows a Priority

Starting with the windows in a room might sound like an unusual strategy, but it provides a number of advantages. Firstly, you can match your window decor to the design of the room, without the distracting clutter of furniture and appliances that have already been installed.

This means that you can think about an overall color scheme, and search for matching shades between your curtains and your sofas, which helps you make some firmer decisions about how you want the room’s overall aesthetic to appear.

Consider Blinds for Smaller Windows

Blinds work better for smaller windows, or multiple windows in succession, but it’s best to leave the ornaments since blinds are quite difficult to maneuver around them.

Determine What Type of Curtain Rods are Needed

Before you jump to installing your curtain rods, you should be certain about your selection of shelf ornaments, if you’re using them. Striking ornaments are best placed in a larger window, where you can frame them with a curtain design of your choosing.

Consider the Window Frame when Choosing Window Dressing

The window frame is more important to a room’s visual assets than you might think. If your window frame is of the typical white-washed variety, it might be worth investing some time in giving it a new paint job for it to feel more of a contribution to the interior. For example, a rustic brown when contrasted with an eggshell white wallpaper is a great choice.

Once you’ve decided on the frame, it’s a good idea to look for a curtain pole of a matching shade and material. That way, the curtains can feel inherent in the window design, rather than an unfortunate mish-mash of ‘whatever looks okay’. It can be done on a tight budget and still look like it came with a towering price tag; all it takes is a well-balanced palette.

For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When renovating your home and trying to add some glamour and beauty, windows are often one of the most important areas to start with. Installing windows with different styles or colors can do wonders for your home, and provide a fresh new look. When deciding the type of window treatments for your home, you need to look at different designs to determine which one will decorate your home best and blend with the rest of the house.

Window dressings require a lot of maintenance and cleaning to keep them looking good. Window treatment cleaning is a very simple house hold task that can be done using a brush or a hand vacuum cleaner. Treatment and cleaning your dressings allows the curtains to last longer and look more appealing, eliminating the need for frequent replacement. Maintaining window dressings is easy and cheap, if you know the right process for your home’s treatments.

Image via: Panageries

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There are several options for cleaning your window treatments, depending on which type you use. Blinds, shades, curtain panels and drapery need to be dusted and cleaned on a regular basis to continue to hold the color and pattern of your dressings.

Machine Washing

Machine washing is especially useful for curtains made of soft fabric. Be careful not to use detergents that are too strong because they may damage the fabric and ruin your curtains or remove color from the fabric. Machine washing is very effective in removing stubborn stains, and it makes washing easier. Dry cleaning blinds and drapes also offers a quick solution to window treatment, and it can be easily done at home. This method of cleaning window dressings is very helpful when you have a lot of dressings to wash, which would be difficult to do by hand. However, for fiber glass and some special types of blinds that require delicate treatment, cleaning with a brush or a soft cloth and cleaning supplies is far more effective.

 Image via: Six Walls Interior Design

Dry Cleaning

Another option for your window treatments is dry cleaning. If your curtains or draperies are dry clean only then be sure to never wash. If you do wash the dry clean only items, you can be subject to shrinkage or color loss with your items. Always have your dressings dry cleaned if the care label says so.

Dusting

Dust and debris always builds up on your window dressings, and regular and thorough dusting is important to avoid staining and to protect your family from allergies and pollutants. The best tool for dusting is a hand vacuum cleaner, which can be moved up and down along the curtains or drapes gently for clean and more appealing windows.

Image via: Mariko Reed

Shades and Blinds

With shades and blinds, you can simple dip them in a bath to clean the items of dust and dirt. A white vinegar bath can help remove the dust from the blinds and have them looking brand new. To avoid purchasing new blinds or shades, take a few hours and clean the items in warm water with vinegar to remove the dirt and grime.

Erika is an avid home decorator who enjoys maintaining the style of her home. To find more home decorating options visit Blindsgalore, a specializer of honeycomb shades and other window dressing options.

For more home cleaning tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Once you’ve hung blinds and drapes throughout your home as a means of privacy and decor, you might not give them a second thought. But just like everything else in your home, these window dressings can become bogged down with the standard dirt and dust that floats through the air and settles on every surface. They can also collect pet dander and other allergens, especially if you have cloth materials covering your windows. And every time you open or close them, they’ll release these trapped particles into your interior air, potentially leading to coughing, sneezing, and full-on allergy symptoms. The point is that you can’t ignore your window treatments once you’ve put them up; you need to engage in proper care and cleaning in order to get the best use out of them. Here are just a few cleaning and care tips that are sure to help your blinds and draperies last a lifetime.

Image via: Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

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Know your materials.

The type of materials used for your blinds and drapes could make a huge difference in your regimen of cleaning and care, so it’s important to know what they’re made of. For example, you wouldn’t wash velvet or silk dupioni the same way as cotton drapes. And enameled wooden blinds will have a very different cleaning routine than metal slats or Venetian blinds. So it’s important to know from the get-go what materials your blinds and drapes are made from so that you can make sure to take the proper measures to care for them.

Use the right cleansers.

You might spray an all-purpose cleaner like 409 on countertops, toilets, and appliances alike. But can you use it on your blinds? Or will it wear away the enamel finish on wood and take the paint off metal? While you can probably use just about anything on plastic, you might not want to mess up pricy blinds made of nicer materials. And what about Venetian blinds? How the heck do you clean them? Then there are drapes, only some of which can go in the washing machine. In general, your best bet is to dust blinds frequently and use a mild solution of water and dish soap applied with a sponge to attack the grime every once in a while. Venetian blinds can get a dip bath in Woolite. And drapes can go to the washing machine, a hand wash, or the dry cleaners, depending on the textile.

Frequency of cleaning.

When it comes to how often you need to clean your blinds and drapes, a general rule of thumb is that you should dust weekly, or whenever you dust the rest of your house, and wash at least annually. It can definitely be a pain in the neck to pull down all the blinds and drapes in your home for a deep cleaning, but once a year should suffice to make them look brand new again. In the meantime you can attack blinds with a sponge every couple of months.

Image via: Two Story Cottage

Consider professional cleaning and care.

There will be instances where you need professional help to get your blinds and drapes looking good as new. If your drapes are a little worse for the wear, take them to your local dry cleaner for spot removal and minor repairs. As for blinds, the blind shop where you bought them should be able to replace broken slats, rethread snapped lines, and correct chipped paint or enamel.

Inspect for damage.

It’s not a bad idea to give your blinds and drapes a thorough check-up every now and then, like when you perform your annual deep cleaning. Since you already have them pulled down, this is an ideal time have any necessary repairs done. Of course, you may also find that it’s simply not worth the time or money to have your items refurbished, in which case it could be time to update your décor and spring for the most popular trends in LA or NYC blinds

For more summer home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Curtains and window treatments add a beautiful dynamic to your interiors. With the right curtains, you can attain your desired aesthetic at any area at home. Window curtains can provide a quick and obvious style update in your interior. This is very helpful especially if you only have limited time to enhance the looks of your home.

Window curtains are not just for beautification but also for privacy, comfort and lighting control. It’s a functional accessory that comes in handy and easy to install. You just have to know how to find the perfect curtains for your design style.

Image via: Jamie Padgett

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Check out these ideas in choosing the perfect curtains:

Know the right type of fabric

Fabric is an essential part in selecting the perfect curtain. This will act as to how you want the curtain to function. For instance, if the window is highly exposed to sunlight, a thick fabric should be considered. There are also light fabric curtains for those who want it fluffy and soft. A combination of different fabrics can also be a nice option.

Measure the length and lining

Proper length and lining is very important in the whole package. It will definitely look awkward if your curtains don’t have the right measurement. If your hanging panels are higher than your window, it will give height in your room. Modern curtains typically go down to the floor to have an elegant look at the interior.

Image via: Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs

Pick the right color and style

The color and style of your curtains will help highlight your theme. This will enhance the appearance of your interior. This will also help neutralize the overall setting of your interior. For instance, if your wall color is too bold or intense, you can tone it down with curtain colors such as brown, beige, yellow and other light colors.

You can customize the size, style and design of your curtains if you want it to fit exactly to your window. Enjoy your quest of having perfect curtains.

For more curtain ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When we think about remodeling our exterior home we may think about getting some new siding or putting up a new fiberglass door. However, what may not cross our minds is purchasing some outdoor window treatments.

Although the window treatments for the interior can provide a pleasing aesthetic to any room of the home, by placing some on the outside, it can help to significantly reduce the amount of sun that comes into your home, which can ultimately cause your energy bills to be much lower than what they would be without them.

Image via: Allegro Ltd

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If this is something that interests you, perhaps you are wondering what you should take into consideration before making a purchase. You’re in luck, because we have five tips for getting the ideal set of window treatments for your house below:

What type suits your needs?

Just like there are a variety of options to choose from for the interior of your home, there are quite a few as it relates to exterior window treatments as well. You can get blinds, shades or shutters. Then, you have to choose what kind of material that you’d like them to be made from: aluminum, vinyl, real wood and faux wood are just some of the kinds that are available to you.

What kind of climate do you live in?

For obvious reasons, if you live in a place where there’s a lot of rain or high humidity, because wood tends to swell, you probably would not want to go with real wood blinds. Or, if you live where there are a consistent amount of tornadoes, storm shutters are probably the ideal route to go. So, in assessing which ones are best, be sure to speak with the sales associate in order to get their opinion on which ones would be the wisest purchase.

What amount of maintenance do you want to put into them?

Some people actually enjoy working on their house. If you fall into that category, you may not mind having some real wood or perhaps even ordering some AOL outdoor blinds. Just remember that with wood window treatments, they tend to disintegrate after spending a significant amount of time in the sun if they are not properly cared for. Due to the fact that outside of your home is what people will see long before walking into your house, you definitely want to make sure you buy the ones that will fit into your “house maintenance routine”.

Image via: Cornerstone Architects

What is your budget?

Exterior window treatments range in prices. You can find some for as low as $40 per treatment and some for that are over $200. This is why it’s a good idea to spend some time online researching the ones that you have to choose from so that you can get what will fit your budget. Your local home improvement stores’ websites and also Menard’s and Payless Decor are places where you can see what is currently on the market.

Will you need help with installation?

It may seem like a simple question (that has a simple answer) initially, but some window treatments are easier to install than others (especially if you don’t live in a one-level home). There is always an additional fee to have someone come out and put them on for you, so when you’re close to making the final decision, definitely make sure to take if you can put them on yourself or if you’re going to need a professional to do so into account.

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

As any homeowner knows, half the fun of moving into a new place is decorating in order to make your living space your own. You want it to reflect your personal style and give you a feeling of familiarity and comfort every time you walk in the door. But even if you have a strong aesthetic sensibility, a highly-developed personal style, and a fair amount of knowledge when it comes to decorating, you might face some problem areas when it comes to selecting appropriate décor. And one of the major issues that many homeowners come up against when adorning their interior space is the conundrum of how to treat the bathroom windows. If you’ve tried metal blinds then you’ve no doubt discovered that moisture can cause them to rust. And most curtains will mold over time from the steam. So what can you do to provide some coverage in the room in your house where you likely want it most? Here are a few tips to help you select the right window treatments for your bathroom.

Image via:  Tidg

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Provide ample coverage

There are generally three main goals when it comes to treating the windows in your bathroom. First, you want to supply ample coverage so that nobody can see in. Second, you want to ensure that you can still enjoy the natural light that filters in. This is especially useful for women who put on their makeup in this room, since it’s always best to apply it under natural illumination (if possible). Finally, you want to find materials that are going to stand up to long-term exposure to heat and moisture, since these elements are common in bathrooms. Luckily, you’re not the first person to face this decorating problem, so you don’t exactly have to reinvent the wheel here. There are several solutions that will meet all of your needs.

Window film ideas

The easiest and cheapest option is to create an etched-glass effect using window film. It comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and levels of opacity, it’s available at most hardware stores (and online), and as window treatments go it is decidedly low on the cost spectrum. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to install. You can trim down sheets to cover your whole window or use pre-made patterns to get a custom look with little effort on your part. Then all you do is peel and stick to obscure the view through your windows. The only real problem is that you can’t exactly pull it aside if you want to let more light in, and this film will dilute the light to some degree. Also, it won’t entirely block the view. Those looking in won’t get an eyeful of your goodies, but they could likely see shapes moving around, especially if there are gaps in the pattern.

Image via: Ed Ritger

Consider blinds

If you want total control over the amount of light and visibility into your bathroom, your best bet is going to be blinds. You can certainly use plastic-coated curtains or cut a small section from a plastic shower curtain to hang in the window, but this isn’t going to look very attractive and frankly, these curtains are a pain in the neck to clean. However, you can order custom blinds online to save some money. And if you opt for plastic options they will resist the rust that affects metal blinds as well as the mold, mildew, and warping that can ruin wooden options, making them an ideal window treatment for your bathroom.

For more bedroom & living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.