Accessories
What today’s windows are wearing:
Today, it’s easier than ever to give your windows a beautiful, stylish, ease-of-care look thanks to a wide array of modern shutters, shades, blinds, and window toppers in a variety of rich fabrics, colors, styles, and finishes.
Shutters are a savvy choice for any home, and far from the seventies trend in wide plastic panels and lacey burlap. High-tech, easy to take care of, and wildly attractive, they can help regulate light and insulate the inside of your home from the outside weather. Twenty-first century shutters are beautifully designed, and because of their simplicity and clean lines, fit with any décor.
Modern shades and blinds come in a variety of styles and materials. Each can stand alone, or be paired with stylish window toppers. Shades come in just about every style imaginable. They can be raised and lowered like blinds. Roman shades feature loosely folded, horizontal pleats and can stack smartly above any window, out of the way. Woven-wood shades are made from any number of natural materials like woven reeds, matchsticks, or grasses. Though they require more stacking space above the window, woven-wood shades can offer a lovely, dramatic accent to any décor.
Like shades, blinds can be raised or lowered, and come is a different widths and lengths. Slim, stylish, and easy to maintain, today’s blinds come in various colors and widths: a far cry from the humble, one color Venetian blinds of the 50’s. Blinds, with their restful horizontal lines, can be pleasing to the eye and complement any décor scheme.
Window toppers add versatility to any window décor. Use them alone, or combine them with shades and blinds to create a simple yet dramatic window fashion. Window toppers are enormously versatile. The most popular window toppers include valances, cornices, swags, and scarves fashioned in fabrics rich in color and textures.
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Guide on how to clean venetian blinds
Venetian blinds are very popular in the United States, either for the house or for the office. They can be purchased in different materials and yet are one of the most difficult things in your house that need to be cleaned, especially if its not done consistently.
Blinds can be made of different materials including wood, aluminum, plastic, vinyl and metal. Also, the type of cleaning depends on how much dust and dirt has deposited on the blinds. Before you begin, make sure that you have the following tools; dust cloth or a vacuum with a brush-head attachment, towels or a drop cloth, sponge or brush, and fabric softener sheets. Here is a quick and easy guide to how to clean venetian blinds:
- The first step is to remove dirt and dust with a dust cloth or with a vacuum. This step can be done for blinds of any material: wood, plastic, metal, aluminum or vinyl. For best results make sure that the blind is extended and the slats are facing upwards first. You may need a ladder, chair or a step stool to reach the top of the blinds.
- If the blinds are particularly dirty, you can use a damp sponge to wipe the dust off. Remember that if the blinds are made of wood or fabric, you cant get them wet or it will ruin them. Just use the dust cloth to remove as much dirt as you can.
- Fill the tub up with cold or warm water adding some dish soap. Remove the blinds from the window for washing and let them soak for about half an hour. Another option would be washing the blinds outdoors using a bucket of water and adding ½ cup of ammonia. Remember, never use hot water on plastic blinds.
- Use a soft brush and start scrubbing the slats of the blinds. Once you have scrubbed all of the blinds, run a hose or shower over them until the rest of the soap is gone;
- Hang the blind over the shower and let it air dry. You may want to put a towel next to the bath tub to catch the water runoff.
When the blinds are completely dry, wipe them with dry cloth or a paper towel. This will prevent dust so that they can stay clean longer.
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How To: Choose Carpet
By: Kelly Goldthorpe
You might not realize it, but more goes into choosing carpet than just the color. When selecting new flooring you should consider the type of traffic in the room, the style you’re going for, and the durability you require. Once you have decided on the type of carpet, then you should move on to think about the more decorative aspects.
The most common type of carpet is cut pile, which involves looped carpet fibers cut at the top. Within this category there are a few subtypes. Saxony has a soft texture good for informal areas, but shows tracks from people walking or vacuuming. On the other hand, textured has a multicolored appearance which helps hide tracks. Textured makes for a good carpet to use throughout your home. Berber carpet is another style which is rapidly increasing in popularity because of the high durability and resistance to dirt.
Level loop pile carpet is as durable as carpet comes. Typically seen in hotels with high traffic, it is easy to clean and prevents dirt from clinging because the fibers are short and dense. This works great in areas with lots of movement.
Cut and loop pile carpet is a middle ground between the two previous types. This carpet can come in one or multiple colors and is great for hiding dirt. It works for a formal or informal setting.
To determine the quality of any type of carpet you will want to examine the density of the fibers. The closer they are together, the higher the quality of the carpet. This will translate to more durability and a longer life for the carpet.
After you’ve picked the type of carpet that suits your needs you can move on to selecting a color or pattern. Take into consideration the house as a whole – will the carpet color blend with the rest of the color scheme? Also keep in mind concerns like pets, where choosing a carpet color close to their fur will limit the amount of time you need to vacuum.
Light colors typically expand the feel of your room, whereas darker colors can create a homier feel. Medium colors work best for a room that will be used a lot because light carpet will show dirt and dark floors show lint. The general rule of thumb is to have the carpet a shade darker than the walls.
Carpeting is not something you can change as easily as painting a wall, so take care and deliberate before purchasing your carpet.
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Picking the Perfect Blind
By: Kelly Goldthorpe
When redoing a room, choosing blinds can be one of the most critical components. Not only do they factor into the design, but they are also a functional part of the room. Understanding the different types and their functionality will help you select blinds that work best for you and look great.
The most traditional type of window covering is the horizontal venetian blind. These blinds have the horizontal slats, ranging from one inch to two inches wide, which are pulled up by a string. The cheapest forms of venetian blinds are made out of vinyl or aluminum material. They provide versatility in color choice, which allows you to find a color that matches your color scheme. They also are easy to clean, but are delicate and can bend or break easily.
For an upgrade in looks and quality you might be interested in wood blinds, which add a touch of class to any room. Faux wood blinds are ideal for any room that experiences a lot of sun or humidity, such as a kitchen or bathroom. This is because faux wood blinds do not crack or warp with temperature changes, which is a common problem with authentic wood blinds. In addition, they are cheaper than wood blinds and most people do not readily recognize the difference. Wood blinds do offer more sun protection and can be painted and stained in more colors than faux wood blinds.
Honeycomb blinds offer another option for horizontal blinds. Their accordion-style look provides excellent light blocking, and they easily fold up. The fabric of these blinds varies as well, and you can choose anywhere from sheer to blackout, allowing you to control the amount of light let in.
If you have large or oddly shaped windows, vertical blinds may be your best solution. They don’t gather much dust and also provide a multitude of color options.
If you’re still unsure of what type of blinds work best for your room, contact a local professional. Budget Blinds is a national retailer who will provide free in-home consultations about possible window coverings for your home.
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Fabricating a Renovation:
How to make your room look remodeled only using new fabric
By: Kelly Goldthorpe
Remember when you thought that making your living room look like a greenhouse by using entirely floral prints was a good idea? Or maybe you liked the crisp look of white but now your children have smudged every piece of upholstery in the place. Using only fabric, you can easily (and cheaply) give your room a makeover.
First, start with the couch, where turning over the cushions just isn’t cutting it anymore. Create your own slip cover! You can use bedroom sheets for a cheap solution. Typically two king size flat sheets will work. Sew the sheets together to make one giant piece of fabric and then overlay it on the couch, tucking it in where needed. This is a “quick fix” method. If you’re more confident with your sewing skills or have more time to invest, actually cover the cushions individually.
To recover more formal chairs is even easier. You will first want to pop off the cushion from the chair base which will serve as a template. You can either take off the original fabric, for an exact pattern, or leave it and just cover over it. Either way, you will want to cut the new fabric to be a few inches more than the size of the chair. This will give you extra material to work with. If you don’t cut enough you may be short, and that will result in wasting the whole piece. Better safe than sorry with this! Once you have placed the fabric on the cushion, just staple the fabric into the wood underneath. Pay attention to the corners when you’re doing this to ensure they look crisp and neat.
Next up are the drapes. If you already have blinds or are using the drapes simply for decorative purposes you can really use any style of fabric. However, choose a heavier style fabric if the drapes will actually be used to block out sunlight. Cut the fabric to the length that you want the drapes to be, plus an additional four inches. You will use the extra overhang to loop back and create a tube, for the curtain rod. Sew or glue the fabric and then simply slide the rod through. This is a very simple solution. For a more professional approach you can add some extra overhand at the top, creating a layered appearance.
Other ways to integrate fabric into your room are in the accents. Create a table runner, redo pillows, or design wall art by covering canvases with fabric.
You can effortlessly update the look of a room without actually doing much. Fabric can easily create the appearance of new furnishings and living room décor while avoiding the costly expense associated with big purchases. In fact, wait until you find the fabric on sale and then purchase all you need at once. This helps you maximize the sale, while ensuring you will have enough fabric of the same pattern in case it goes out stock. You also have more options by using fabric – not limited to store selections.
