Create the Perfect Window Dressing

Privacy

Ground floor rooms normally require more privacy than first floor rooms, especially if you have houses opposite or live on a main road. Think about your options - do you want something that offers complete privacy at all times or would you be happy to have clear windows during the day providing you can have complete privacy during the night? Consider how busy the road is and the level of footfall. Give special attention to any bedrooms and think about what kind of privacy they would need; you wouldn't want any window dressings that allowed silhouettes to be seen!

Sunlight

Understands how sunlight works in each individual room of your home. Are the rooms north or south facing? North facing rooms may require thermal window dressings to help keep the room warmer during the winter months, but don't go too heavy as this will block out natural daylight as may leave the room feeling unwelcoming and dark. Rooms that have direct sunlight need careful consideration. Direct sunlight can fade rich colours over time, so consider how much sunlight you want to allow in. Think about your décor and the cost of your possessions. Want to allow sunlight and protect your things? Then consider light filtering materials such as muslin.

Once you understand the functions required, start to consider style. Long gone are the days when net curtains where the main ingredient of a well-dressed window. Curtains, shades, blinds, shutters or any combination of these can help create and complete an interior look.

Style

When choosing your style of window treatment, think about the style of your room. Is it traditional, contemporary, eclectic or country? Do you want to introduce a style that can be repeated throughout the home?

Be Creative

Create your own individual look by thinking outside the box.

Use MDF to create custom valances - especially effective in bedrooms. Can be painted to match walls or papered to match a feature wall. Use a jigsaw to create your own individual design.

Venetian blinds can be teamed with fine pieces of muslin to help soften edges. Put both panels of muslin over the window and secure to the curtain pole with 'clip' rings. Gently pull each panel of muslin to opposite sides of the window, causing a natural 'cross-over' drape effect at the top of the window. Use decorative, luxurious tie-backs to keep the muslin in place. The venetian blind is then raised to the bottom of the drape to allow daylight in, and then dropped back in place for night time privacy.

Extra-long curtains look great in bedrooms as they fall elegantly onto the floor. This will only work if the curtains are for decoration only. Covering the radiator when closing the curtains is not ideal, especially in the winter months. Also not a great idea if you have to walk past the curtains as you could trip over the excess material. Combine them with blackout roman blinds/ roller blinds or vertical blinds for an effective, stunning look.

If you have an extra wide window, such as the kitchen, consideration needs to be given to the weight of the window dressings. Having one huge venetian blind could cause problems especially if the blind is raised and lowered on a daily basis. Why not consider getting several venetian blinds? This works really well and looks effective as you can have the blinds raised at different heights.

Colours and textures

Getting the right colour, pattern and texture is paramount to your dressing success. Think about the focus in your rooms. If you have introduced a really strong feature wall, then use a colour that blends in with the rest of the room - whether this is a light or dark colour. This doesn't mean that you can't use a mixture of styles or a mixture of different materials and textures to create a functional yet stunning window treatment.

If you have plenty of patterns then keep the window dressing plain and simple. The idea here is to enhance the look of the room, not add to it. Likewise if your room is very simple with clean lines consider soft, voluptuous muslin teamed with wooden blinds. If you have the room, why not consider wooden shutters for a simple yet effective look?

Sue Hessom is a renowned lifestyle writer who is also a home styling fanatic. If you like what you read and would like a bespoke article written just for you please email suehessom@gmail.com initially.
Samples of my work can be seen at http://www.realwomentoday.com or http://homestylingtips.blogspot.com/

How to Measure Your Windows For Window Drapes

These days, a good number of people who want window drapes and curtains are shopping online. By doing so, they are able to land some of the best pieces ever. However, when you shop for window drapes from a web store, you need to send in exact window measurements.

Measuring for window drapes is not awfully hard. But, there are certain steps to follow.

You will need:
A retractable measuring tape
A pencil
A paper pad

Before you take the measurements, decide whether:

- You want formal drapes or informal café curtains.

- You want your window drapes hanging slightly below the bottom of the window opening. If so, you would need to measure approximately 4 inches below the bottom of the window.

- You want your drapes hanging to the floor in which case you need to measure from the top of the rod to an inch above the floor.

- You want the window drapes hanging from ceiling to floor (not just from the top of the window alone), in which case you will measure from about an inch below the ceiling to an inch above the floor.

It is a good idea to get curtain rods and fix them in place before you order your curtains. Curtain rods are hung approximately 6 inches above the frame, and the rods must stretch about 2-3 inches to each side of the window. If you're in doubt, discuss your needs with the salesperson.

Measuring width:
Width is always measured and mentioned first. Simply measure the width of the rod, from the first clip on one end to the first clip on the other end. You do this so you can leave out the decorative end pieces of the rod, if any. For generous folds in the drapes, multiply the width by two.

Measuring height:
Measure from the bottom of the clip or ring down to the place where you want the drape to hang.

In case you do not have curtain rods in place, measure the inside of the window casing for width. Measure the height from approximately six inches above the window frame to the length that you want the drape to hang.

Remember to measure each window separately even though these appear to be of the same size. Even small variations can have a huge visual impact. Be very meticulous in your measurements.

Custom made window drapes have many advantages. They give you the best deal for your money when compared to some other kinds of window treatments. Drapes help you control light, heat and sound levels. Besides, window drapes can be made to fit windows of any size whether these are corner windows, arched windows or bay windows. However, the beauty of custom made window drapes depends largely on proper measurements.

Browse through our site and see the wide array of Exclusive drapes & curtains in breathtaking colors and embroidery.

Creative Window Covering Ideas

There is no simpler or dramatic way to totally transform the look of a room than to change the window coverings. You can do this by buying new Venetian blinds or window shades but probably the cheapest way is to simply change the curtains.

One the least expensive window coverings is achieved by simply removing the current curtain rod and replacing it with a new one. You can forget about buying rails and all that jazz. The simplest and most modern looking window coverings are simply swaths of fabric that hang from pinch clips. Pinch clips are hoops, which like clothespins, grip the edge of the fabric and allow you to hang any kind of drape or material (hemmed or unhemmed) from the curtain rods. One very popular look is to simply buy a very fancy wrought iron or aluminum rod and then hang white hemmed sheets from it that have been hemmed. You still get that romantic billowing look without the expense of spending money on prefabricated drapes. You can also sew your own drapes using any fabric that tickles your fancy, including eyelet, cotton, satin, velvet or sheers. Many fabric stores also sell ropes, tassels and ribbons that can be used as tiebacks for the curtains.

There are also curtains and window coverings available that don't require any type of clip. These curtains come with fabric loops that easily slide along the curtain. These curtains, which come in a variety of designs and fabrics, are very inexpensive but you can also make your own by attaching your own loops to fabric. One handy feature is to have each fabric curtain loop fastened with buttons or Velcro to make the curtain easy to remove from the rod for washing.

You can also make your own window coverings out of specialty papers. These are transparent window blinds that are made from rice paper. Some of these papers are absolutely beautiful and feature details such as glitter, leaves or threads pressed right into mesh of the paper fibers. To make the curtain all you have to do is attach it to pinch clips. If you buy these in the store they are usually quite expensive especially if they are decorated with a motif pattern or a design as they are considered to be a bit haute couture.


Another way to personalize your décor is to paint your Venetian blinds. Simply take a stencil and spray-paint one solid design on the closed Venetian blinds. A stencil of a favorite motif or symbol and a can of spray-paint can also be used to embellish simple roll down blinds as well.

Always remember that your window coverings can help make the style of your room look more casual or more formal depending on what style you use. The more fabric, swags and pleats there are to your curtains, the more formal the room will look. The simpler your window treatment is, as would be the case with rice paper roll blinds or a single sheer hung from a curtain rod, the less formal the entire effect will be.

Rob Buenaventura invites you to BeautifulWindowBlinds. Here we provide tips on Window Coverings and Window Blinds. For tips on bathroom window coverings check out http://www.beautifulwindowblinds.com.

Curtain Designs - Finding The Best Curtain Designs Just Got Easier

There are many sites on the internet that feature curtain designs. These sites offer either pictures or illustrations to show the many ways you can use window treatments to add life to your home. By going to these websites you are able to sit in the comfort of your home and check out the new curtain designs that are available.

Better Homes and Gardens Online, has wonderful design ideas for your window treatments. They will show you the latest designs to make your home a modern showplace. Whether you are looking for a casual or more formal look, that is contemporary or traditional, drapes can add a lot of character to your home. BHG online has ideas for curtains for single windows, that give windows a feeling that coordinates with the room. This site also has tips on the type of window treatments that look best on your windows and ways to make your own curtains or window treatments, some are for making curtains you don't need to sew.

Curtain Corner, is another online store that has tips and ideas for designing curtains for your home. They also show you how to make your own curtains and how to figure the amount of fabric needed for each window.

Goldenleaf Curtain Designs Gallery is a virtual gallery of designs for curtains in every style imaginable. This site has set up several different ways to employ each design in window treatments, including valances, swags, and tiebacks. They also give you practical tips on how to use and measure fabrics to achieve a certain look.

Alternative Windows will show you what looks best on the type of window you have. For instance, they will show you how you can follow the curve of a bow window with your curtains to achieve a certain look. Or you may choose to place shades in the curve and use curtains on just the outside of the frame to create a more dramatic look. They offer illustrations to show you how each design will look on your windows.

These are but a few of the websites that offer curtain design ideas. By doing a search for curtain designs, I am sure that you will find the perfect window treatments for every room in your home. Then you will be able to pick out the perfect curtains to give your windows the attention they deserve.

Find helpful wood window blinds shopping tips by visiting http://www.shoppingforwindowtreatments.com, a popular window dressing website that specializes in making discount window coverings look stunning and tips on accenting windows with aluminum mini blinds.