Window Treatments

Incorporating window treatments into your décor will enhance the look of your home. Curtains not only block unwanted light from coming into the home, they can also be used to make your home more energy efficient. This will save you some money on your energy bills. Since curtains come in a wide range of styles and sizes, you make want to take your time when selecting which curtains you are going to use in your home.
If you know what kind of style and color you are looking to achieve while decorating, choosing the right kind of window treatments is going to be a breeze. Since windows are considered access points into your home, and allow you to look into the world outside, you want to have them covered to prevent anyone from looking in and keep any unwanted light out. Window treatments can be found in many different sizes, shapes, colors and styles. They vary in price as well. They can range from just under ten dollars to over several hundred dollars for just one panel. Before you run out and pick curtains that are going to cost a fortune, take your time and explore your options.

First, it is best that you have a target price range that you are willing to use for your quest for window treatments. If you have a budget in place, you will not overspend when you see something that is out of your price range. Measure all of the windows in your home, and write them down. You may find that while you are curtain shopping, you will run across many different sized curtains that will catch your eye.
What style do you want to add to your rooms? Are you going for a certain look? If you have an idea of how you are trying to transform the room, then you are making good progress. Take into consideration the type and style of furniture and flooring that is in the rooms as well. Decide if you want to use blinds or curtains, drapes or shutters. Those can make a big difference in the way a room looks. Don't be afraid to experiment in order to find the perfect look.

Roman Shades

Roman shades are a simple and elegant window treatment to block the sun or prying neighbors. Nicer than plain plastic shades, but less expensive than ornate window shades, Roman shades provide the perfect start to a beginning home decorator.
Roman shades can be purchased from home improvement or department stores, or they can be custom made by in interior designer. The cheapest way to decorate your home with Roman shades is to make them yourself. Get ready to refresh your math skills!
To make Roman shades, first measure the window you'd like to put them in. Measure the height and width of the window from inside its frame. Or, if you want the shade to cover more than the window, measure the height and width of the surface the shade will cover. Your shade will probably need to be between 45 and 54 inches wide.

Before you shop for your fabric, you'll need to calculate the number of dowels and the amount of fabric you'll need. To figure out how many dowels you will need, divide the window height by six to nine inches, which will be the space between each dowel fold. You'll need to find a number that goes evenly into your window height. For example, if your window height is 64 inches, divide by six. You'll then need eight dowels for eight pleats. Each dowel needs 1.5 inches, so multiplied by eight, you'll need an extra 12 inches of fabric. You'll also need an extra six inches of fabric to mount the shade, meaning you'll need 18 extra inches for this example. Add this to your window height to get your final height. Add two inches of fabric to your window width. Now you have the size of the fabric you need. Whew!

Commercial Window Blinds

Vertical blinds offer a trouble-free solution to noise issues in offices, simply and beautifully. When you install vertical blinds, you have many options for controlling light and noise in an office. Lighting is the most obvious control issue, but noise is another issue that can be controlled by using window blinds. The noise can be from outside the building, or from other nearby offices.
One of the best benefits about vertical blinds is that you can always keep the window covered. With horizontal window blinds you will always have fully open window space when you have the shades rolled up or down. In an office, you want to have privacy, and with open window spaces, you lose privacy. With the vertical blinds, you can adjust the slats for noise and light control, while keeping the window space covered and retaining privacy.

Window blinds serve several purposes, including insulation. Noise is one factor you can insulate against, along with temperature. By keeping the slats fully closed, you have total window coverage, and that will reduce interference from outdoor noise also. This is more truly at street level than on upper floors, but in any city, there is a lot of street noise that radiates in all directions, including upwards. Even with the slats adjusted at a decent angle away from the center of the room, the blinds would deflect noises away from the center of the room, just like they do with light entering the room from outside.

Round Window Coverings

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy. It is the study of living in harmony and prosperity with nature. Feng Shui means literally "wind water". It is a form of geomancy, trying to understand the relationships between nature and ourselves so that we may live in harmony within our environment. It is based upon the simple thought that our lives are deeply affected by our physical and emotional environment.
One of our chief environments is our house, where we spend most of our time. Feng Shui has advice and solutions to offer, in order to let the "chi", the energy, flow smoothly around the house. Curtains and windows are the most prominent features of our homes. Fabrics, color, material, window arrangement, yes, all these may affect your homes chi. Let's see how to improve it.

Pull the curtains back during daytime to allow sunlight to lighten your house and give the area positive energy.

· Keep your curtains closed at night. Don't leave your windows exposed into night as it is considered to bring bad luck.
· Blinds and curtain rings should be of natural material. The most beneficial is wood. Avoid plastic by all means!
· Curtains should be large enough to cover the window and long enough to reach the floor.
· Curtains should have curves to them. When drawn together there should be enough fabric hanging to form pleats and folds.
· Make sure that curtains open and close easily.
· Curtains that hang limply each side of a window are considered bad Feng Shui.
· Keep your curtains and windows clean in order to allow the chi to come inside fresh and clean.

Black Window Shades

Do you think that color will give you better light control, or are you one of those originals who are looking for unique home decorations? If you belong to the first category, you will be disappointed: black-colored blinds provide the same amount of light blockage as their white counterparts.
The light control quality of your window blinds depends on two things: the material from which they are made, and the way in which they block light. For example, wood and faux wood blinds will give you better light control than vinyl blinds. In addition, you can get blinds with complete light blockage, if you choose no-holes blinds, cordless blinds, and blinds with hidden holes.
What black window blinds can really do is to absorb a lot of the light in the room. Dark colors, especially black, absorb sunlight, unlike white and light colors, which reflect light. So if you want to get a darkened room, don't hesitate to shop for these blinds. This can be most reasonable in a bedroom or in the home theater.

ust don't put black window blinds in a baby's or child's room. You might frighten your little one with such a bizarre selection. Teenagers are another matter: they themselves often have extraordinary tastes and may even like this choice, especially if they have a modern-style room.

Here are some examples where black window blinds might look appropriate in your interior.

Half Moon Window Curtains

With their defining overhead curves, Palladian and arched windows are beautiful additions to any room. Sometimes, though, one may want to play down the curves. One alternative is to subtly define the arch with drapery panels hung from a rod installed straight across the top of the window and pulled up and back with tasseled tiebacks, strategically placed at the bottom line of the arch. If privacy is not an issue for one's arched window, the treatment should be simply started below the arch leaving it unencumbered by fabric. In order to dress the entire window and flatter its natural shape, try using a swag and jabot treatment hung from an arched drapery rod installed just outside the upper trim. For privacy, you may outfit the lower glass with sheer cafe curtains or shutters. A great way to treat eyebrow windows is to follow the form of the arch with a bendable rod and a span of fabric. Hang handkerchief like pieces from decorative drapery pins or holdbacks that are installed in the window trim.

Arched windows look elegant and beautiful but are one of the most difficult types of windows to fashion. A lot of people who want to fashion their arched windows rush to experts to do the job as it seems a very difficult task to accomplish. These days, special arched window kits are available in the market, that ease up the task of fashioning and dressing curved or arched windows. Still, it is always better, as far as arched or palladian windows are concerned, to employ professional help to get the perfect and desired touch. A lot of Internet sites these days provide free tips on arched window decoration and fashioning. Even if you don't intend to do up your arched windows yourself, these provide great decoration ideas.

Half Moon Window Blinds

Arched windows look very distinctive and elegant. A semi circular arch over a long rectangular window adds a different dimension to the room it is located in. Covering these arched windows in a way that complements the window design is a challenge in itself. This is a requirement that no window covering other than blinds can fulfill.
The reason for this is that blinds can be custom made to fit the arch windows and can be opened and closed with ease. These arch window blinds can be operated from the ground and can be made to open and close using motorized controls. Arched window blinds enable the user to control the amount of light that filters in through the window.
Arched window blinds are skilfully made and offer many decorative options to consumers. Some manufacturers offer an option that filters bright sunlight into the room as cool white light. Some others offer options that allow consumers to view either a sunrise or a sunset when they maneuver the arch window blinds. This is because of the print of a sunrise and a sunset on the blinds.

Arch window blinds may look complicated but are actually easy to install. The services of an installer may be requisitioned if one is not confident about installation. Several manufacturer websites give instructions to consumers on how to measure their arch windows. These measurements can then be sent to the manufacturers and custom arch window blinds can be made. Choice of material is made by the consumer by going through the online catalog of the manufacturer. Those who are very particular about physical verification can ask for samples of material to be mailed to them for a small fee.

Half Moon Window Shades

Half Moon Window Shades

Window Curtain Ideas

One of the secrets to decorating is to define a focal point in a room, and many rooms are just plain boring, lacking a focal point like a fireplace. Use your window curtains to turn your windows into the missing focal point. By using an eye catching pattern or color, you can relatively inexpensively dress up a room. The options for your window curtains are almost endless. You can add a valence or cornice with coordinating fabric draperies, use swags, blinds or shades to add interest.
Window Curtains Set the Mood Use sheer curtains and laces to set a peaceful, light mood. Use bright colorful fabric for a playful mood. Use contrasting colors for a dramatic mood Use intricate patterns with brushed antique brass curtain rods for an elegant mood. Soft window curtains set a mood of comfort and luxury. Silk window curtains are classically formal while cotton and linen are more relaxed. There are limitless possibilities when choosing window curtains. Whatever your theme and mood for the room, reflect it with your window curtains.

Window Curtains: How to Match Colors If you struggle with matching colors in your decorating endeavors, here is a tried and true secret which will have you decorating like the pros. Take a quick trip to the paint section of your local hardware store. You will find paint chips in different hues of one color, and paint chips with several complimentary colors. These colors where chosen by interior designers as tried and true color combinations. You can trust that these colors will go beautifully together! Use the paint chip to choose your wall paint color, coordinating pillows, furniture, and window curtains. You can’t go wrong.

Window Panel

Stained glass window panels are used and loved because of their amazing ability to filter sunlight and illuminate a room; therefore it is imperative to keep them clean. Cleaning stained glass is not difficult; however, it is important to know how to do it correctly. Remember when cleaning, always start with the least intrusive method and work progressively until you reach your desired result.

1. The first step in the cleaning process should be to use a soft cloth and dust the glass thoroughly.
2. If a film remains, you will need to use water. You want to use distilled water, as it is free of impurities and tap water is not. Soak your soft cloth in the distilled water, and wring it out completely. Gently wipe the surface of your glass to clean it. In order to reach smaller areas and corners, use a moistened cotton swab. A lot of dirt and residue can build up in these hard to reach areas, so it might take some time to really get them clean. When you are finished, wipe with a dry cloth to eliminate streaks.
3. If you still are not happy with the condition of your window, you have one more option. You can use a non-ammonia, non-vinegar glass cleaner or Orvis horse shampoo. Always wet your cloth with the product first, then wipe the window in a circular motion to clean it. Again, you will want to wipe with a dry cloth to get rid of any streaking that might occur.
4. Always keep a smoke free environment! Smoke is a sure way to cloud up your stained glass causing a dull appearance to your windows.

Once your stained glass is cleaned you can truly appreciate it for all the luminescent value it is able to bring into your home. Let the sun shine in and watch your windows come to life! Regular dusting with a soft cloth should be all they need now for many months to come.