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Bathroom Window Curtains for the Modern Home

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:41:35 +0000

Finding a great curtain for your bathroom window can finish off the look of the room and is an important part of the decor, especially in a small bathroom. Choosing bathroom curtains is a bit trickier than in some other rooms however, because of the need for privacy, the moisture factor and the size of the room. The good news is that you probably just have one window to worry about, maybe two, so you may not be quite as constricted by budget issues as you would be in a large room where you have to multiply everything by six.

Let’s start with the decision on the style of bathroom window curtains to buy. If you want to stay with a traditional look, then regular curtains that hang on a rod would be appropriate. There are many choices of curtains with top and bottom panels, valances and swags to achieve the look you want. For a more modern bathroom, you could consider grommet top or tab top curtains. These choices work best when you don’t plan on opening and closing the curtains often and you’re using blinds or shades for privacy.

As you look for curtains to go with the colors of your bathroom, keep in mind the humidity factor in the bathroom. Many manufacturers offer curtains made from synthetics that will resist mildew and clean more easily than natural fibers. The same goes for blinds and shades. Use vinyl or faux wood blinds instead of wood blinds that will eventually warp in a humid environment.

Privacy is more important in the bathroom than other rooms, unless your house is secluded or the window is obscured from view. While you can get privacy from heavier fabrics, this may also block some natural light and you may prefer lighter curtains in the bathroom. The best option for privacy and optimum light is to pair curtains with a blind or shade.

If you are looking for a sleek, contemporary look for your modern bathroom, you could also consider alternative window treatments such as using a faux wood blind or shutter on their own for a simple, modern look. Find all of these bathroom window treatments in both local stores and online. Although buying bathroom curtains for windows seems complicated, you should be able to find a curtain or other option that you like without too much trouble.

All About Contemporary Window Treatments

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 19:21:00 +0000

Contemporary window treatments are simple, neat and complement the room decor and the windows rather than overpowering them. You can still make use of your favorite types of window treatments such as draperies, curtains, shades and blinds, but you will see that many of the popular window treatments in these categories have taken on a simpler, sleeker and often, more natural look.

Curtains and Draperies

Simplicity is the key to modern window treatments, and this includes contemporary curtains and drapes. Straight, clean lines are in, tassels and fancy embellishments are out. Bold prints will still work, but most will have fewer colors than before. Neutrals and colors that blend into the room are very popular. Straight, full length curtains or drapes hanging on an attractive rod is a great choice for many rooms. Grommets and tab tops as well as more traditional headings are all common these days. Pair drapes with shades or blinds for privacy and control the natural light.

Contemporary kitchen curtains are simple and practical as well. Make sure the curtains you hang in the windows are machine washable, let in enough light and make you happy as well, since most of us spend a lot of time in our kitchen.

Shades and Blinds

Shades and blinds are becoming a stand-alone solution for decorating windows. Many people like the minimalist look of just having an attractive roman shade or a wooden blind on the inside of the window. Since there are now so many choices avialble, you can often find a shade or blind that you like and that will take care of your warmth, privacy and light control needs as well.

Popular blinds include wooden slat blinds such as bamboo blinds, and cellular blinds made with a honeycomb structure that look modern and act as a good insulator of both hot and cold outdoor temperatures. Both of these options come in a variety of colors to go with your room decor. These styles look nice in newer homes but also look wonderful in older homes that have beautiful window frames that many people fell it is a shame to cover up with heavy window treatments. Let the light in and enjoy those lovely moldings!

Popular shades include traditional roller shades and different types of Roman shades. Shades are available at all different price points from inexpensive to custom made from fabrics of your choice. Like blinds, a well made Roman shade can be all that you on a window. many shades and blinds are made from natural, renewable materials that make environmental sense in many ways as they also help control the temperature and reduce energy needs in your home.

Use these tips along with your personal style and preferences to find some great contemporary window treatments for your home.

Shop for Contemporary Window Treatments Now

Double Curtain Rods for Decorating

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:43:05 +0000

When redecorating a room, you may be looking for ways to show your own personal style. One way to accomplish this is with choosing a combination of window treatments that fits your taste and personality. Using double curtain rods are a great way to get the window treatments you want, without losing any of the practical benefits of your draperies.

As you probably know, double curtain rods are just two rods that share the same wall bracket with about two inches between them. This allows for the layering of window treatments and means that you have unlimited possibilities for decorating and for controlling the amount of light that comes into the room. You can experiment with different valances, drapes, tiebacks, rods and finials to achieve the look you are going for.

From a practical point of view, you can hang sheers on the inner rod and drapes on the outer rod to let light in during the day, and then close the drapes for privacy or to keep heat in the room, etc. Double curtain rods can also save you time and money. It is both easier and less expensive to install one double rod than it is to try to work woth two separate rods.

Double curtain rods can be found at curtain shops, department stores and through online retailers as well. They come in an assortment of sizes and styles, including black, white, pewter, gold and bronze. Look for antique looking rods for a traditional style or metal rods for a more modern room. Make sure that you measure your windows carefully before you shop for double curtain rods and follow the manufacturers directions when installing them. One other tip is to make sure that the curtains you select will not need more of the two inches or so in width when they are open, otherwise they will rub against the other rod and curtain.

Take advantage of double curtain rods to achieve the look you want with your new window treatments. It is finishing touches such as curtains that can make a space truly your own.

Shaggy Rugs Are Back

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:59:23 +0000

Who would have guessed that the shag rugs that were popular during the 1960s and 1970s would be back in style today? The new “shaggy rugs” are a little different and many are made of high quality materials. But since many people like these rugs for the nostalgic reasons, you can find them in the bright colors that were reminiscent of earlier times.

The best thing about shaggy rugs is that they provide a comfortable floor covering at an affordable price. They have always been popular with the younger generation, who enjoy trendy furnishings and typically do not have a large budget. A shag rug is also a great way to add a pop of color to a room. They are a popular choice for apartment dwellers, college students, and kids of all ages. There are also upscale shag rugs for the hip urban professional looking for a unique or retro rug for a wooden floor.

Colors of the 1970s such as pink, orange and lime green are popular choices for shag rug buyers. Today you can also find an assortment of shaggy rugs in neutral and earth tone colors. In addition to providing comfort and color, the shag rug can also add texture and warmth to your room decor. Because shag rugs are now made with many different materials, you can find one to go with any style of decorating, from traditional to ultra-modern.

Shag rugs are made from cotton, wool, acrylic and even leather. Flokati shag rugs are traditionally hand made in Greece from 100% wool and are naturally an off white or gray color, but they can be dyed other colors as well. Authentic Flokati rugs are made from wool and are measured according to the number of grams of wool per square meter. A rug of at least 2000 grams/meter is recommended for a common area of the home. Cotton shaggy rugs are also popular, especially the soft chenille ones. Leather rugs are more expensive and can also be very soft and luxurious.

You will find shag rugs to go in a living room in front of a fireplace or in a bedroom to provide a soft surface to step on as you get out of bed. Kids love shaggy rugs for their look and feel and there are many choices to match kids room decor for younger children as well as teenagers. Once you add a shag rug to your home you may want to find some more!

Lap Trays for Everyone

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:14:20 +0000

Lap trays prove to be very useful tools when we feel like sitting back and relaxing with a nice table top for our food or work. There are a great number of varieties of lap trays available for all sorts of different uses. Dinner trays are perhaps the most popular type of lap tray.. They work as personal tables to hold food in place while we sit back comfy, and relax. They are great when we have to eat dinner, but our favorite show happens to be on at the same time. However not all dinner trays are used solely for our lazy pleasure. They are also great for barbecues or large dinners when you don’t have quite enough table space for everyone.

Another different type of lap tray is the breakfast tray. It’s mini legs stand up nicely over your body, perfect for a great breakfast in bed. What mother doesn’t want to be woken up to a wonderful breakfast-in-bed on Mothers Day, served on her breakfast lap tray. Some trays are even equipped with a place for a cup and silverware so there will be no spills while you enjoy.

The trays can be used for work purposes as well. They’re great for kid’s to do their homework on without having to buy them a whole desk. For younger ones they can use them as the perfect, flat surface for coloring. And you can use them as well. Does your laptop ever heat up to an uncomfortable warmth against your body? A lap tray can be just the thing to absorb the heat, and give you a flatter surface to work off of. This is all while working at the place in the house where you prefer because a lap tray can be brought anywhere.

Lap trays are available all over the internet as well as in most home stores. Levenger is one online store that has some nice lap trays for personal computers and writing desks. Trays come in a variety of styles, color, even materials. Plastic and wooden are the materials that are most popular these days. For kids, plastic lap trays are great to wipe up any mess easily. They even come in fun colors or with cartoons designed on them! Legs are an option as well as pockets, and small storage compartments for pens, etc. The prices range from around $5 all the way up to $25+ depending on the type. A few lap trays are great buys for a family and will never go unused!

The Many Ways to Decorate with Square Vases

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 14:43:49 +0000

Square vases look beautiful in today’s modern home. Filled with flowers, bamboo, shells or stones, they are a wonderful vehicle for bringing a bit of nature into any room in your home.

A tall, square glass vase can sit on the floor or on a bookshelf or mantle, depending on its size. Long stemmed flowers, branches or bamboo stalks would all work well in such a vase. If you are planning on using any large glass vase as floor vases, make sure that it is weighted down enough to prevent tipping over. Consideration of children and pets is always wise when planning the placement of fragile decorative pieces such as a large vase.

A shorter square vase works nicely as a centerpiece and can be filled with flowers and many other items as well. If your vase is clear, you could fill it with pretty stones, seashells or other small objects. A small candle sitting in some sand with small beachy items makes a nice centerpiece with a nautical flair. Even when you are using fresh flowers in a glass vase, it is always nice to use some stones or glass marbles for decoration as well. For more interesting ideas on filling square vases, look through home decorating magazines and check out stores such as Pottery Barn, where vases are always on display.

Consider using a set of different sized square vases to form an attractive display on a table or shelf. The vases could be similar in style and color, or just have the square shape in common. Vases that are interesting on their own often do not need to be filled with anything. Square vases are a simple, yet sophisticated decorative piece that can add some class to any room in your home.

If you are planning a wedding in the near future, keep square glass vases in mind for those centerpieces as well. They can be the starting point for many simple, but elegant flower arrangements that would fit in with the theme of many contemporary wedding receptions. So you can see just how versatile square vases are – pick up one or two today and enjoy!

Decorating with a Large Vase

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:39:28 +0000

Vases have been popular for decorating our homes for thousands of years for many good reasons. Finding the perfect large vase for a room is very satisfying – a beautiful vase is a piece of art that adds style and elegance to the space. And, it you enjoy the hunt – searching for such treasures is a lot of fun too. Ceramic, glass, bamboo, wood and brass are all popular choices for a large vase. This is a golden opportunity to bring natural elements into the room, either with the vase itself or with the flowers or branches that you use to fill the vase.

Very unique or large vases can often be displayed without anything in them. Their beauty alone will make them a focal point in the room. Floor vases situated next to a fireplace, for example, would probably stand on it’s own without further decoration. A large glass vase is a different story however. Here is a chance to add some fun decorative objects that you love or that represent the things that you love. If you are a person who can’t get enough of the beach, fill your large vase with shells and other beachy items such as driftwood. For the woodsy outdoor person there are always pine cones. And if Christmas is your thing, fill your vase with some of those big glass ball ornaments and don’t be afraid to keep it out a while before or after the season.

If you enjoy modern pieces, try to find a large vase with a unique shape. There are hundreds of choices of square, rectangular and tall vases that will add a contemporary touch to your décor. Vases are one type of accent piece that doesn’t necessarily have to match the rest of your decorating style perfectly. It’s OK to add a simple vase with a sleek, modern design if you have traditional décor because you are really displaying a piece of art. And our art collection doesn’t have to match the theme of the room, like say, the curtains might. If you see a vase that you like – go for it.

So where can we find all of these beautiful vases? Well, if you are out and about, look for vases in home décor stores and artsy stores and galleries or original designs. If you want to spend less money and don’t care if you have an original, then stores such as Target, Macys and Ikea will have a lot of choices will be a great place to find a tall vase or a flower vase, etc. Although it is nice to see a vase in person, online stores also have great choices at affordable prices. Most online retailers will have large views of their products and they seem to do a better job with shipping fragile items these days.

Take a look around and find the prefect large vase for you home. Make sure that you really love the vase you choose and it will bring a smile to your face when you look at it.

A Bar Cart is Great for Entertaining

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 13:56:25 +0000

A bar cart was once a staple in many homes where people enjoyed entertaining friends in the evening. This handy and attractive rolling carts seem to be coming back in style, as homeowners host friends and family both inside and outside in good weather.

Back in the first half of the 20th century, using a cart or table to hold refreshments was a popular custom across the United States and much of Europe. The convenience of being able to move the party from the kitchen to living room, or even outside was appealing. People who had smaller apartments or rooms utilized a small cart or table for their bar area when there was not space for a large buffet table.

Some of these vintage bar carts are still available and manufacturers are also creating replicas so that you can create that retro feel of the 1950s and 60s when cocktail hour was usually a time to unwind and relax with family and friends. Our days seemed filled with more activities now, which is probably good for our health, but when it is time to relax, a well stocked bar cart means an instant party.

There are many attractive bar carts on the market today. A traditional wooden bar cart will include a wine rack and various drawers, shelves and cabinets for holding glasses and supplies. Bar carts can be quite simple and priced about $100 or very extravagant and include ice bins or refrigerators. If you are looking for a vintage bar cart or a contemporary version, there are many to choose from in home stores and online retailers.

Since many people prefer to entertain outdoors, outdoor bar carts have become very popular for use on decks and patios. The cart can be loaded up with all the food, drinks and supplies for a cookout and then rolled back into the house or garage when not in use. Make sure that you buy a cart that can withstand the elements if you plan to use it outside.

If you like to entertain, or even just relax with your family, a bar cart will make your party planning a lot easier and more fun. And when it is not being used as for entertaining, a bar cart could be double as a kitchen plate rack, or be put to use in your dining room for storing plates and supplies.

Add a Free Standing Mirror to Any Room’s Decor

Sat, 15 May 2010 14:02:27 +0000

Traditionally, free standing mirrors are placed in the bedroom to provide a complete look at an outfit while getting dressed. These large mirrors can also be a striking design feature in just about any room in your home. Adding a great floor mirror to one of your main rooms will add dimension, light and have an immediate impact on anyone entering the space.

Free standing mirrors, or “floor mirrors” include all of the large mirrors that are not meant to be attached to a wall. They are usually supported with a frame or a stand to hold the mirror upright. Although a free standing mirror typically has a swivel hinge that allows you to tilt the mirror, it is most often used in an upright position to aid in dressing and viewing outfits.

So, how do these mirrors fit into our other rooms? Well, the reflective properties of any mirror will add light, dimension and depth to a room. Because floor mirrors are oversized, these benefits are much more dramatic. Add to that the ability to tilt the mirror or lean it at an angle and you have even more possibilities.

Here are some examples. Placing a free standing floor mirror near a window or door to reflect the natural light coming in will brighten any space and make it appear much larger than it is. Lighting from lamps can also be reflected in unique ways to add appeal to the room. Tilting the mirror to reflect interesting ceiling details or a grouping of floor vases is also a possibility. Conversely, make sure that the mirror does not reflect any cluttered areas that you do not wish to emphasize.

Free standing floor mirrors are a great home design feature for all size rooms. Large rooms often have corners or areas that need to be brightened up or just filled with an interesting object or two. Adding a floor mirror along with another accent piece can transform a dull or dark area and give your room a lift. It might not seem as easy to find a place for a floor mirror in a small room. If you can fit one in, however, you can instantly trick the eye into making the room seem much larger than it is. If thee is no spot for a floor mirror, consider a medium to large size wall mirror to add depth.

You can find a floor mirror to fit in with any type or home decor. Mirrors with beautiful carved wood frames are popular, but you can also buy a completely frameless floor mirror that might add to a contemporary decor. For those who love an eclectic look, try finding a floor mirror that has a unique look, rather than one that matches your other furniture exactly. Since they are very portable, it is easy and fun to move your floor mirror around to find the best spot or just to change things up from time to time!

Stunning Floor Vases Can Complete a Room

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:53:34 +0000

A beautiful floor vase will add color and style to any room that needs a little extra something to finish off the décor. There are so many different floor vases to choose from that searching for the right piece will be almost as fun as finally completing your room when you find the perfect vase. Here are some great ideas for decorating with floor vases that will demonstrate how versatile these items can be.

Sometimes a room needs one more decorative object to tie together the different colors and textures found in the furniture, floor coverings and window treatments. A tall floor vase or a group of vases that share a common quality may be just what is needed. If there is a scattering of red in the room and you want to emphasize this accent color, find a beautiful large red vase to pull all of the other red tones together. A similar approach can be used to bring in an Oriental ambiance or a southwestern flavor. The beauty of floor vases is that one can be found to match most any color or style you can imagine.

Floor vases are also invaluable for filling an empty space that needs something, but might not be quite big enough for a desk or a bookshelf. Look for a vase that will add something to the room and either blend in with nearby items or, conversely, serve as a focal point if that what’s needed. In some cases, you may have a treasured piece of furniture that doesn’t quite fill up a space and a large floor vase can act as a companion piece.

Floor vases can often play a supporting role in a room’s décor by accentuating a fireplace, a tall window or a free standing mirror. Surrounding a piece with two coordinating or matching floor vases can also be a powerful decorating trick. In this case, the vases are often not the focal point and are meant to add to the beauty of the center item.

Another popular use of large floor vases is as a holder of large branches or flowers. This is a great way to bring a bit of nature into a room and can be very simple or very dramatic. Tall floor vases with flowers can brighten up a dark room, add color and make any room seem cheerier. A gorgeous vase with large branches is one way to achieve a wow factor in a room that needs a lift.

Ceramic floor vases, bamboo floor vases and very modern looking vases are everywhere these days. Take advantage of the beauty and versatility of floor vases and have fun finding some treasures to add a nice finishing touch to your home’s décor.