Creating Dynamic Window Coverings Without Breaking The Budget
|
When creating dynamic window coverings, it's important to choose carefully, because your window coverings will become the focal points of a well-decorated room. But choosing the right window treatments, at the right price, takes some thought about not only the look you're hoping to achieve, but also about the nature of the space itself.
The first consideration will be how much exposure the fabric is going to receive. All fabrics are susceptible to sunlight, but many homemakers invest in acrylic, modacrylic, polyester, or another glass-based fabric in order to get the longest life out of window treatments. Although it gives a room an elegant feel, silk is most vulnerable to sunlight.
I save money on window treatments by using some imagination and creativity. For example, I often create a custom look by covering a tension rod with a thicker piece of PVC pipe. To avoid having the PVC's printing bleed into my fabric, I sand off the numbers, but the printing can also be neutralized by using PVC primer, acetone, or even fingernail polish.
I've found PVC pipe to be very versatile. I've spray painted it black to look like wrought iron or brown to look like wood, and I've sponge painted it with copper and dark green over a light green for a verdigris effect. I've also painted it to reinforce an accent color or to look like gold or silver. It's not expensive, and PVC's decorating uses seem to be endless.
When it comes to longer window spans, wooden closet dowels, stronger than PVC, cost considerably less than drapery rods. I've also used copper pipe, which works well for curtain rods and looks great for significantly less money. If the curtain fabric will be touching the copper, though, I spray the copper with a clear gloss. That way, my fabric doesn't get stained if the copper should happen to oxidize.
To save even more money, I also get creative with the decorative hardware when creating window treatments. For instance, I've used the braid cords and tassels from Christmas tree decorations to add a touch of class to my window coverings, at a fraction of the cost of what similar drapery accessories would cost at a window fashion center.
I also love to create unique treatments by using unusual tieback holders. For one remodeling project, I found some old lamp finials and used them as tieback holders. I've also created a nice, airy atmosphere in a room by forming delicate swags of sheer lace curtains by securing them with clear fishing line.
Dynamic window treatments are a vital part of the overall look and feel of a room, but they don't need to break the budget. If you're creative and allow your imagination to run free, your decorating choices are truly endless.
Copyright (c) 2004 by Jeanette J. Fisher
Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm
|
|
|
Air Sanders: Forget Electric, Go Air!
An air sander is a common air tool often overlooked by most people. If you already have an air compressor to run your impact wrench, you may consider purchasing an air sander instead of an electric model. Your average off the shelf electric san...(related: Home Improvement)
A Healthy Home
Your home is your castle. You decide, possibly together with family members, what to make of it. Outside our home we have limited opportunities to improve the environment, but in our home we can do a lot.At home we want to feel free, relax and do things that we like. We want to eat, slee...(related: Home Improvement)
Replacing Your Sliding Glass Door Rollers
If the sliding glass doors in your home are more than 10 years old, you might notice that they are becoming harder to slide open. This problem is even more common on aluminum frame dual pane doors. The reason is because the doors are heavier due to the dual pane glass, but many of the aluminum units did not use stainless steel rollers. So, in many cases, the rollers get rusty from moisture and they start to bind.In order to replace the rollers, you have to remove the sliding panel from the opening. In most instances, the fixed panel must be removed in order for the sliding panel to come out. There is a simple way to determine whether or not your fixed panel has to come out as well. If the slider is on the inside track and the fixed panel is on the outside track, you have to remove both p...(related: Home Improvement)
Remedies For A Wet Basement
A wet basement can be just a nuisance or even real nightmare. Each year, thousands of homeowners are faced with the unpleasant side effects of seasonal rainfall. Problems they can face range from just dampness to even flooding. Chronic basement leakage is a serious problem that can destroy personal property, furnishings, appliances, and sometimes even cause permanent structural damage to a homes foundation. Excessive moisture is a huge attraction to wood-eating insects, wood rot and decay.Despite the pervasiveness of the problem, few homeowners are aware of the causes of water leakage.Common CausesOne common cause of basement leakage is imp...(related: Home Improvement)
Fixer-uppers: What To Fix
You've bought a house, a fixer-upper you can make some money on. What improvements and repairs should you make? First of all, you need to know this before you buy, as I explained in another article. Before and after you buy, though, you need to have some simple rules with which to start analyzing possible fixes.Return On InvestmentA young couple was very disappointed when I told them there house was worth $110,000. "We just put $40,000 into remodeli...(related: Home Improvement)
Paving The Way For Californias Asphalt Consumers
The California asphalt paving industry is ever-changing and in order to provide the best services, asphalt paving companies are turning to new technologies to stay ahead of the competition.Asphalt technology in California has been changing since the creation of Hot Mix Asphalt and will continue to change as time permits. Asphalt rubber pavement was introduced in 1991, which shocked many industry experts. Asphalt rubber pavement seemed promising to those in the industry who were ready for a change. On the other end of the spectrum were industry experts who thought that the world wasn't ready for such technologies to be implemented.In Tom Kuennens article titled,...(related: Home Improvement)
Concrete Cutting: The Unknown Niche
What is Concrete Cutting?Concrete cutting is a process of controlled sawing, drilling and removal of concrete performed by skilled operators using special saws that use diamond impregnated blades. Unlike the old- fashioned dusty "jack hammer" method, modern concrete cutting leaves a smooth attractive finish and utilizes water so as not to create any dust or mess. There are many different kinds of concrete cutting but the most common are wall sawing, core drilling and slab or flat sawing.Wall Sawing is the process of cutting openings such as doors or windows in concrete walls, usually no more than 12" thick but in some cases up to 24" thick. This is accomplished by using a saw that attaches to a track on the wall to be c...(related: Home Improvement)
If You Think Mold And Mildew Hibernate During The Winter, Think Again!
If You Think Mold and Mildew Hibernate During The Winter, Think Again.Free Tips For Removing Winter Mold & Mildew Stains From the Makers of InstaGone"The development of mold and mildew stains can actually be intensified during the winter," says InstaGone Consumer Products president Peter Chicarielli. "That's because people tend to lock-down their houses to prevent cold air from coming in and heat from escaping. The reduced circulation of fresh air ...(related: Home Improvement)
Heres What A Jacuzzi Will Do For You
Jacuzzi's are a great recreational and health benefit for a home. Having some idea what type and what uses you will have for it, are keys to purchasing the right one for you.There's nothing like going to a hotel and finding out you are in the jacuzzi suites! Of course, many people request this when traveling. Jacuzzis can take away a lot of stress and worry just in a few minutes time. Jacuzzi tubs can be added to your home as well giving you a great place to unwind after a long day. A jacuzzi tub is normally larger then the average bathtub and requires a lot more knowledge to install. Obviously, the wiring and power to the jacuzzi is important and should...(related: Home Improvement)
Improving Your Bottom Line Through Vastu
The design of your office and home has a great influence on your financial success. If your work or living environments are in harmony with nature they have a positive affect on your prosperity.In nature all five elements (water, fire, earth, air, and space) are in balance. When a home or office is built that balance gets disrupted. Vastu is an ancient architectural science that balances the five elements in any environment bringing maximum productivity and success.As a part of this earth, we live in a sea of electromagnetic and stellar influences. Every shift produced in the atmosphere has the potential to affect our actions. Every particle of energy in the atmosphere is linked to the...(related: Home Improvement)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Home Improvement