Home Design Articles

With the popularity and convenience of blinds, many home owners opt to use them as their sole window covering. This is an efficient, serviceable option, but can be a bit bland. For homeowners looking to include a more decorative touch, a valances for windows are a great addition.

Simply defined, valances are short decorative treatments across the top of windows. They come in a wide variety of styles and materials. It is possible to purchase pre-made models in many standard sizes, or to have them custom made. Many homeowners choose to make their own to express their decorative tastes. You’ll find them in a variety of materials, from traditional fabric which is installed using a curtain rod to wooden boxes painted or shaped in imaginative ways.

This style of decorative treatment is very practical in certain rooms. Kitchen curtain ideas that include valances are particularly popular. A window over the top of a sink or near any stove top is not a likely candidate for full length drapes. A short topper is the perfect solution, potentially bringing in both color and pattern. Likewise, a child’s room is a good candidate. Keeping drapery cords away from children is a safety priority. A great alternative might be shutters, with an entertaining decorative topper.

Consider a painted wooden topper that could easily be repainted as the child grows and the room’s décor changes. Some manufacturers make models that are essentially a framework intended to hold fabric in such a way that it can easily be changed out or upgraded. This is an efficient choice for a room where the decorating scheme may change more frequently.

A window in any room is designed to be a potential focal point, bringing in air and light. Topping one with an interesting, unique treatment can make an even bolder statement. This relatively simple and inexpensive addition is a great decorative option.

Doors with full-length windows are a popular house feature, but too often people dont know how to maximize these assets. They settle for predictable mini-blinds that offer little variety but lots of opportunities for dusting. Door panel curtains, on the other hand, offer lots of decorating options and can quickly pay for themselves in energy savings.

In the summer, a sheer curtain or panel of lace lets in plenty of light but diffuses direct sunlight, keeping the room cooler. When winter comes, switching to a heavier panel that blocks cold will save on heating. Unlike drapes, door panel treatments are easy to swap out. You wont need a helper or even a ladder. Most are machine washable and take up little storage space when not in use.

Interior window doors, including as French doors and pocket doors, are great design features and can also use panel curtains to help save energy. Homeowners like the look of a spacious, open-plan living space and dont like closing off rooms, even in winter when unused rooms add to heating costs. Sheer panels allow doors (and heating vents) to be pulled shut without losing the sense of space.

Beyond their green value, door panel curtains can serve another of other purposes. Blinds are either up or down, open or closed. But lace or semi-sheer can keep the room bright while still providing privacy. Panels can be coordinated with the room around them. This is especially helpful if the front door has no separate entryway and opens directly into the living room. An elegant curtain panel that blends with the dcor keeps the door from standing out like a sore thumb and shrinking the sense of living space.

At affordable prices, a wide range of styles and colors to choose from, and energy savings that put money back in the family budget, door curtain panels are worth every homeowners attention.

Gingham curtains were initially used in one’s kitchen, but over time it became common to use them in other areas of the house as well. Gingham curtains are checkered curtains in which the most common version is made from a plain weave fabric that is strong and durable and the iconic graphic for cottage decor. The weft or woof thread is drawn over and under parallel threads that are termed the warp. The word Gingham is a word that was derived from the Malaysian word “ginggang” and the Dutch word “ginang”, both refer to the stripes in the fabric. In the beginning of the 1600′s, the Dutch began to export the fabric to England. The fabric soon after made its way to the American colonies where textile production would soon become established and the familiar pattern soon became popular in the homesteading pioneers.

Blue and whites were the most popular original colors of the gingham material design that featured yarn-dyed cotton woven in stripes. Soon after being imported into England the material began to evolve into one that featured plaids and checks. Stripes would remain popular until the end of the Victoria era around 1900, however. It was in the middle of the 20th century that checked gingham became popular in the United States and the iconic material featured in many a girl’s bedroom.

The unique character of the orignal gingham fabric was derived from woven material the patterns used and manner of dying. The first fiber used was cotton, with a striped pattern and only the warp or parallel threads being dyed. The same appearance could be seen on each side with no right or wrong side. A deep color such as red gingham curtains was given balance to by its lightweight characteristics and this provided a feeling of warmth in the rooms of the simplest of homes.

Many purists will argue that gingham curtains must only be made from cotton fabric in which the cotton only woven after it has been dyed, however the makeup of contemporary curtains varies. A colored check and white combination as used almost universally in all curtains, although occasionally stripes will appear. The pure cotton fabric tends to wrinkle, so in practice most gingham curtains use a mix of cotton with synthetic fiber with some materials using olefin, a material that is sensitive to heat requiring different care than the traditional cotton curtain.

Gingham curtains can spruce up any room of your house, where you want to create a “country” feel. Curtain styles come in a wide variety of colors and materials, from traditional cotton to more contemporary blends that resist the problems of wrinkling.

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When it comes to choosing types of curtains the possibilities seem endless, especially when considering the kinds of pleating available. Pleated window treatments are beautiful to look at, and can give your home a great feel. Pinch pleat curtains in particular can be used to complement almost any kind of décor.

Window treatments can be pleated in a variety of ways. A standard drape pleat is one found on the top of a window treatment and spaced every few inches apart; creating a relaxed pleat that runs the length of the curtain.

Aside from this popular pleat option, there are many other ways to go about pleating drapes and curtains. One choice is a pinched pleat that is found in the center of a curtain or drape panel. This results in a starburst pattern that emits from the central pleat. This pattern can be found on the top or center of the panel or even in the center however, this depends on the design.

Choosing pinched pleat drapes is a wonderful option to overcome straight panels that can sometimes be boring or plain. Pinched pleat drapes can be very chic and classy without being too stuffy in their design. They give the appearance of fullness in fabric without having to worry about having too much unnecessary fabric hanging from your window. You can save money on fabric while still having the show of a full and grand window treatment.

Like any window treatment, pinch pleated drapes can come in a variety of different colors and fabrics to suit any particular design interest or motif. There are certain materials however that tend to pleat better than others. Thinner fabrics are best when it comes to having the best success with pleating.

Similar to any design element, pinch pleat drapes and curtains can be made to suit any room or design, depending on the personal taste of the designer or the one choosing the design. However, these curtains or drapes can be accommodating to any room in the house.

If there’s one thing that catches your attention in a well-designed room, it’s the perfect balance of colors and shades that emanate from the surrounding elements. While your furniture or wall decors play an essential role in creating an elegant ambiance in your living room, it’s the window curtains that create an array of colorful tones and hues as light shines through your windows.

One interesting fact that you might need to know is that there is no best or perfect window curtain for everybody. For instance, your friend’s living room may look good with a particular curtain design but the same does not hold true with yours. Simply put, it’s all about harmony. Sure, blending with colors or textures may require a little bit of experience, but worry not; the web is just full of useful information that might help you juice up your taste for style.

A modern curtain—which is generally made of synthetic materials—can mimic the lush effects which a curtain made of natural materials creates. Some synthetic polymers provide effective insulation from heat during the summer months and provide the same insulation during winter by trapping heat from inside your living space. Some synthetic materials like polyester are used to create crease-free curtains, as polyester is widely known for wrinkle-resistant fabrics. But for added luster, satin is a good choice for a window curtain as well; however, you might need to be extra careful when using this delicate material. Thus, this type is not highly recommended if you have pets or young children at home.

There is nothing worse than ending up with window curtains that do not match with your home’s interiors. If you are not sure about your choice, you may seek some insights with an interior designer. But if cutting down your expenses happens to be on top of your list, then you might as well visit some websites to get some idea of what your ideal window curtain should be.