Furniture for Small Spaces » window treatments

How to Build a Window Greenhouse

ttnorris — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:00:32 +0000

If you’re looking for a simple and space-saving indoor garden, then you should look no further. Martha Stewart’s website offers a creative DIY on how to build a window greenhouse.

With a few shelves and plants you can add beauty and elegance to a drab window.

And before I get your hopes up too high, you will also need a window that’s deep enough to work with. You’ll likely be able to find the perfect shelving at your local hardware store. Try Home Depot or Lowes. I would recommend Lowes first. Between the two, Lowes tends to be cheaper and less congested.

Anyway, I was going to consider doing this myself (in my bedroom), but unfortunately my windows are very shallow and it won’t work.

Now for the instructions…

I won’t regurgitate the steps. I’ll just give you the link to where you can get the instructions on how to build a window greenhouse yourself. And if you ever do in fact build one, write me and send pics please and I’ll post them to the site.

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Get Creative! What Curtains to Use for Small Rooms

ttnorris — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:39:34 +0000

Okay, if you’re like me and you’re looking for a few snazzy ideas on how to make your window shine… then I’ve got some good ideas for you!

These tips and tricks will work well for you if you love to get creative and you enjoy the minimalist approach…

You know… the light and airy look and feel.

Also this tiplist is really cool if you want to mix it up a little. And lastly, you’ll love some of the ideas on here if you’re on a budget and you’re looking for a few affordable alternatives.

Okay, first let’s run through the obvious choices. I know, you probably already know all about them but trust me, it’ll serve you well to hear about them again because we’re going to address them again later on in this discussion.

Obvious, But Great Choices…

So, okay if you have a small room and you want to jazz up your window with the obvious choices, then consider using one of the following ideas to decorate the in window in your small room…

Valances and Swags
Valances and swags frame the top and sides of your window. Sometimes valances are also known as toppers or top treatments. To separate the two, generally swags tend to trail down along the sides while valances generally only take care of the top of the window.

When using them, you’ll notice that they keep your window from looking bare and plain while providing it with just enough style and pizzaz to accent a room. You’ll find that many people tend to use these when they just want a light touch and love the idea of going solo and want to forgo using draperies and panels.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to use valances and swags together. Some people find they prefer to use one or the other to decorate the window.

And if you need visual aid and would like to see an example of this, you can check out Tammy’s Romantic Retreat. She used a valance to add a light touch to her window.

Crushed Organza Sheers

Sheers
Sheers are gauzy which means they’ll offer you some privacy but still allow a good portion of light to come through.

They have a romantic look and feel and work great for bedrooms in which you want to add a touch of romance or an airy spring look.

You can simply hang your sheers and let them hang down in front of the window, but sheers can also be draped over the top of the window or tied to the curtain rod to create a border and add a bit more class (see right photo).

Also consider looking for window scarves if you’re interested in decorating the top of the window. Sheers and scarves have been known to bear an uncanny resemblence. Perhaps they are in fact that same, but by some chance they are different, you will likely find yourself interested in them as well.

Cornices
Cornices offer a regal look and feel. With cornices you tend to get hard angles and straight lines. But this is not always the case. Sometimes you’ll find they offer stylish curves as well. But the one thing that won’t be denied is that cornices provide a simple, yet elegant touch.

They can offer you anything from a formal to relaxed style. You can also go solo with cornices, choosing to forgo the use of panels and draperies or you can use them in conjunction with a curtain set if you wish to.

If you’d like to check out a small room that takes advantage of decorating with a cornice, you can take a look at Tara’s Pink-Parisian Styled Bedroom.

Less Obvious, Creative Choices…

When the obvious choices aren’t of interest to you, then you’ll want to concentrate on less obvious ways to add pizzaz to your window. There are several options that come to mind, however that doesn’t meant they’re the only options.

After checking out the tiplist below, you may want to do some brainstorming or simply visit the arts and crafts store and see if anything else comes to mind while you’re at it.

If you’re not up for valances, swags and sheers then perhaps you’ll want to decorate your window with the following…

Window Film
Window film is a cool way to cover your windows, add a decorative touch to your room and create privacy while still letting a little light in. The wonderful thing about window film is that there are so many styles and choices out there, you have limitless designs and decorative patterns to choose from.

It’s also very affordable, typically ranging anywhere from $8-up. And the great thing about it is, you can put it in any room. Bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, dining rooms could all benefit from the beauty of window film.

And not only can you purchase window film. You can also create your own custom-made window film. This could be an even cheaper alternative, depending upon the products you get.

My sister is a prime example of someone who made her own window film. She simply got some craft paper from the arts and craft store. And of course you can do the same. You could design it whatever way you like. Use different color craft paper to create an artsy look, use stencils, create a collage on the craft paper… ultimately you’re only limited by your creative potential.

Custom-Made Window Border
You’ll find this is an ideal solution for you if your window doesn’t have window casing which leaves you with the opportunity to get creative and design your own border. If you’re not familiar with what window casing is… it is simply the wooden frame that you see around a window. To understand exactly what I mean, I’ve taken a picture of my window which doesn’t have window casing.

Two ways you could get creative and decorate the window is with wallpaper borders, paint or silk plants. If you decide to use wallpaper border, you may want to keep in mind that wallpaper border may not be wide enough for your tastes. So if that is the case you could simply get basic wallpaper and cut the wallpaper out to the desired width and length. Doing it this way will also allow you to come up with different shapes and styles.

Secondly, there’s also paint. You could create an effective, yet beautiful window border with paint. This border could even be a mini-mural that you use to set your window off while creating a gorgeous focal point in your room.

Thirdly, don’t forget the arts and crafts stores often have silk plants that can be easily mounted to the wall to decorate the top and/or sides of a window which you could use to create a natural looking border top treatment.

Custom-Made Curtains
Custom-made curtains have been suggested on the site before, but it bears repeating. If you want to design your own curtains ou can go to the fabric store and pick out the fabric that catches your attention and turn them into decorative curtains.

Someone who did this was Denise. She created an attention-getting set of curtains by simply choosing vibrant fabric that catches the eye.

Also keep in mind you can get fabric paint and even add to the design of the curtains… and they will be truly custom-made by you.

And one last really cool idea is using tree branch to compliment your window. Yes, you heard me right. You can use it in combination with making your own curtains and come up with an even more exciting idea. Once you find yourself a branch you decorate it according to your tastes by painting it and adding your own design to it and this will result in a look that will be uniquely yours.

If you like this idea, to get started simply follow this video DIY on how to decorate your window with a tree branch and how to make your own curtains and you’ll have a stylish window in no time…

Mixing It Up a Little…

When you find you like more than one choice, don’t forget that you can mix it up a little. You’ll find that if you think about it, most of the ideas will work with one or two of the other ideas. For example, decorating your window with valances, swags or cornices will also work with using window film.

Creating your own window border will also work with using window film. Sheers can also be combined with cornices, valances or swags.

The goal is just to make sure that combining two ideas together won’t look to outlandish and defeat the purpose of creating that austere look and feel that you’re going for.

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Small Space Questions: Homes in Need of Fix-ups

ttnorris — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:28:50 +0000

I recently moved into a raised modular home from a bi-level. The space I have is very limited. I have double sliding glass doors both upstairs and down. I desperately need decorating ideas. I also have a full hearth both upstairs and down with a fireplace in one and a franklin stove in the other.
I have living and dining combo. and a small kitchen. I also have three very small bedrooms. There is a large window in each one. My furniture doesn’t fit the size of my rooms, and the house is in great need of fixing up. The walls are dark paneling which I know makes it look smaller. I have decided to paint the walls, any suggestions? I chose an off-white or cream, what do you think.

What should I do about my windows? I have pull drapes for now. My carpet is like a canyon blue. My husband did our bathroom in wains coating and off-white walls and lighter cabinets and white sink. It looks great, but the walls have bad spots no matter how much we sand them. What about a texture? Any help you give me would be greatly appreciated

–Deborah

Hi Deborah,

I am definitely no expert but I will take a shot at answering your questions. I don’t think I’ll be able to answer them all as you would like, as I’m afraid I wouldn’t lead you in the appropriate direction. However, I’d be more than happy to help to the best of my ability.

Are you able to send in any photos of what your home looks like? If so, I think I’d be able to help you a lot better.

As for the wall colors, I think off-white and cream work great, but you may also want to consider giving pale or light green a try. Not necessarily for your entire house. But perhaps for one room. And of course, that’s only if you feel it would not clash with your carpet. If you feel that it would a light blue might work well as an alternative.

However, as for green, in my opinion it really makes a lot of rooms stand out. If you don’t want to paint all of your walls that color or if you don’t want to paint them all cream or off-white, consider painting one wall a pale or light green and the others off-white or cream. Since green is a cool color it is also said to make rooms look and feel a lot bigger while giving your room a calming affect.

As for your living room and dining room combo… we also have the same situation. At the moment we have our sofa against the wall which opens the space a lot but I have found it doesn’t really compliment the living room. Sometimes a cozier, smaller approach works better. So instead, we plan to use our loveseat to section off one room from the other. In your situation, you might want to do the same thing. It’s nice to make a room look bigger but sometimes it’s important to realize that by trying to optimize space it can reduce a sense of warmth if not done correctly.

I think with your windows you could consider several things: you could keep it simple and decorate your windows with valances and/or swags… this often lets light in and opens up space but the downside is sometimes it can be a very plain approach. It is a good idea only if you want a minimalist effect and you can balance out the simplicity with warmth.

Generally, I believe drapes tend to offer a cozier feeling. However, if you stick with drapes you may need to switch the type of drapes you have (the style). Or if you find drapes to be too heavy and valances/swags to be too simple… you could go with sheers.

It’s light and airy and still provides you with a nice warm, cozy look and feel. The green and white really balance things out.

But again, all of this is like shooting in the dark and it would be hard to tell you what to do personally… as each home is different.

Concerning your walls, assuming I understand what you mean by “bad spots” — have you considered using the bad spots to your benefit by sponge painting your walls? If I was in your situation I might consider doing something like that. Here is a set of directions on how to go about it if you like this idea:

How to Faux Paint by Sponging

I think that’s all I can offer for now. But again, if you would like to send photos… I’d be glad to do my best to help you out more.

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Design Your Own Window Treatments or Curtains

Tameka Norris — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:45:57 +0000

Photo Credit: How About Orange

If you haven’t been over to How About Orange, Jessica Jones has a wonderful and creative way for you to create your own cheap decorative curtains.

It’s one of the best ideas I’ve come across yet.

It goes something like this: buy a simple set of panels, get some fabric paint or fabric markers and go to town. You can visit her brief blog entry on doing this. You can check it out by going here.

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