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Window Treatments Ideas – How to Decorate Bay Windows

In deciding on what window treatments to use in decorating bay windows, consider what you want to place in the angled space under your bay window. Window seats with fabric-covered foam cushion are popular additions to bay windows. Bay windows are several windows that are angled to allow for a piece of furniture to fit in the space such as a window seat or a chaise lounge. They can look striking and glamorous with draperies and window coverings. If you think about the look you want to create in the entire room, decorating bay windows is easier.

Plantation shutters to each window are one way to accentuate bay windows. Have you heard of these shutters before? Well, they are simply louvers or jalousies that come in various shapes and sizes to adapt widely different shapes of windows and doors. Traditionally, plantation shutters are window shades and  blinds made from broad slats of wood assembled in a solid frame. The design promotes free flow of air while creating shade to keep the interior cool. Roman shades and cafe curtains drapes are just some of the window treatments that can be used when decorating bay windows. Roman shades are a type of window coverings designed to help block the sun and shade the room. They can be raised and lowered with a cord, allowing portions of the window to be exposed while blocking other areas. They are available in wide variety of colors to match other items of décor such as tablecloths, upholstery and pillowcases. They can also be made with a design that is revealed once the shade is lowered.

Sheer white curtains on window valances that stretches across the length of all the windows can help unify the windows. Sharkskin fabric is especially popular when it comes to curtains drapes. The material does not wrinkle easily and will hang very well. Organza in natural white or given a tea rinse is another fine fabric for window treatments. It can be used as simple flowing panel or include ruffles with window valances and tiebacks to add a frilly touch to the space. Bay windows may be found in living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. Window seat or chaise lounge is a best place to curl up with a book or look out of the window. The space is also a nice place where we can display our collection on shelves or rare cabinets under the window. With these collections, less detailed window coverings should be remembered in decorating bay windows.

What’s Behind: A Glimpse On Window Blinds

Draw out the curtain and enjoy the heat of the sun!
The rays of sun entering your window pane are fascinating during early mornings whenever you sip a cup of coffee. The radiating light seems to give you a soothing effect.
Ten o’ clock…when ten in the morning strikes the heat of the sun is oftentimes intolerable. It brings irritation to the skin. It may even cause annoyance. To prevent rays of sun entering your haven, you may opt to use curtains. Another option is utilizing window blinds.
Blinds are perfect to set on your windows. It sheds you off from too much heat of the sun. Moreover if you have properly selected the right window blinds for your home, it will not only offer you home functionality, it can also give attractiveness and value to your abode.
There are different types of window blinds which you can choose to match your personality and decorative theme in your home. Here are some suggested window blinds:
Wood Blinds
This type of window blinds is essentially made out of wood alloy material from a hardwood and thermal polymers. Commonly ramin and bass woods are utilized to create wood blinds.
You can have the option to custom-made your wood blinds. It may be stained or painted.
Aluminum Blinds
If you want to have an attractive yet cost-effective window blinds, you may go for aluminum blinds. Home decorators love aluminum blinds due to its durability and ease of handling. In addition, you can obtain aluminum blinds in different colors to suit your home decoration.
Vinyl Blinds
Most people choose vinyl blinds over other window blinds on home areas prone to high humidity such as bathrooms and kitchens. This may be due to the fact that they are easy to clean.
Vinyl blinds come in different forms such as mini blinds, lightweight, textured, and horizontal. You can pick which is perfectly fitted in your home.
Venetian Blinds
It is believed that Venetian blinds are useful shield from direct heat of sunlight. Moreover, it is well-loved by many due to its simplicity. If you opt for Venetian blinds you can choose among its types such as:
• Mini Blinds
• PVC Venetian Blinds
• Lightweight Aluminum
• Wooden Venetian
You do not need shut your window to trap the rays of sun entering it. After all you still need the cool air to circulate into your home, hence go for window blinds.

Landscape Decorating-Another Great Way to Add an Amazing View from your Kitchen Window

We have already covered how to create a magnificent floral view from your kitchen garden window with a planter box, trellis, and vines.  Here is another very attractive and even simpler way of creating a visually enticing view from inside. 

We have all seen or even have in our patios a decorative and very functional pergola patio cover.  Decorative for the numerous designs we can consider, and functional from the much needed shade they provide.  As we will also sometimes see, miniature sized pergolas are often constructed and mounted directly over one or several windows of a home or garage. 

With that in mind, why not mount a mini-pergola over your kitchen garden window to display hanging baskets on both sides?  With slim top slats spaced enough to provide sunlight, you can still receive filtered light through the top slanted portion of the window.  Note, you never want to mount hanging baskets over the top of the window for one reason.  Every time you water, the dirty runoff will cascade down over your window, keeping it from every truly being clean. 

The design is simple since the weight of the hanging baskets it will bear is minimal, and you will not be placing anything on the top of the pergola itself.  Traditional patio pergolas are supported with 4in. X 4in. or larger posts.  Our mini-pergola will not require this, and proportional to its smaller size, will use individually smaller wood framing members than our standard patio pergola.   Here are the supplies you will need:

Step 1:  Measure the width of your garden window.  Then, measure the diameter of your round hanging basket, or the square length of your square basket, whichever you decide to use.  The goal here is to leave enough clearance for basket sway in the event of stronger than normal wind conditions.  Your best bet is to take the measurements of your hanging basket and add about 8 inches of clearance from the rim of the basket to the edge of the garden window to allow for wind swing.  Mark a spot directly above the center point of the basket on the house surface where you will mount the brackets.  It should be at a height that allows for clearance of the mini pergola above the top frame of the window.   Because the mini pergola needs to be level with the top of the window, make sure your points for mounting the brackets assure that.  One suggestion is to have someone help you hold a 2in x 4in. or other long straight piece of wood connecting the points on each side.  Use a level to make sure everything is indeed level before going ahead with the next step.

Step 2:  Installing your pergola.  Whichever size wood members you decide to use, you will need to pre drill two of them at the point where they will be secured to the top of the plant hanging brackets.  They can extend beyond the width of the two brackets, but make sure they are centered before marking your place for drilling in to the wood.  Prior to installing your wood framing for the pergola, it might be a good idea to seal, paint, or stain the wood to protect it from the elements.  You can attach your two wood slats to the top of the brackets using the appropriate sized machine screws with washers and nuts. 

Step 3:  Now, once you have installed the first two wood slats, you will want to secure two to three shorter crossing slats that will hold the entire framework together to the underside of your first two longer slats that run along the top.  Position them evenly where you think they should be attached, and mark your spot on the longer wood slats where you will need to drill to attach them together.  Once marked, drill your holes, use a pencil to mark where to drill on the crossing slats by holding them underneath the already drilled longer slats, and attach all together with the appropriate sized machine screws.   You can now easily attach any remaining longer slats to fill in the gaps between the first two longer slats that were already installed.  Just position them in place, mark the spot on the top of the crossing slats where to drill, and once both connecting pieces are drilled, attach them with machine screws and washers and nuts.  As an alternative, you can also attach all of the wood members with the appropriate sized wood screws.  Your work is done.  Find some nice plants and enjoy your new mini pergola! 

About Noise Reduction Shades

Noise reduction shades are manufactured to help insulate homes against weather, light and of course, noise. Some people who deal with constant noise are those that live in high traffic areas, people living under flight patterns and those who just have noisy neighbors. Noise reduction shades help you relax and get a good night’s sleep. They bring a little quiet to a home.Basic noise reduction shades include:•    Cellular shades. Cell shades have a honeycomb pattern, similar to a beehive that traps cold air, noise and light so it can’t enter a home. While these shades work well in any room in a house, they are especially well suited to home theater rooms and bedrooms. However, if you have large windows in a living room that let in noise, they will work there, too. Cell shades are available as single cell shades, double cell shades and blackout shades. •    Single cell shades are available in light filtering options with a variety of colors to choose from. •    Double cell shades have a higher level of insulation than single cell shades to provide extra padding against noise •    Blackout shades can be up to 99% effective at blocking light•    Fusion Shades blend roman shades with cell shades. This gives them the grace of a roman shade, but the insulating power of a cell shade. They are more expensive than cell shades, but those who want to include a design element to their window treatments will love these.Cell shades and fusion shades come in the following brands: Cordless Translucent Single Cell Shades, Cordless Blackout Shades, Express Translucent Single and Double Cell Shades, Ultimate Cordless Cell Shades, Signature Translucent Double Cell Shades, Room Darkening Cell Shades, EnergyTrack Cell Shades and ComforTrack Cell Shades.No matter which of the above options you choose, you’ll not only get the quiet you want, but you’ll see a reduction in your energy bills. In fact, some cell shades qualify for a federal tax credit for environmental consciousness. Be sure to ask when you purchase. Cellular shades also cut UV rays, protecting furniture and flooring.These days window treatments are easy and convenient to buy on-line. All you need to do is ensure you have company you can trust. Well established companies are generally able to offer savings over smaller companies. Any good company will let you order samples of a variety of colors and styles so you can see what might work best.Now is the time to cut the noise. Enjoy quiet, peaceful nights without other people’s conversations cutting in, or noisy traffic forcing you to turn up the volume on your TV just to hear it. You deserve the best, so treat yourself to insulating, cell shades for quiet and comfort.

Keeping your blinds clean

In order to keep your blinds looking at their best, you will need to clean them regularly. There are a variety of methods that you can use that will help you to keep your blinds looking clean and tidy.

Wood blinds require plenty of care. These types of blinds will need to be cleaned thoroughly but it is important to avoid using water or cloths that are too damp, as this could damage the slats. A vacuum cleaner brush attachment or soft brush will enable you to remove dust or dirt and keep your blinds looking attractive. A soft brush with a little water will help to clean wooden window shades.

If you have blinds that are made of plastic or metal, then these should be vacuumed regularly, then taken down and dipped in water mixed with a mild soap. Cleaning them in a bathtub will provide you with the best results. However, if you have wooden blinds, then this method should be avoided.

Pleated cloth shades can be difficult to clean but vacuuming them regularly will help to remove any dust or dirt. The vacuum brush must be clean and using a dry sponge will help to clean the surface. You can also give them a quick wipe with a cloth using a small amount of water.

If you have aluminium blinds, then Ivory liquid soap combined with water is the best cleaning solution. This method will prevent a build up of dust and leave your blinds looking clean and attractive. Vacuuming the blinds beforehand will also keep them looking great. For best results, tilt the slats so that you can reach the other side. If you need a quick cleaning method, then use a soft cloth or feather duster. Alternatively, you can use a bottle of cleaning spray to remove dust and dirt from the slats.

Add elegance to your home with Roman blinds

Within the past ten years, Roman blinds have become a very popular design and are the perfect choice for those wishing to add plenty of luxury to their home. Roman blinds look great on their own or with other furnishings and add elegance to any room. They suit most rooms, but are best suited to areas where they are not likely to get wet or areas where they will restrict views to other rooms, such as on doors.

Roman blinds are available in a variety of colours and patterns. These elegant designs are perfect for achieving a warm look and offer plenty of privacy and light control. They are suitable for mid to large windows and add plenty of sophistication to any room. Roman blinds look great on their own or when paired with drapes.

Not only do Roman blinds provide you with the elegance of a Georgian house, they also provide a cosy feel, making them the perfect choice for the bedroom. They add beauty to any window within the home.

For those looking for a set of blinds that are easy to install, Roman blinds are the perfect choice. They have a simple cord operation and are also available with a chain operation for those who wish to opt for something that is simple and easy to control.

To keep your Roman blinds looking at their best, a little vacuuming is needed to remove any dust or dirt at least once a month. Roman blinds can also be dry cleaned but it is a good idea to remember not to remove the cord or chain operation first.

Roman blinds are a safe option for the home or office and can be installed successfully by following the instructions that are provided with them.