Whether you’re a seasoned renter or ambitious first timer, one of the most important considerations for the enhancement of any vacation spot is its source of natural lighting. As such, if you are considering updating the windows in your home for renters this summer, knowing the difference between shades, shutters or blinds and how they affect the mood of your space could make all the difference.
What is a window treatment?
Have you ever noticed how a simple change to a window’s dressing can affect the whole mood of a room? Or how just the right blinds can offer the perfect casting of light against walls, floors, and furnishings ? If you’ve ever explored the world of customized window treatments, then you already know. If you haven’t, here are a few reasons why you should.
Reason 1: UNIQUENESS
photo-courtesy-ihsan-Aditya
With the dropping temperatures of the winter season settling in for good, our minds return to the comforts surrounding our hibernation season, most importantly, how to keep our homes warm and cozy until Spring’s thaw. And while the windows and drapery dressings we choose for them certainly play their part, it will be the addition of drapery lining that will assist in our need to keep us well insulated while also keeping our heating bills down.
Determining how much fabric you need when embarking on a do-it-yourself drapery makeover project can be daunting when you start to consider the amount of fabric needed to cover all the pleats, gathers, folds and swags your dressing may require. But bringing your vision to life doesn’t have to cause a pause in your plans or errors in your fabric yardage purchase when you know the steps to taking accurate measurements beforehand.
If it’s your first time adorning your window frames, using solid or textured mid-weight and/or decorative fabrics is a good place to start as prints and sheers require extra consideration and handling to match the design and manage the slippage that often occurs with lightweight fabric.
A little over two years ago, we posted a blog on our website called “From Railroad To Repeat” where our focus was to address the question of direction and help our customers distinguish between ‘railroaded’, ‘up-the-roll’ and ‘repeat’ of printed fabrics. Since the direction of the print and the distance between an image and its duplicate on a bolt of fabric is imperative to know especially when placing yardage orders to complete an upholstery, window treatment, or custom project, knowing the industry language might make estimating just a little bit easier. With a few small updates and some new images too, here is a recap on railroaded fabrics and repeats for the crafter in you.
This article is for all my penny pinching, frugal living, creatively resourceful yet sometimes lazy, financially challenged but can make lemonade out of lemons folks who are looking to add a little spice to those boring and out dated curtains, pillows and home accent pieces taking up residence in the comfort of your home.
Contrary to what you may have heard, in just a few simple steps, you can create great custom designed home furnishings without breaking bank or a sweat. All you need is a little imagination, a little patience and some trimmings and viola! pretty curtains, fun pillows, an elegant bedspread….all simply hand-crafted by you.
