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Fashion and home decor trends are so closely aligned now that we can add a favorite new look or color scheme to both our wardrobes and our homes at the same time. One day you’re shopping for handbags in the hottest color and the next day you find yourself reaching for pillows in a matching shade.

Spa Collection Curtains Chocolate and White Stripe Set of 2 Window Panels Coverings Treatments

List Price: $49.99
Buy New: $39.99
You Save: $10.00 (20%)

Features:
• These Spa Hotel Collection Window Treatments are 1.5 inch rod pocket panels.
• Dimensions: 42 in x 84 in
• These Window Treatments coordinate with Miller Home Fashions Spa Collection Hotel Duvet Bedding Sets
• Easy-care: Machine Washable, Hang to dry

If you’re gearing up to decorate, fashion is where to look for trends that also have staying power at home: flowers in full bloom, pink, and neutrals with metallic and pearl accents. Fashion and home products designers are reworking these familiar favorites and turning them into something new. These looks are finding expression in today’s most inspired wallpaper designs — an affordable and beautiful way to revitalize a tired-looking room.

Flowers are springing up everywhere. At the spring 2008 Paris and New York runway shows, lively tosses of oversize flowers were splashed across dresses for day and evening, coats, handbags, even shoes. In wallpaper that translates to bursts of bulbs that transform average walls into meadows of color, or single blooms silhouetted for a sparer look. Either way, the budding rebirth of blooms inside the home is a breath of fresh air.

Pink is all grown up. And while it remains the color of choice for young girls, pink’s newfound acceptance in men’s shirting and every aspect of women’s wear — from outerwear and umbrellas to handbags and heels — allows pink to go boldly where it hasn’t before in the home. Wallpapers of whisper-soft pink embellished with glass beads, bold damasks in black-and-fuchsia, and flamingo pink saturated stripes are giving rooms an elegantly updated infusion of color that’s fresh and inspired.

Long a fashion and decorating staple, neutrals have never before shone as brightly as they do now. Accented with luminescent pearl tones, metallic overlays and shimmering embellishments, these otherwise muted hues appeared on runways as lacy suits of soft gold thread and soft sequins scattered on day dresses. On the wall, patterns of understated taupe and cream are infused with pearlized inks for a look of continual candlelight, while copper and distressed silver accents lend rooms a sense of timeless glamour and a quiet roar of elegant style.

Bohemian looks in all their embellished glory have been among the most enduring trends in fashion for several seasons and are still going strong. Not defined by any one particular style, bohemian blends together different cultures and eras to create an intriguing mosaic of patterns. Whether it’s an embroidered jacket or wallpaper patterns inspired by Moroccan tiles and Indian paisleys, it’s about easy living, mixing and matching, and an “anything goes” attitude of foolproof dressing and decorating.

Faux Wood Blinds, 31″ x 64″ White

List Price: $32.99
Buy New: $23.52
You Save: $9.47 (29%)

Features:
• “HOMEBASIX” FAUX WOOD BLIND
• 2″ Wide slats for designer look.
• Heavy duty extruded aluminum headrail.
• Slats won’t warp or crack.
• 31″W x 64″H.

Regular headrail and bottomrail. Includes installation hardware and instruction.

(ARA) - A new husband, a new house and 47 bare windows would be enough to cause decorating stress in just about any woman. But Barbara Ellis had a plan.

Ellis and her husband, Jeff, recently purchased a new house and have been trying to make it look like home. The family room, located right off of the kitchen, has great windows that make it feel open and inviting during the day, but very visible at night. A combination of Roman shades and paisley draperies that enhance the earthy colors of the stone fireplace and a family heirloom armoire addressed their need for privacy while also adding warmth, softness and a burst of color to the room.

“I knew what I wanted this room to be like,” says Ellis. “But the fabric, furniture and window treatment ideas I found at Calico Corners helped bring everything together.”

“A window will tell you what it needs,” suggests noted interior design expert, Donna Talley, the national spokesperson for Calico Corners, an interior design retailer creating over 100,000 custom window treatments per year.

“Stunning artwork, fabulous wall or floor coverings and fashion-forward furniture are often the primary focus of home decorators,” notes Talley, who has styled magazine covers for some of the most prestigious design publications. “Using window treatments in much the same way that gorgeous frames accent cherished photos or paintings can make all the difference.”

Talley offers the following tips to bring out the best in windows throughout your home:

Scale and Proportion are Key

The most common mistake homeowners make when doing their windows is getting the proportions wrong - a valance or cornice that’s too small; draperies that don’t stack off the window and cover up too much of the view; or skimpy side panels made with too few widths of fabric. These little design flaws make all the difference in the finished appearance of a window and a room.

“Getting proportion right takes a good eye and a lot of experience,” notes Talley. “One size definitely does not fit all, so it can pay to have treatments created specifically for the windows in your home.”

“Custom furnishings are often comparably priced to ready-made, and can represent great value when you factor in the time and expertise of professionals,” adds Talley.

Functional or Decorative?

This has a lot to do with the design and proportion of a window treatment. Does it need to clear French doors? Protect from hot afternoon glare? Provide privacy? Or enable you to see a television or computer screen without an eyeshade? Understanding what the room requires will help create the appropriate design solution.

A room that requires privacy will need blackout shades or interlined fabric panels, wood blinds, woven wood or cellular shades to provide functionality. A second layer with soft fabrics and pleasing color accents adds an inviting decorative element. A more formal room might benefit from a third layer in the form of a valance, cornice or other top treatment.

“The different elements of a room, or a window, should be in harmony,” advises Talley. “Even a simple decorative band of trim in a pretty, complementary pattern on a solid fabric panel can add visual interest to a window and tie in the other design elements of a room.”

Finding the perfect window treatments for your home is all about the details. Using the right materials, determining the proper scale and proportion and addressing both functional and decorative concerns will help make your home more comfortable, more stylish and a distinctive expression of your design savvy.

Celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2008 as one of America’s leading interior design retailers, Calico Corners provides expert advice, decorating solutions and in-home design consultation in addition to quality designer fabrics for the home, trims, custom window treatments and upholstered furniture. They also offer measure and install services for window treatments. For more information or to find a location near you, visit www.CalicoCorners.com.

Technorati Tags: window treatments

OdoBan Odor Eliminator - Concentrate - Makes up to 32 Gallons!
Amazon Price:

Nautica Lakeview Drapery Panel
Amazon Price:

Magnetic Cafe Rod

Features:

• 16″-28″
• For steel doors & windows
• Non-slip, scratch resistant
• No tools required
• Strong enough to hold a variety of window treatments

Some windows are just too pretty to cover with curtains. Many homeowners spend a lot of time and money on decorative portholes that are so striking that they can stand on their own. Some of the most attractive of these home features are bay windows. These are great home options and serve a number of functions. Finding the right bay window treatment can pose a challenge for many homeowners.

I loved that my home was equipped with a large bay window in my kitchen. This feature serves as an informal seating area and it also provides great storage as well. I get plenty of natural light creeping into the kitchen during the entire day. At first I thought that finding a bay window treatment for my kitchen was really unnecessary.

However, once I got used to the room it started to seem a little cold and stark without some curtains to give it some warmth and depth. The task of finding a nice bay window treatment for the area seemed simple to me until I started shopping. I noticed that I really didn’t want to hide the beautiful glass in my kitchen but I also didn’t want the stark open space, either.

I began my hunt for the perfect bay window treatment at the beginning of the winter season. Since this season usually beckons us to use heavy drapes made out of a fabric like velvet I was generally dismayed by the choices. I hated the idea of my bay window treatment overwhelming the entire kitchen. I decided to wait until spring to continue my shopping.

After all, the view from the kitchen was too beautiful in the snow for me to consider getting a bay window treatment that would darken the area and block my view. Spring is a great time for change so I began my search again after the flowers started to bloom.

I came across some light tab top curtains that are perfect for showing off my decorative curtain rod that I bought especially for the area. However, I found that the bay window treatment was still too heavy even after I tied the tab top curtains back with decorative accents that matched the rod.

Maybe summer would be a better time for finding the right bay window treatment. I thought that I found the right item in a light pair of sheer panels. A matching scarf draped over the decretive rod. This was also way too much for my kitchen. I found that all of the material overtook the space.

Since fall is on our heels I figure that I can always start looking for the perfect bay window treatment during this season. I have to wait until after the leaves change color. I would hate to cover them with curtains.

Technorati Tags: bay window treatment

Glass used for many windows consists of about 70 percent silica sand, 13 percent lime, 12 percent soda, plus small amounts of other materials such as metal.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Rosemary Sadez Friedmann - Scripps Howard News Service

The word window is derived from an old Norse word for wind, “vindr,” combined with “auga” meaning eye, resulting in the word vindauga. Literally translated, window means the eye of the house through which wind enters. Now aren’t you glad you learned that? Be sure to bring it up at your next golf outing so you can impress your friends!

Here is some more exciting data. Glass used for many windows consists of about 70 percent silica sand, 13 percent lime, 12 percent soda, plus small amounts of other materials such as metal. Heated to a melting point, this combination is transformed into a viscose liquid that, when cooled, becomes hard. Glass is inherently liquid, which explains why cracks spread. Plain glass has no internal bonds to stop the crack or prevent glass from shattering. Tempered glass, however, is much stronger than plain glass. It will not crack, shatter or break easily.

The primary function of windows is illumination. Natural light has been proven to be healthful as it contains all the types of rays in a balanced full spectrum. The only type of ray that is harmful is the ultraviolet light, which may be blocked out with low-emission glass or solar screens. Plenty of natural light filtering into a room can be uplifting and that is why we enjoy being in a room with many or big windows. A general rule of thumb is that window square footage should equal at least 10 percent of floor space.

The color and texture of the walls and interior furnishings are affected and have an effect on the natural light shining though the windows. Soft colors and smooth textures will cause natural light to appear brighter and clearer while dark colors and rough textures will deepen and soften light. It is helpful to know this when you are trying to establish atmosphere in a room.

There are times when you want to block out most or all light. Window coverings that accomplish this include draperies with blackout linings, solidly interlaced woven woods, opaque vinyl roller shades, blackout-lined or insulated fabric shades, opaque vertical louvers and fully closed horizontal blinds. Over some of these treatments it might also be necessary to add a lambrequin (an upholstered board that surrounds the window) or a valance and side fabric treatments. The original treatment will block light from coming through the window while the lambrequin or valance and side fabric treatment will catch the peripheral light peaking out the sides and top.

Window coverings that screen light include knit and woven casement draperies, lace, sheer fabrics, light-weight and thin fabrics. Horizontal and vertical blinds, when partially open, will filter light. Pleated, translucent shades have the same effect.

Treatments that do not obstruct light include sheer fabrics, fully opened horizontal and vertical blinds and any treatment that, when open, stack off the glass completely.

Besides glass type, i.e., double, triple pane, insulated, etc., the energy conservation via windows is commensurate with the window coverings. The coverings that completely block light will be the most energy efficient, while the window treatments that do not obstruct light at all will be the least efficient.

(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of “Mystery of Color,” available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Amazon.com.)

Photo Copyright Getty Images

Technorati Tags: interior furnishings, Window coverings