Beauty Window Treatment Ideas

Coming up with interesting window treatment ideas that bring out the best in your windows as they bring in the sunshine, is a challenge to anyone with a yen to decorate. There are tons of non-traditional options and tips to make the most of what you have, and give your windows that million dollar look on a mostly discount budget.

How about recycling old items? If you inherited lace tablecloths that are no longer fresh and white, you can still get a lot of mileage and an interesting antique window treatment, by using a sewing machine to turn the tablecloths into window curtain panels. You might even have some old lace curtains on hand, that need to be brightened, but the bleaches have failed you.

Accept their "age" and build on it, by staining them with tea for a totally antique look. Simply take a bucket and use half hot water and half boiling water, to "steep" 30 black tea bags. When the water is dark, add your curtains and stir the mixture. Then let them sit for 30 hours, with the occasional stir to keep the color evenly distributed. Remove the curtains, squeeze out the liquid, and hang them to dry.

Window treatment ideas aren't always about curtains. The once popular wooden window blinds are making a comeback with people who prefer the warm, natural tones of wood to go with a wide variety of décors. Antique folding window covers can be had for a song at garage and auction sales, then refinished, and if you are artistic at all, decorated with tole paintings.

Beuty and Luxury ,,,Chinoiserie Chair

You've probably seen this chair quite a bit. It's very popular with the Hollywood Regency crowd like Jonathan Adler or Kelly Wearstler.

You can find similiar chair in black and other colors at Guildmaster. They are priced at around $1150 per pair plus shipping...

Style Home Accessories for Spring

We just uploaded a ton of new home accessories on our store. Here's a quick sampling:

All can be found on the home decor section on the front page. If you have time, please come visit!

Pretty and Chic Furniture for Smaller Spaces

We found this adorable line at the Las Vegas Market a couple of years back and we thought we share it with you. They make really cute, adorable furniture that are smaller in scale --quite perfect if you have a small apartment or condo to furnish. The furniture usually comes in neutral colors, which makes it easy to accessorize. They are quite stylish and inexpensive.

Here are a few samples:

The occasional chair runs about $600, sofa is about $1500, chair about $300, bed about $1600.

Refrigerator Door Series Part One: Disappearing Refrigerators

Welcome to my refrigerator series. This series will consist of several posts showing options for the kitchen door design and the placement of refrigerators in a kitchen.

Part One- Disappearing Refrigerators

Depending on the style of your kitchen and your personal taste regarding the look of a refrigerator, you have the option of making it appear to disappear. Today’s design and the cabinet maker’s work in creating niches for kitchen refrigerators amazes me. I am a huge fan of  master carpenters and what they create. As you will see in the photos below, refrigerators really can disappear.  Enjoy!

Source: Kitchens a book by Chris Casson Madden

^As I look at the photo above, my first inclination is that I would expect to find a pantry or broom closet behind the doors.  I certainly did not think there would be a side-by-side refrigerator behind the cabinet doors as shown below.

Source: Kitchens a book by Chris Casson Madden

Source: Beautiful Kitchens Magazine Winter 2009

^The words on the magazine page above states, “Hide and Chic” which appropriately describes this refrigerator door and drawers. I find this to be an incredible design for hiding a side-by-side refrigerator. What do you think? Isn’t the design covering the refrigerator drawers really cool ! The design also allows for ventilation at the bottom.

Source: Beautiful Kitchens Magazine Winter 2009

^At first glance, what appears to be an armoire that most likely has a TV inside is actually a side-by-side refrigerator with drawers below.

Source: Beautiful Kitchens Magazine Winter 2009

^Who would have thought behind these mirrored cabinet doors you would find a refrigerator and a freezer with refrigerator drawers below?

Source: Veranda Magazine October 2008

The refrigerators and refrigerator drawers that flank the cooking area above blend with the cabinets. I like the big beam running above the refrigerators and stove.

 

Source: Beautiful Kitchens Magazine Winter 2009

^To the far right of the kitchen sink is a side-by-side refrigerator designed to look like a piece of furniture. The height of the ceiling allows for a pair of cabinet doors and an open shelf above. I find the the pair of china cabinets flanking the sink counter area very attractive.

Part Two of this series will show different designs for single refrigerator doors. Please check back.  Blessings.  …susan