Posts Tagged ‘curtains’

Drapes are basically long curtains. They are used to dress the windows up. Window coverings come in so many varieties these days that it may be hard to decide what you want. The decision may come down to personal taste, but you can help yourself by doing some research on the different varieties of window coverings. There are many types of drapes like draw drapes, stationary drapes, lace, sheers, casual swags and many more.

Drapes compliment the look of your house and give it a touch which is both traditional and stylish. They come in a variety of fabrics ranging from cotton to silk to linen to lace to net and many more. You should choose the one which goes best with the décor of your home.

Silk Drapes

What could be more enchanting than silk drapes? They look royal and give a traditional and rich look to your house. They bring a certain finesse to your home. Richness and exuberance flows with this material. Striped silk gives a dual effect and shine in two colors when lights come on. It shimmers in two shades. If the stripes are of different color then you have the privilege of another glowing color. Stripes in the same color or darker hue are mostly preferred as they blend in with the décor of the house.
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There didn’t used to be as many choices in building materials as there are today. Something was either made of wood, metal or stone. Materials had to be harvested or mined and then fashioned into whatever shape needed to construct the finished product. Today it is much different. New, synthetic and composite materials are cropping up everywhere and are proving to be not only a viable alternative to natural materials, but one that makes like a bit easier.

How Faux Wood is Made

Faux simply means that it is not genuine or real. When referring to wood, it means that although it is not real wood, it looks just like it. However, that is where the commonality ends. It may look just like real wood, which is of course the desired look, but it behaves very differently.

The faux wood used in shutters is actually a polyurethane material. In short it is a really strong plastic. This compressed, man-made material is consistent from the inside out. This has great significance when being used to make shutters.

Shutters are often cut to size in order to fit into specific window measurements. Because of this, a “raw” edge is left on the top or bottom. With real wood, the cut edge would need to be refinished – either painted or stained – to match the face of the shutter. With faux wood, the material is the same from the core out. When you cut the surface, it does not splinter and even better, it is the same colour throughout. There is no touch-up refinishing required!

The Advantages of Faux Wood

Real wood is very porous. It is greatly affected by moisture and temperature changes. Just take a look at how interior doors seem to not close quite right during the hot, humid summer months, but work just fine in the winter. That is because with heat and humidity – or moisture of any kind – wood will expand and warp. When the weather turns colder, the wood then condenses to its original size. Moisture can also cause warping that is not restored once the weather changes.
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Curtains are materials that are hung over a window for decoration and other purposes. The main purposes are to provide privacy, block sunlight and decoration.

If the window looks onto streets or sidewalks, then curtains can be used for privacy. Translucent curtains like net curtains or sheer curtains will only block sunlight partially. These types of curtains do not provide any privacy, especially at night. For privacy opaque curtains are better.

Curtains are also used for light control to prevent glare, for sleeping during the day, or watching TV etc. Opaque curtains are suited for light control. For partial light control sheer or net type curtains are better suited.

Curtains are also used for increasing the aesthetic appeal of a room. An elegant curtain greatly increases the aesthetics of a room and gives an opulent look. On the contrary dirty or ill matched curtains give a room a gloomy look. When the window looks onto a street it is better to give thought to the underside of the curtain as the curtain can be seen from outside and will dictate the appearance of the house.
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Fabric curtains are perhaps most popular among window treatments. You may opt for a light fabric or the heavier drape. With the different types of fabrics on the market, your choice is endless.

Your selection will depend on the color of the room, privacy required, how hot or cold you want it to be and the amount of light you prefer entering your room. For instance, if you want to optimize the amount of light entering your room, choose a light fabric with light color and soft patterns on it rather than a heavy drape. If your window gets a lot of sunlight, avoid using dark colored materials, as they will fade quickly. Other parameters you should keep in mind while choosing fabric for curtains is size of the room, the shape of the window and the color and upholstery of the furniture.
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There are many types of curtain and drape headings and they are created, usually, by the application of a heading tape and a draw cord. Here is a quick look at the most common ones.

Standard

The most common form of curtain heading is the standard one. It comprises of a one inch tape that is gathered up into a narrow, even heading. This is most often used for informal curtains and in hidden areas, under valences and behind pelmets for instance. When employing this method of curtain heading on net curtains or sheer, lightweight drapes a synthetic tape is available thus ensuring that a reinforced curtain rod is not required.
The standard form of curtain heading is generally used on dormer windows and cottage windows. It only uses one and a half times the width of the curtain and so is extremely economical on materials

Pencil Pleat

The pencil pleat is employed where there is no valance or pelmet and it gives a pleasant finish at the curtain header. Most interior decorating styles will be enhanced by this form of drape heading, especially modern ones. Remember to allow about two and half times the width of the window in fabric to allow the pleats to present themselves nicely.

French Pleat

This style of curtain heading is sometimes referred to as the french pleat. It is often used with extra stiffener in the fabric to produce full, regular folds in heavy fabric, velvet for instance. As with the pencil pleat it is important to allow at least two and a half times the width of the window in fabric to allow the pleats to achieve their fullness and to give a pleasing effect. The pleats are usually fanned across the window and have a button sewn to the bottom of each one.

Cartridge Pleat

This is often called a goblet pleat and takes it’s name from the goblet shape that is formed in the top of each pleat. This shape is held by stuffing polyester or tissue paper into the top of each pole to help the curtain retain it’s shape. It is most usually used in formal settings where the curtains are full length and have a very formal feel to them.
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One of the easiest and least expensive ways to transform the look of a room is to change the curtains and window coverings. Instead of using the same old curtain rod and drapes, try putting your imagination to work to see what you can come up after being inspired by the following ideas for curtains and window coverings.

One of the most popular ways of making your own window coverings is to buy a designer curtain rod and pinch clips. These pinch clips grip the edge of the fabric and allow you to hang any kind of material, hemmed or unhemmed from your window. A popular look is to buy wrought iron gothic style rods and clips and attach hemmed or unhemmed sheers or a swath of plain fabric.

This is a very romantic look that can also be achieved by simply attaching long white sheets, which are much cheaper than fabric from a store. You still get that billowy romantic look without the expense. Whether you use sheers or fabric this look is also very much improved by tying ribbons or ties as pullbacks to enhance the appearance of the window coverings.

You can also buy curtains and window coverings that don’t require any type of clip that slides along the rod. These curtains, which come in a variety of designs and fabrics, simply boast loops at their edge that allows you to thread the curtain through the rod. It would also be very simple to make your own curtain like this by attaching ribbons or fabric strips with buttons to a length of fabric.
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The innovative curved shower curtain rods expand the shower space by at least 25% to 35%. The simple installation of the shower rods instantly increase the width of your bathroom by at least 6” and make your bathroom look much more spacious than normal size. The curved shower curtain rods are very easy to install and comes in package with at least four wood screws, four tile anchors, four sheetrock anchors and two setscrews and an Allen wrench.
Benefits of curved shower curtain rods

The curved shower rods simply promise advantages and benefits to you. They are effective, efficient and inexpensive rods that easily increase the shower space, and provide a completely different look to the entire bathroom. The shower curtains have 3” curve-in at the corners, which prevents water leakage and allows the curtains to remain inside the bathtubs and does not allow it to blow over you. It is because of the curved shower rods that you can easily get extra elbowroom without renovating the bathroom in a new way. With the help of this rod, you can get some additional space for soaping, scrubbing and bathing in the bathrooms.

Other specialties of curved shower curtain rods
The curved shower curtain rods are suitable for both rectangular and oval shaped tubs. The different types of shower rods include rolling shower curtain rods, 5” and 6” shower rods with brushed nickel finishes. The rolling shower rods have ball bearings that help in the opening and closing of the curtains with a slight tug. All of these shower rods create the feel of open spaces in your bathroom.
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Bathroom accessories like shower curtain rods have significance of their own. These are no more the less noticed accessories of your bathroom but have become one of the most important items for your shower area in the bathroom. Gone are the days when people just used to hang shower curtains on some metals wood rods. Lifestyles have changed now and people are quite aware of the design and styles of shower curtain rods.

The shower curtain rods can have a great impact on how you feel while taking shower in bathroom. While dull shower curtain rods can dampen the look of bathroom trendy rods make bathrooms look really cool. However, you have to make sure the color and design you are choosing for your shower curtain rods match your bathroom walls and tiles used in bathroom floor.

The selection of rod will also depend on the type of curtain you want to hang. If you are planning to hang dark colored curtains, then go for metallic shower curtain rods with curved knobs. If you are planning to cover your shower area from four sides, use rectangular shower curtain rods. Use curved shower curtain rods that will fit built-in tub units and various other shower units. You can also use crescent shower curtain rods that will fit your tub opening. There is also another type of shower curtain rods, which are called shower enlarger rod. You can use this rod when you require enlarging the shower area in your bath.

Ideally wooden rods should be avoided as a shower curtain rods since these rods go through wears and tears every time you open and draw the curtain.
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