Bay windows, corner windows and sliding glass doors all present unique challenges for dressing them. You can’t simply hang a common curtain and have it look good. Here are the different types of odd window challenges and how to address them. Sliding Glass Doors Many people ignore dressing their sliding glass doors because they just don’t know what to do with them. The larger size makes them hard to cover, and you don’t want to limit the access to the doors themselves. The solution then is to span past the door frame with an extendable rod that will offer enough … Continue reading →

When choosing flooring for your home there are several options to consider. One is carpet. But what sort of carpet and where? Carpets are definitely more comfortable and softer underfoot, especially in the bedroom. However If you have someone who has allergies like hay fever or respiratory problems like asthma you may want to forgo the carpet as it will collect more dust. In particular I’d suggest you stay right away from shag pile and long haired carpets and go for a smooth close texture instead. The other disadvantage with the longer fibred carpet is they are much harder work … Continue reading →

If you have a room with nasty-looking, dusty blinds like I do, the thought of beautiful curtains that may – gasp – even be washable is a dream come true. Ok, I exaggerate a little, but my dingy blinds really do nothing for the room except cover the windows. My curtains? Well, they’re going to add to the artistry of the room. Ah, curtain love. Often, the least expensive way to get new curtains is to make them yourself. Measure the window and cut the width in half to get the width of your fabric. Add a few inches to … Continue reading →

Often I ask for practical items for Christmas. While I don’t quite ask for new socks and toothbrushes, I do ask for items I need for around the house. Some might say they are rather boring. I agree. However, in 2010 I decided to have some fun changing the look of my office space. I’m spending more and more time in the space and I wanted it to be fun as well as functional, because it too was descending into the rather boring category. Combine this with the fact I love steampunk. More specifically, I find Victoriana fun, and I … Continue reading →

Isn’t it true that your home never looks better than when you are trying to sell it? This was certainly true for us when we sold our last home about three years ago. In fact, our old home looked so good there during showings that I was really wondering if we should have been selling it at all. The key that made our old home more inviting was some careful staging on our part. Now, we didn’t pay for a professional staging company to come, but we certainly read all that we could about staging, asked a lot of questions … Continue reading →

As I get older, my allergies get worse. Elements I used in decorating my home 7 years ago, no longer work for me. In addition, I have noticed that people with asthma who come to my house also have problems. Some might say that I just need to put more effort into cleaning my house, but that is not the problem. The problem is that I have 2 dogs and a cat, and that vaccuming and dusting causes an allergic reaction for me. This means I have alot of changes to make. After spending some time exploring our options, here … Continue reading →

You’ve seen displays throughout stores and in shop windows. They are created to show the available items in the most attractive and appealing manner possible. Doing so is known as merchandising, and the concept of merchandising can also be used in home decorating. We can even adopt some ideas from grocery store displays. If you have food storage that isn’t hidden behind closed doors, the best way to make it look nice is to line up cans and other packages of similar products for a tidy presentation. Line up cans of corn, green beans, boxes of macaroni, the same way … Continue reading →

Even if you can’t add more space to your home, you can make your small spaces have a big impact. Dramatic touches can give even the smallest nook presence. This is where your eye for the unique comes into play. Using items that have other purposes as decorative pieces or accessories, is one of the most interesting ways to accomplish this. High style, bold color, unusual shapes and textures, also work as inspirations. Changing or adding color is often one of the best sources for making dramatic changes, and it’s generally simple and cost effective when done with paint. It’s … Continue reading →