DIY Smart Measuring for Window Treatments

Window treatments can be a crowning touch to any room, especially a window wrapped space like a sun room. All it takes is some smart measuring and a well thought out plan. I'm Lacey Howard, editor of Decorating Magazine , and today I'm going to show you how to make your window treatments sparkle. The first step of dressing your windows is choosing a style of blinds or shades.
Natural shades like these offer a wonderful texture, and a beautiful look when the light comes through. If privacy is a must, line your natural shades.
No matter the style of blind or shade you choose, the next step is measuring for either inside or outside mount. A good rule of thumb is to use outside mount to make small windows appear larger, or to cover unattractive woodwork.
For outside mount, measure the window's width from just outside the casings. Because outside mount shades hang above the molding, you can determine at what height on the wall to mount the shades. If you're lucky enough to have gorgeous moldings like these, you'll want to let their historic character shine, so go for inside mount. Measure the width of the window from the inside edges of the trim . You'll butt the top of the shade to the top of the window frame so that the shade fits just inside the window's moldings. Be certain to measure each window individually. You'll be surprised how much they differ. Next, frame your views with draperies. Here, we chose dramatic panels to frame each bank of glass .
When hanging drapery panels, there is no hard and fast rule about high on the wall to hang them. For most spaces, drapery panels should skim the floor. Save puddling for formal rooms and sumptuous lightweight fabrics such as silk. No matter the formality of your room, hang drapery hardware at any level between the top of the window molding and the ceiling.
The higher on the wall you hang the panels, the more visual impact they'll have, and the taller your ceiling will seem. Rod pocket fashion such as these have a shorter finished length than tab top or fabrics that require drapery clips like these. Both tabs and clips add length to the hanging panels.
Like any type of home accessory , hardware can range from off the rack at a big buck store to custom made. One designer tip, be certain your hardware has telescoping rods. With this feature, hardware can easily change rooms or configurations when needed. Another hint is when you're faced with corner windows in a room like this one. Avoid a traffic jam of finials and brackets in the corners. Use an elbow connector piece to join the links of drapery rod and ensure a smooth transition. With smart measuring and thoughtful placement, your drapes and shades become the crown jewel of every room of your home.

By :  Lacey Howard.

Smart Solutions for Small Bathrooms 2014 Ideas

Make a big splash in a pint-size bath by indulging in chic fixtures and glamorous finishes. Look to colorful fabrics, updated fixtures, and storage niches to help your tiny bath sparkle. 

 I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you ...... Enjoy it !!

Cabinet doors can visually weigh down a petite bath. Keep things light and airy with a furniture-style vanity. With this unit, baskets hold supplies on the bottom shelf, ensuring the undersink area provides plentiful storage. Small drawers on both sides of the sink house small toiletries and cosmetics.

Give a plain bath a quick update by plucking out a few of the existing tiles and replacing them with decorative glass tiles. Flashy new 4x4 inch solid green tiles alternate with a mosaic motif to take the white tiles in this bath from sterile to sensational. To continue the shimmery theme, swap out a standard light fixture in favor of a chandelier. Add a dimmer switch to set the mood for ultimate relaxation.

When you're tight on space, call on a pedestal sink or two! A traditional vanity would have closed in this bath and obscured the shower, but a pair of pedestal sinks provides the luxury of a space built for two while maintaining an open feeling. A skylight above adds natural light to this interior room, also making it feel bigger.

Give your bath a timeless look by splurging on a marble countertop and save on inexpensive cabinetry. This simple marble-topped workbench-style vanity provides room for towels and toiletries under the sink. Simple cotton skirting, instead of traditional doors, keeps the items under wraps. Flirty green floral wallpaper adds cottage style that's easy to update in the future.

Create an eye catching focal point by pressing an antique table or dresser into service as a vanity. Modern vessel sinks partnered with vintage inspired bridge faucets connect old and new in this bath. To keep the look streamlined, two slender vertical mirrors hide 9 inch deep medicine cabinets, one complete with an outlet for the hair dryer.

A powder room is a great place to showcase high style. It's a smart place to invest in luxurious products because this room is often frequented by guests, and its small footprint will keep your budget in order. Here, a wall of glass mosaic tile creates a dramatic backdrop for a glamorous retreat. A standout vanity echoes the rich tone, and a shapely toilet continues the geometric theme.

The one strike against installing a pedestal sink in a small bath is limited storage space. By adding a tall, skinny cabinet behind the sink, you can have the best of both worlds: convenient compartments for beauty products and a streamlined sink that won't weigh your bath down.

Carve out additional storage by building a recessed shelf between the studs in a wall. Recessed shelves put unused space to work and don't take up floor real estate, which is a plus in a small bath.

With a touch of sparkle, a diminutive powder room can morph into a stunning jewel. In this small bath, slivers of glass tile create a shimmering backdrop for an infinity style sink. Create a similar effect for less cash by covering a single wall with vibrant wallpaper.

For a sleek, clean look, keep storage flush with walls whenever possible. Narrow shelving units also help you edit what you keep in your bathroom. With just enough storage, you'll have space to store the essentials, with no room left over for clutter.

Visually lighten a floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinet by combining open shelves with closed doors. Towels, soaps, and glass canisters are perfect candidates for open shelving because they're decorative and functional. Closed storage is important for storing personal items, cleaning supplies, and laundry bins.

Compartmentalized rooms appear smaller, while open spaces create the illusion of size. To maintain an open view, trade in a traditional shower curtain for clear glass doors, which help stretch the visual length of the room. Continue the bath flooring into the shower to amplify the effect.

2014 Smart Storage Solutions for Small Kitchen Design

Smart planning and innovative kitchen design solutions transform these kitchens into storage packed spaces.

You'll love these ideas to try in 2014! I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you .... Enjoy it !!!!

A new desk and banquette bench were added adjacent to the kitchen to provide more storage and a dedicated home office.

An extra row of drawers flanking the refrigerator adds the perfect amount of storage near the door. Cabinetry runs all the way to the countertop to make use of every inch of space.

Pullout racks and utensil organizers were added after installation creating smart storage without the custom-cabinetry price tag.

The island offers prep space, close to the range storage for pots and pans, and proximity to a pullout trash and recycling center. This drawer within a drawer in the island makes it easy to keep pots and lids separate and organized.

The homeowner was determined to infuse the kitchen with rich elements to give it distinction. The Calacatta marble tile backsplash, for example, runs up the wall to meet horizontally oriented beaded-board paneling, which also appears in the adjacent family room. Turning beaded board sideways creates strong horizontal lines that make walls appear longer.

A sink made of the same material as the countertops presents a sleek, clean look. A window ledge provides bonus display and storage space behind the integrated sink and traditional bridge faucet.

A firm believer in open storage, this homeowner uses shelves to keep everyday items easy to see and reach. Shelves next to the refrigerator hold the microwave and wine cooler; the latter frees up space in the fridge.

More open storage opposite the refrigerator wall is supported by shapely brackets. The dark metal complements similar tones in the floor, counters, doors, and window frames, and it adds pizzazz to simple open shelves that provide both display and storage space. The shelves keep items used every day in an easily accessible place, and a top shelf, which might be hard to reach, is used to showcase art and decorative objects rather than kitchen essentials.

The space around the range was smartly outfitted for cooking. A knife drawer on one side of the range features an integrated cutting board for quick chopping.

To the right of the range, a drawer stores spices neatly and out of the light, keeping them fresh and easy to grab when cooking at the range or doing prep work on the counter above.

The small peninsula serves as a bar area, complete with undercounter beverage chillers and a pullout liquor cabinet. A deep, cased archway provides a gracious transition from the dining room to the colorful kitchen.

Store Up High : There wasn't enough space for a walk-in pantry, so the custom-designed cabinetry extends to the ceiling to maximize storage. A library ladder that rolls along a rail provides access to the top row of cabinets. Cleverly concealed pullouts store spices, bottles, platters, and trays. The slim pullout shelf below the pantry cabinet serves as a temporary landing space for items without permanently intruding on the walkway.

A corner pullout unit stores large cookware and avoids wasting space in a corner cabinet. The pullout unit brings the cabinet contents into clear view, eliminating the likelihood of losing items in the recesses of a deep cabinet.

Appliances were also chosen with capacity in mind. Paired refrigerators with stacked freezer drawers blend in with the cabinetry and give the couple plenty of space to stock up on food for a house full of guests. A pullout cabinet beside the refrigerators makes use of an awkward space. The slender dimensions of the unit make it ideal for storing small containers and bottles.

The couple also opted for a trash compactor and two sink areas: one for preparing food and one for rallying dirty dishes. Two sets of dishwasher drawers between the sinks ease cleanup.

The rail above the pantry continues around the rest of the kitchen. Transom cabinets take the place of soffits and are within reach, thanks to the library ladder.

While they were going for a contemporary feel, the homeowners also wanted the kitchen to be a warm, comfortable place, so they opted for wood-look cabinetry. Zebrawood (named for its dark stripes on a light background) was their first choice, but it was also a budget buster, so they went with custom cabinetry finished with a faux-zebrawood laminate. To keep the look of the cabinetry simple, the couple used few door pulls, opting instead for push mechanisms, which make it easy to open the sleek cabinets and access their contents.

2014 Smart Small Bedrooms Decorating Ideas

Savvy ideas will help you make the most of a bedroom's square footage.You'll love these ideas to try in 2014! I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you .... Enjoy it !!!!

Make Your Bed 

Space Saver: Stick to one bold piece of furniture to fill the room with character. Fashion your own graphic headboard with playful and chic stencils. To duplicate this look, cut a curvy headboard from medium density fiberboard (MDF) and paint a base coat. When it's dry, use a stencil roller to apply a trendy damask design in a cool contrasting color. Continue the theme by stenciling your design on accent pillows, too.

Table It  

Narrow furnishings add a surprising amount of storage and display space in a limited footprint. This bedside console table offers plenty of surface area for showing off collectibles and other possessions. A lamp sheds light on the bed for reading after overhead lights are turned off.

Front and Center 

Space Saver: Use windows as the focal point, centering furniture in front of them. Conventional decorating wisdom says to position a bed against a wall, not in front of a window where it might block light and views. But in a small room, options are limited, and it's often better to create a strong focal point with a bed than to awkwardly push it to one side. A bank of bay windows creates a natural nook for this bed, and the pretty window treatments give the illusion of a canopy.

Go Wide 

Visually expand a small room by wrapping the walls with wide, horizontal stripes. In this bedroom, horizontally aligned boards achieve this effect without overpowering the room. The rough texture of the planks, installed with the unfinished side facing out, lends a light and airy washed finish to the soft wall color. You can achieve the same effect by painting horizontal stripes on plain walls. Use light colors to maintain a bright, open scheme and similar tones so the stripes are noticeable but don't visually break up the space.

Paint an Accent Wall 

Space Saver: Create the illusion of depth. Paint a single wall a dark color to create the illusion of depth. Crisp white walls and trim add a striking contrast to this bedroom's chocolate wall. The headboard's geometric pattern ties the two wall colors together, and the yellow accents add a pop of color.

Make Small Rooms Feel Taller 

Increase the apparent height of the room with vertical lines that lead the eye from floor to ceiling. Add crown molding around the perimeter of a room, or add architectural molding on the ceiling and an intricate medallion around a light fixture to enhance the details overhead.

2014 Smart Storage Solutions for Small Bedrooms

Keep a small bedroom organized with these smart tricks for adding storage to even the tightest of sleeping quarters. Don't let small quarters limit your storage options .
Here are clever ideas for better small bedroom storage . Reclaim a suitcase for under bed storage . Paint the suitcase then attach casters to the underside for easy sliding under your bed. Store away.
Contain tiny treasures inside a hollowed out book. Glue the pages of an old book together then carve out a space to the needed depth. Recycled drawers create storage options on this headboard . Simply design the headboard to fit the shape of the drawers in your collection, paint a uniform color and attach to the wall. Old objects used in new ways helps maximize the usable space in a tiny bedroom .

 You'll love these ideas to try in 2014! I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you .... Enjoy it !!!!

Sitting Space : A seating area of oversize sofas and a sprawling ottoman add a cozy space to this master bedroom, ideal for relaxing and gathering with the kids at the end of the day.

Preserving an Original : Weathered wood ceiling beams and a softly worn rug capture the salvaged character of this vintage home. When new additions were needed, such as storage bookshelves, they were designed and finished to look like had always been there.

Tucked In : Wall recesses lend architectural interest to boxy spaces. Here, one wide recess creates the perfect place to tuck in a bed, while another recess was outfitted with shelves to create a convenient bedside storage nook. Bold blue beaded board surrounding the bed ensures the pretty quilted headboard functions as the bedroom's main focal point.

Airy Decor : All white walls keep this attic bedroom feeling open and airy. To ensure the lack of color doesn’t look stark and cold, the bedding features a variety of colors and patterns. A built in shelving system and desk make the most of an awkward angular corner.

Build to Suit : Built ins give this small bedroom plentiful storage and cozy seating without crowding the space with furniture. The window seat makes a focal point out of a scenic view. A combination of open shelves and closed cabinets expands storage options.

Stylish Headboard : A built-in bookcase headboard adds visual interest to this bedroom, plus practical storage and reading light.

Design with Purpose : Drawers built into a custom platform bed and a window seat crafted over a radiator work functional and aesthetic wonders in this small bedroom.

A Fresh Look : A refreshing aqua blue color scheme rejuvenates this bedroom in a 100 year old house, while furniture featuring simple lines and hints of cottage style reflects the home's Craftsman style architecture.

Double-Duty Bedroom : This clever dual-purpose room takes advantage of a do it yourself Murphy bed kit to create a charming guest bedroom that doubles as a crafts (or multipurpose) room when company departs.