If you’re set on giving your home a quick do-over without having to resort to major construction, look to your windows.
Dressing them up can significantly transform your space and give it a completely new look and can be adjusted easily to match any budget. From DIY decals to sweeping drapery, putting a creative spin on your windows can brighten a room, give it more drama or change its mood to suit your taste.
Doodle on your glass windows.
Take a cue from café menu boards and fun playschool graphics by doodling directly on your windows. Stick to non-permanent glass markers to allow you to change up your kid’s room scribbles as often as you please. Easy-peel decals can have you switching up your themes as often as you please. And if DIY is more your thing, using adhesives to create polka-dot themes, stripes or easy-to-cut shapes can be both decorative and educational for your child’s room, too.
Create your escape with classic shutters.
Shutter Up. Louvers are a pretty alternative to the usual blinds and curtains. Low maintenance and attractive from both the inside and out, plantation shutters, depending on the colors and materials you use, can easily turn any room into a New England escape, a Swiss chalet or a modern Asian getaway. Experiment with whites, bleached wood or bright bursts of color for a unique take on these classic window attachments.
Soften it up with curtains.
While less low maintenance than easy-to-clean blinds, curtains can soften the look of a room or add instant flair like no other accessory can. The look you want to introduce to your space relies largely on the type of fabric you choose, as well as its length.
- Café curtains in ginghams or eyelets, for example, are dainty alternatives for breakfast nooks and kitchens. Covering just a portion of your windows instead of their entire length allows sunlight to stream through without causing too much glare.
- Silky, gauzy fabrics, on the other hand, may not keep light out, but instead, offer an ethereal, dreamy appeal perfect for living rooms and areas that don’t need as much coverage.
- Sweeping floor-to-ceiling drapes in heavy blackout fabrics, on the other hand, are perfect for bedrooms requiring privacy and can be executed in a variety of colors and textures.
Exploring your accessory options is a great way to mix things up as well—curtain rods can be done in simple wood to classic wrought iron. Valances can be added to create a more formal, classic feel. Grommets can add a heavier, industrial look to curtains to keep them clean and modern. And curtain tiebacks can be done in contrasting fabrics or use antique tassels and hardware.
Opt for lower-maintenance blinds.
Roman blinds in canvas are a warm, homier alternative to typically bare PVC vertical blinds, which, while low-maintenance and are perfect for offices and commercial spaces, can look severe against the subtle softness of a living room or bedroom. Roller blinds, on the other hand, now come in a myriad of shades and materials that can help block out sunlight in the early mornings and are relatively easy to clean. Venetian blinds are another alternative to louvered windows, with horizontal slats that can be finished in anything from wood to metal to plastic.
Have more home and organizing questions for the author? Email her at chinggaylabrador@yahoo.com
Read more:
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Dress your nest: from avant-garde to budget-friendly
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Chinggay Labrador is a freelance writer and stylist, contributing articles on beauty, lifestyle and design to local magazines. Her background in architecture has her profiling trends and homes throughout the region. A travel junkie who likes to frequent Japan and Korea, Chinggay is the former editor-in-chief of Sparkling, a quarterly K-Pop publication and is also the author of “Popped and Popped, Too,” books based on the fun, frivolity and friendship centered on Korean Pop music.
