Decorate with window treatments

Windows do a lot more than just let the light in. They also block out the sun in summer and keep your home cool in winter. Window treatments are also a key elements in the overall design of a home and in the unique look of each individual room. If you're redecorating, updating your window treatments is a great, cost-effective way to completely change the look of a space.

 

While most people often switch their window treatments when the seasons change, there's no reason why you can't combine window treatments to create a truly unique, seasonally appropriate look quickly and easily. When cold weather arrives, blinds, in addition to drapes, offer an easy and affordable solution to keep warm air inside a home. In the summer months, when it's time to open windows and let the sun shine in, remove the blinds to leave windows curtain-free.

* Prints and patterns
Long gone are the days when window shades were drab solid white or cream. Today, you can find a plethora of colours, patterns and textures for making Roman shades.

Your local fabric store offers hundreds of options to choose from for a window shade to complement virtually any design theme. And making your own Roman blinds is not as difficult as you may thing. Click here for instructions for making a Roman blind.

* Bringing the outdoors in
Wooden blinds have been a design staple for decades, and with good reason: they're durable, beautiful and practical. This year, wood blinds play to the trend of bringing the outdoors in. Woven roller shades that feature bamboo, sisal, grass, jute and straw are versatile enough to create both rustic and sophisticated effects in any room.

 

 

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* Exterior shades
Sometimes, the inside of windows isn't the only spot where you could use some shade. Exterior shades are becoming ever more popular as homeowners seek to maximise the appeal and design impact of their outdoor living spaces. Exterior shades not only provide much-needed protection from the sun for patios and porches, they can help underscore an outdoor space's status as an important element of your home's overall design.

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* Cordless
Cordless shades have been available for a while, but their popularity is growing among homeowners and interior designers for a number of reasons. Cord-free blinds and shades create a clean, uncluttered look, allowing the beauty of the shade to shine without visual distraction.

The cord-free adjustment mechanism holds blinds and shades securely in position, eliminating the need to constantly adjust them, and making it easier to raise them evenly. Eliminating cords improves safety for children and pets, making cordless shades and blinds a must for children's bedrooms and play areas.

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If you are looking for more than just standard insulation, cellular shades will do the trick. Not only will it help your home feel cooler during the hot summer months, but it will also help your home stay warm when the winter season rolls in.