Monday, February 8, 2010

Curtain Hardware that Act as Curtain Accessories

If you have purchased a new home recently or are planning to redecorate your current home then curtains are an important part of it. A curtain can immediately change the entire look of a room. There are various types of hardware that are required to hoist these curtains properly. Curtain hardware is also an essential part of the room decoration these days.

Earlier curtains were put up on simple curtain rods, but nowadays there is a wide variety of window curtain hardware available. This curtain hardware comes in different colors and shapes. They include things like curtain rings, curtain poles, and designer curtain rods. Other things include drapery rods, curtain rods, curtain finials, curtain hooks, and even tie backs. All these curtain accessories are available in a variety of materials like iron, wood, steel, wrought iron, or even ceramic ones. It might become difficult for you to determine the suitable accessory for your home. You might end up buying something which looks good in the shop but is not appropriate for your home. To avoid such a situation, you can keep a few things in mind when shopping for your curtains and its accessories.
  • Carry the measurements of your room with you .The size of the drapery rod and other accessories will be determined by the size of your room. Choose wide diameter poles and rods for rooms that are big in size and smaller ones for rooms that are smaller.
  • Fix up your mind before you go out to shop, if you want to have accessories that can be seen or you want them hidden behind the drapes. If you want them to be seen then you can go for costly decorative pieces, or else you can buy ordinary ones.
  • It is important that all the accessories that you choose complement each other. If they do not match well they might look too dressy and create an uncomfortable atmosphere in the room.
  • Longer fabrics lines make the room look taller. Keeping this in mind get the rods installed well above the window frame or even higher.
  • Determine if your drapes will remain open most of the time or they will remain shut. If you have to open and shut them regularly, then you have to install a draw cord system. This draw cord system acts like a pulley to move the drapes simply at the tug of the chord.
If you are eager to buy quality window curtain hardware then you can start searching through the websites available over the internet.

Tips for Choosing Drapery for Valances

Drapery valances are those pretty-as-a-picture toppings that you see over windows. That is why they are called toppers. They come in many types and styles. Drapery for valances must be chosen carefully. You need to make a choice based on your likes, décor style, lifestyle, size and shape of the window and other structural considerations like where it is located, molding and so on. You might also have to consider insulation issues if the room is prone to losing or gaining heat. Only careful consideration can help you find the right answer to these considerations.

Before you decide on any style, get yourself a good design book. Books such as these would contain a nice selection of various window treatments. From these, you would be able to see photos and sketches of standard styles, and the combinations. That way, you can choose the décor that suits your house and your room.

A good starting point for choosing drapery for valances is the architectural style of your house. Some homes have an inbuilt style. The stately homes of the past are an example. But other homes may be more modern and may adapt to modern window treatments. Older, traditional homes may do well with a pelmet design.

The purpose of the room is another good indicator of the style of your valances. For instance, if the theme of the room is formal (more like a boudoir), you can opt for something fancy and decorative. If, on the other hand, the room has a fun theme as in the case of a children’s room, then, the style may be simple and relaxed, quite informal. In the same way, a country kitchen will have a theme different from the theme of a chic bathroom. While choosing drapery, valances and other window treatments, allow the theme of the room to guide you.

The kind of fabric you use for the valances also matter a lot. You need to find out if the drapery you use for valances may be pressed to form crisp folds. The weight of the fabric you choose for the curtain should match the weight of the draperies for valances. So, for example, heavy velvet curtains may not be topped off with sheer scarf valances. Finally, the color and design of the drapery you use for valances must compliment the color and design of your curtains. In many cases, you can have the same fabric for valances and curtains and put in a contrast lining.

Window valances are very popular these days because they hide the curtain rod and they also give a special touch to the windows. Valances come in various styles. Window valances, swag valances, cornice valances and Ascot valances are a few examples.

Besides the above, it is possible to order custom draperies for window valances online. You can save yourself a lot of time and money by ordering these custom valances. Custom valances are perhaps the most inexpensive options when it comes to bay windows and other such windows that are particularly hard to deal with.