Give a New Look to Your Windows

Every homemaker wants to make her house look beautiful with the best furnishings and household accessories. But most often we end up neglecting the windows which play an integral part in the look and design of the interior of your house. Traditional window frames with clumsy curtains are outdated. They have given way to more stylish panes and frames that express the home maker's sense of decoration.

Window treatment is the latest innovation in the field of home interior decoration. The right kind of window treatment can give a refreshing makeover to your windows, making them appear more beautiful and trendy.

Wooden shades, vinyl blinds and shutters comprise hard window treatments whereas soft treatments includes valances, swags, curtains, sheers and drapes, tailored out of soft fabrics. Make your choice of hard or soft treatment for your windows.

Generally the size and structure of the window are the main factors that determine the appropriate kind of window treatment. You can give your windows a totally different look with designer shades, sheers, blinds, valance, shutters and honeycombs. Valance, shades and blinds are best-suited for covering a small window. Curtains and draperies are preferred for embellishing large windows. Draperies add grandeur to the room and also make it appear more spacious.

Shades, shutters and blinds are less expensive than draperies. Pleated and roman shades look great when contrasted with the color of the wall. Now, you can pep up the look of your room with textured shades too. One can also select shades made from of eco-friendly materials that give an earthy feel to your home. Honeycomb shades have insulating properties that help to filter light. Faux wood blinds are tailored out of a combination of vinyl and hardwood. If your room gets excess sunlight, then think of using blinds to ward off unwanted heat.

Feel free to seek assistance from a host of leading home décor manufacturers. Some of them provide quality window treatment solutions. There are companies that offer window treatment, customized to your needs and choices.

Window treatment will help you to create an inviting ambience for yourself and your visitors. It is also the best way to maintain privacy of your dwelling place as well as reveal your taste of fashion and elegance. Window treatment is nowadays a must have for all those homemakers who have the desire to bestow an aesthetic appearance to the overall look of their homes.

Pleated Draperies – A Symbol of Elegance

Long hanging curtains are called drapes. Curtains where a series of folds formed by doubling the fabric back on itself are made permanent through stitches at the top are known as pleated draperies. This is a kind of window decoration that makes rooms look stylish. Pleated drapes are also well suited to ward off unwanted heat or excess moisture.

This unique type of curtain is available in the market. You may choose to customize it according to your needs and preferences. Pleated draperies are available in a myriad variety of colors, styles and textures. There are numerous brands that manufacture good pleated drapes. Browse through their websites and take your pick from a wide range of varieties such as French pleat curtains, goblet pleat drapes, Parisian and inverted pleat drapes.

Vacuum cleaning on a weekly basis is good enough to keep your pleated drapes clean and attractive. But it is advisable to have pleated drapes washed once in every six months.

Different varieties of pleated drapes

Pinch Pleat Drapes: This is the most popular variety of pleated drapes. Pinch pleat drapes come in a variety of styles such as Two Finger Pinch Pleats, Three Finger Pleat, Four Finger Pleat and Five Finger Pleats. Buttons and bows can be attached to inch pleat drapes as embellishments to augment its beauty. Pinch pleat draperies are also well suited to provide optimum insulation.

Silk Pleat Drapes: In the case of pleated drapes, both style and material that the drapes are made of are important. Those tailored out of velvet are thick and heavy while drapes made from silk are comparatively lighter. Silk drapes maintain privacy while ensuring a chic look that turns your abode into a refreshing niche.

Patio Door Pleat Drapes: This kind of pleated drapes are apposite to cover the entire length and width of your patio door. While it allows adequate ventilation, it provides enough privacy.

Thermal Pleat Drapes: Thermal pleat draperies are used to maintain optimum temperature within rooms. These pleat draperies come with a thick liner and hence it can be used as blackout curtains. This type of draperies saves energy by making your room naturally cooler and makes your stay at home even more comfortable.

So the next time you plan to revamp your house, make sure that you don’t neglect your windows. Make your windows both trendy and beautiful with the lush luxury of pleated drapes.

The Shimmering World of Dupioni Silk

In the world of fabric and textile, Dupioni silk is a name that is pretty well known. This is a silk woven fabric that is also known as douppioni or dupion. Dupioni silk is an excellent fabric to consider if you are looking for a wrinkle-free and crisp fabric for your drapes and tapestry. The fabric is a glistening silk material that is made out of silk threads of dual colors. Silk threads of two colors are interwoven to form a fabric that has a dual toned sheen to it. The interplay of light and dark gives a magical effect to the fabric making it seem to change colors.

Dupioni Silk is made from rough silk fiber threads. Vibrant colors are generally used in Dupioni silk weaving. The merging of bright colored crude fiber gives the finished product a shimmering effect along with a crisp texture. When used as a drapery, Dupioni silk changes the entire ambience of your hall, living room or dining area. The backdrop it creates has an elegant and sophisticated look. The fabric resists creases and is a fully reversible fabric. In this way, you drapery will look perfect no matter which side shows.

Dupioni silks are available in solid colors of the Indian and Italian variety. You will also find them in stripes of contrasted colors and designs. A popular form of Dupioni silk is the embroidered variety. This material is chiefly used for tapestry and drapery. The beaded form of Dupioni silk fabric is also available in the market. Silk as a fabric is considered to be one of the best fabrics among natural and synthetic ones. It is a fabric that keeps warm in winter and cool in summers. Mildew and dampness does not affect silk easily. The luster and strength of the fabric makes it a favorite choice for drapery.

As far as taking care of Dupioni silk drapes is concerned, the best way to clean the fabric is by dry cleaning. If the fabric is washed by hand it might result in loss of sheen and crispness. In any case, washing large drapes by hand is a very cumbersome task. You should also be careful not to attach any pins or other metal fixtures to the drapes. If it rusts, the drape may be permanently stained. The fabric is an expensive one and once it gets tainted, it loses its beauty.