5 Stylish Window Dressings & Blinds

Windows are often the focal point of a room. How you dress them can affect their visual impact. These five stylish ideas take on traditional window dressings and give them a contemporary face-lift.

1.) Extreme Cornices Cornices are window toppers that are traditionally made from a wood frame that’s upholstered in fabric. They are designed to conceal underlying window treatment hardware and add visual impact. Most cornices are rectangular with a few simple details like piping, buttons or ties. However, there’s nothing to say that your cornice can’t make an extreme statement! Add some pop to a traditional cornice by adding extra height. By expanding the cornice to fit most of the space between the top of the window and the ceiling, you’ve increased its presence and drawn the eye upwards. Pair this with a unique shape such as an arch and add some bold details like overlarge buttons or piping to finish the effect.

2.) Sheers with a Past Sheers are some of the most common window treatments available, and rightfully so. Sheers add privacy while still allowing us to see out and let filtered sunlight into the room. Dress up traditional sheers with elements from the past. For a wonderful shabby chic look, stitch a variety of vintage doilies to the lower portion of the panels. The effect is one of delicate, Old World charm.

3.) Track Panels If sleek and modern is your style, track panels will give you the clean lines and bold look you crave. Also consider bottom up blinds with track panels Track panels are perfect for large expanses of windows common in modern homes. There are two major styles of panels: sliding and folding. In both cases, panels of fabric slide along a track to cover your window. To open them, you either slide them out of the way or angle them to the side. Folding track panels essentially create the look of very wide vertical blinds. You can create track panels in almost any fabric or even natural materials such as woven grasses. Track panels are unique in that they can easily accommodate curves and corners.

4.) Interior Solar Shades If you live in a sunny climate, consider interior solar shades. These shades are made of a woven material that cuts down on the glare of the sun while still allowing you to see out. How much sun (and view) you retain depends on the density of the fabric’s weave. While I prefer to buy gold or white solar shades, the fact is that they come in a variety of colors to fit most interiors and design preferences. They can be used alone or with other window treatments.

5.) Interior Awnings Most people think of awnings as an outdoor window treatment. But bring an awning indoors and dress it up a bit and you have a striking window feature. For a transitional room, use classic awning spears as the side supports for an elegantly draped, shallow awning. The effect is similar to a swag but with more dimension as the fabric balloons down between the spears.

Mohawk Home Rug Review and Rug Giveaway ($149.99 Value)

When moving into our new home, we went from carpet to hardwood. I was excited about this change, but when Liam fell and bumped his head I realized just how hard the floor really was! I needed to buy rugs for the entire house and that's what we sought out to do, but it is harder than it sounds. Some rugs were completely out of our price range while others were less expensive, but cheap quality... that is, until I found out about Mohawk Home and their rugs!

About Mohawk

Mohawk Home, the rug division of Mohawk Industries, is the largest manufacturer of area rugs, indoor and outdoor mats, and washable rugs in the United States. Because we participate in a fashion industry, Mohawk Home employs a team of design professionals specifically recruited for their expertise in textiles and floor covering innovation. With a commitment to relevance in style we are continuously creating trend setting designs and constructions as well as updating timeless classics.

While we view ourselves as an innovative, fashion-design company, we never lose focus on our mission to produce the highest quality and value-oriented products possible, while minimizing our impact on the world around us. As part of the largest flooring manufacturer in the world, we are able to control quality from raw materials to the finished product. Through sustainable manufacturing and the dedication of our associates we can ensure that the Mohawk product always delivers the best value at the best price with world-class service.

My Thoughts

I was so excited to learn about Mohawk Home and when I started looking at their rugs I realized just how beautiful they really were! I decided on the 5'x8' Bankok Rug for our living room and it ended up being perfect! From the picture, I could tell the rug was pretty, but it really didn't do the rug justice. As soon as I put the rug down in our living room, the entire mood of the room changed. The bright colors against the hardwood floors just made the room pop and gave it something extra that I absolutely love.

One thing I also love is how soft and comfortable it is. The kids and I can sit on it to watch TV or even do our craft projects!  Yes, with kids there are always accidents as much as I have tried to keep it to a minimum. However, I have always been able to clean up the spills very quickly and easily without any stains left behind.

 As you can see, we spend a great deal of time playing on the rug and, after all of these months, the rug is no worse for wear. It has held up extremely well considering all the kids in our home and the traffic from being in the living room, so I can safely say that the rug is durable and made of quality materials. We absolutely love this rug and I will definitely be purchasing more Mohawk rugs in the future.

Would you like to add a beautiful Mohawk rug to your home?

Beautify Your Home With Lasting Flowers

I'm constantly trying to upgrade the look of my home by adding new decorations. I'm very picky about what I put in our home, but I really love flowers and think they really brighten a room. My favorites are Calla Lillies, Birds Of Paradise, and Gerber Daisies. Yes, these can be very expensive, especially for flowers that will die soon after purchasing. It's so sad to spend $50 on a nice arrangement only for them to wilt the next day. I've found a way to keep flowers looking beautiful for a much longer period of time. How? By using faux flowers, of course!

Artificial plants, as well as artificial flowers, are the perfect way to decorate a home. You don't have to worry about them wilting or turning brown anymore. Plus, they are so incredibly lifelike, no one will be able to tell the difference. It's really amazing!

There's no reason to spend hundreds of dollars each year on flowers and plants that will inevitably be thrown away. Purchase faux plants and flowers that last forever, save money, and easily brighten your home and life.