Published on: 07 July 2021
Last Updated on: 10 January 2025
Considering drapes or curtains but stuck on which style and design to choose? Well, this article is for you. We shall delve into all the details that you ought to know when looking for curtains for your home.
Sheer curtains
The sheers are made from a translucent fabric that softly filters light. These curtains do not darken the room, but they allow plenty of natural light to fill it. The sheer curtains also ensure that passers-by cannot get a glimpse of your house hence protecting your privacy.
It is for this reason that sheers make great living room curtains. Pair your sheers without blackout curtains for an unmatched level of privacy. The custom curtain combination gives you complete control over light levels and helps in regulating room temperature due to the insulating blackout fabric.
Curtain fabric
The fabric is the first to consider when purchasing curtains. The choice of fabric will determine their functionality in your home. You should choose various fabrics for different rooms. The patio curtains offer the best fabric.
Blockout curtains
These curtains are also referred to as blackout curtains and are primarily predominant in Australian homes. These curtains prevent light from entering through the windows hence resulting in a darker room. They also help in insulating your home.
During the winter months, the thick-lined fabric gets your home warm, while during the hotter ones, the fabric prevents hot air from passing via the windows.
Linen curtains
It is regarded as one of the best fabrics you can select for your home despite being overlooked. These fabrics have several practical advantages. For starters, linen is a durable and robust fabric making it a worth trying investment.
It has an anti-bacterial fabric with hypoallergenic features and is exceptionally absorbent. For this reason, it is the best for anyone in the family who is prone to allergies.
Curtain length
One of the essential steps in getting suitable curtains is ensuring you have the correct measurements. Poorly installed or ill-fitting curtains will make even the most stylish of rooms look unattractive and disorganized. Walk with an expert to determine the length of your curtain.
You will have a sit down with him to know what you want to achieve in your home. Provide a sense of height to a room by hanging a fabric higher than the window. For a classic look, go with curtains that skim the floor.
Curtain color
Take all the time when choosing a color for your curtain since it is an investment for your home. There are a variety of drapes and curtains with different beautiful colors that can you can select.
The living room area should have bright colors since it the eyes of everybody. White and grey curtains are the most popular choices.
Summary
Curtains literally “add life” to your home. Get a professional who will guide you in determining all the above-shared information, and you will bring happiness to your home.
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Some people choose to live in a small home, rental room, or apartment. This could be for a lot of reasons, like financial constraints or personal preferences. Small is beautiful after all and, nowadays, highly practical too!
However, living in a small space doesn’t have to equate to feeling cramped or uncomfortable. Indeed, it’s very easy to create a warm and cosy atmosphere when you have a smaller area to work with. However, if you want to bring an airy, spacious feel to your home or room’s limited acreage, you can turn to colour, lighting, and the right furniture to achieve your goal.
Here are some simple tips to make a small space look and feel bigger.
Draw the Eye Up :
Most people choose to paint their ceilings a safe, light colour like white, beige, or cream, which indeed helps bounce the light around a small room. However, to create the illusion of a taller space, using bolder colours will help draw the eye up and achieve this effect. Reds and oranges are the obvious choices, but you can also go for dark blues and violet for more drama. If you are hesitant to try dark colours on your ceilings, decorate it instead with interesting patterns or a simple geometric mural.
Use Reflective Surfaces :
Using mirrors instead of paintings on your walls will help reflect the light better and open up space in a jiffy. But mirrors aren’t your only options. You can also use furniture that has glass, clear plastic, silver, chrome, and other shiny, reflective elements. Switch out your wooden coffee table with a glass one and see how your space instantly looks bigger.
Where possible, you should also incorporate accessories that can reflect light. For example, you can install a wall fountain with a silver, gold, or stainless steel backing, so both the water and the backing can help bounce the light around. The fountain can also serve as a piece of artwork, so you don’t have to fill your space with extra accessories. You can also try focusing a light onto the fountain to further increase the amount of light in your home.
Get Big Key Pieces of Furniture :
You might be tempted to get several smaller pieces of furniture, but this would likely end up in a cluttered-looking and therefore smaller-looking space. It’s better to get a few key pieces -- like your bed room and dining table -- in standard or bigger sizes with simple, clean lines. According to Ritely, there are many ideas that will help you to make the room appear more organized and comfortable.
Use a Monochromatic Color Scheme :
A monochromatic colour scheme makes your space look coherent and put-together. The actual colour doesn’t matter as long as they are in the same family, although cool colours like blue and green and subtle warm colours like yellow and peach are great choices for evoking that open feel. Use these colours on your walls, furniture, and other accessories like throw pillows and vases.
Hang Curtains High :
Hang your curtains close to the ceiling and let them fall right down to the floor to make any room look taller. If it makes things easier, install the rods or tracks on the ceiling for more height; the fabric will also fall more artfully this way. Keep the window treatments in the same colour scheme, ideally in the lighter end of the spectrum, to achieve a seamless look.
You should also veer away from thick, heavy drapes and instead opt for lighter curtains in fabrics like cotton, linen, or even lace. Roman shades also work well for this purpose. If privacy is not an issue, you can opt for valances instead of full-length curtains so that you still have window trimmings that at the same time allow more natural light to filter in.
Opt for Lamps Instead of Overhead Lights :
When you use top-down lighting fixtures, the light is focused in one space. This draws the eye toward that are, making the entire room look constrained. Opt instead for various kinds of lamps to spread the light. Slender, elongated designs work best as these also give the illusion of height. If you opt for floor or desk lamps, choose styles that have a small base that matches the colour of the shade.
With these simple design tips, you don’t need to break down walls to create more space -- or at least the illusion of it -- in your small home. Try them now and let us know which ones work the best for you!
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So you want to downsize to a smaller apartment?
If you’re banging your head against the wall trying to figure out how to make a move go smoothly, you’re not alone. We’ve all been guilty of having too much stuff!
Give yourself a break and start thinking of solutions. Stay inspired by focusing on the many benefits of downsizing!
Moving into a smaller apartment gives you the chance to start over and get rid of things you no longer need. It can also help you to get organized and keep only the essentials.
Even better, you won’t have to clean nearly as much space and can live as a minimalist! That in itself has some serious perks. Your stuff won’t own you and you’ll have more time to enjoy life.
Do you see where we’re going with this?
Get ready, because, in this article, we offer seven expert hacks to help make the process of moving into a smaller apartment easier.
Here are 7 Expert Hacks for Downsizing to a Smaller Apartment:
1. Analyze the space you’ll have
It’s essential to know the total space of your new apartment before you start the downsizing process.
Take a look at your new floor plan and figure out how much room in feet and inches are on each wall. That way you’ll know what will fit in your apartment.
If the measurements aren’t on the floor plan, ask the leasing office to provide you with the details.
But, the floor plan or provided measurements won’t tell you everything. You need to measure the extra spaces as well:
Closets
Space under the bed (more on this later)
Bathroom storage and cabinets
Garage storage (if your apartment includes a separate garage)
Kitchen storage and cabinets
Other spaces where you might add shelving (like the top of the fridge or in a window)
When you’re done with that, measure your current furniture and decide which pieces will fit into your place and which ones you won’t need.
2. Determine your actual needs
An excellent way to figure out what your needs are is by asking yourself if everything was gone, what would you replace?
Jot down some necessary items you can’t live without such as a bed, sofa, coffeemaker, dog bed — whatever is important to you.
You should also ask yourself the following questions:
What sentimental items will I miss the most?
Does this item serve a purpose?
Do I already have something that serves the same purpose?
Can I use this item to accomplish more than one task?
Is this object in good shape, and will it last for a while longer?
This is the point where you’ll be making some headway on knowing what you’re keeping and what you can live without.
If ever in doubt of whether you should keep or donate something, go back to asking yourself these questions.
3. Set some tangible goals
When it’s getting closer to moving time, you need to come up with a game plan.
Best get started with setting some goals before time escapes you!
We’re assuming you want to declutter and possibly redecorate your new place, and if that’s the case, it’s time to set some tangible goals.
Ask yourself these questions:
(Yes, we realize we’re telling you to do this yet again.)
What do I hope to gain by adopting a minimalist lifestyle?
Do I want to keep the furniture I have or get new furniture (#1 and #4 will help with this)
How do I plan to declutter?
How will I maximize my space? (Keep reading because we cover this in #4.)
What will I do if I can’t decide to part with some items?
Should I pay for storage elsewhere to store extra belongings?
Need some help answering those kinds of questions?
Here are some goals you could have:
I want a clutter-free apartment that will give me peace.
Not fixating on my possessions will help me feel free.
I’d like to have a clean slate and keep my belongings organized moving forward.
Being minimalistic will help me put emphasis on the most important emotional and physical items in my life.
Write down a few goals that inspire you so that when you feel like giving up, you’ll be able to remind yourself of your intentions.
4. Be a master organizer by maximizing space
Since you know how much space is in your apartment, as we recommended in #2, you should already have a plan in place as to where everything should go.
With the limited storage space in your new digs, it’ll help to store things vertically.
Vertically aligning hooks and shelves helps you take advantage of every square inch of space.
You might want to use adhesive hooks at first because most are easy to adjust.
We’ll be getting into how to simplify your wardrobe next, but for now, keep in mind that multi-use furniture can solve a lot of storage problems.
Keep reading because we’re about to reveal some killer ideas.
One idea is to maximize space by incorporating storage headboards. These are pieces of furniture such as bookshelves and a hutch that’ll fit over your bed.
Incorporating these types of units will make it easier to store a variety of items from family treasures to books and jewelry.
For example, incorporating a fitted unit in your closet can make it easier to organize.
Beyond that, think of other ways you can make use of storage. Is there any room underneath the bed you’ll be moving into your fancy new apartment?
If there isn’t and you need an upgrade, buy a bed that has drawers underneath. Trust us — those drawers will be your best friend when you need to store extra items of clothing such as blankets or sweatshirts.
Keep your bed if you like it, and it just so happens that you may be able to squeeze in some bins underneath to use as storage. For example, milk crates work well when you want to store books, tee shirts, and keepsakes.
5. Simplify your wardrobe
Seriously, how do you go about simplifying your wardrobe with you have a gazillion t-shirts?
If you think your new closet is small, just think about the people who live in tiny homes. Now those are super tiny!
Don’t worry; you can do this if they can!
Here are some steps to follow that’ll make your wardrobe functional in no time at all.
Step 1: Get all of your clothing out (ALL of it!) and put it somewhere you can sort through it. Whether that’s on the floor or on your bed is entirely up to you.
Step 2: Next, divide those clothes into three different piles and decide to donate, keep, or store them.
Step 3: Ask yourself if the clothing fits you or if it's still in wearable condition. If you haven’t worn jeans, for example, due to a weight gain or loss, donate or store those items.
Don’t keep clothing that’s falling apart. That’s just a waste of precious closet space!
Step 4: Are you done going through your clothing and separating them into three different piles?
Okay good, you’re going to do it again. This time ask yourself if this clothing fits your personality and your current lifestyle.
Step 5: Mission complete! Well, almost. Organize the clothes you’re keeping, store what you plan to wear later (such as seasonal clothing), and drop off clothes you’re donating.
6. Sell or donate what you don’t want
Now that you know how much space you have, and how to simplify your wardrobe, let's dive into why it's so essential to sell or donate belongings. It's time to stop and figure out which items you can and can't part with.
As you know, whether you're moving to a different city or relocating to a separate apartment at the same complex, moving takes a lot of work.
You should do everything in your power to simplify the moving process.
Eager to make some money to help with moving expenses?
One way to do that is by selling belongings and furniture you no longer want.
Try Craigslist, eBay, garage sales, Facebook, consignment stores, and more.
Before you even start packing, you should sell, donate, or recycle stuff you can live without. This will eliminate packing everything up only to decide later that you didn't need that item of clothing or five extra plates.
If you have problems deciding whether you want to keep, sell, or donate an item, take a hard look at everything you own.
Think about whether another person would find use out of that item.
If the item is useful, you can either donate it or sell it, depending on its value.
Who knows, your trash may turn into someone else's treasure.
7. Digitize nonessential media
Next let's dive into how you can digitize and save documents, pictures, videos, cassettes, videos, DVDs, and CDs.
While it's important to keep hard copies of documents such as your social security card and birth certificate, try to save and scan everything else.
Transfer CDs and DVDs to digital files by using free computer programs such as Freemake Video Converter, Movavi, and WinX.
Scan documents to your computer or save them as PDF files. After you're done scanning everything, use services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft One Drive.
Online storage sites are lifesavers when your goal is to digitize media.
Think of all of the space you'll free up in your new apartment by getting rid of boxes of videos, paper, and more by going paperless!
It'll take some time, but it'll totally be worth it. And boom! Suddenly you'll realize you're there.
So, do you think it’s time to move? Even though downsizing may seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Moving to a smaller apartment has its perks, such as decluttering your life and organizing your new place with fewer belongings.
Simply put, downsizing to a smaller apartment means:
Enjoying lower monthly expenses and living costs
Not having to clean nearly as much since your place is smaller
Living a minimalist lifestyle without meaningless belongings getting in your way
Instead of sweating the small stuff, take the moving process step by step. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying your new digs, relieved that you took the time to eliminate the clutter.
Carolina Creek is a great townhouse-style community located about a mile from Eastern Carolina University's campus. The community consists of 2x3 and 3x3 apartments and contains a full amenity suite including a fitness center, pool, business center, and game room. The community is the best value in the Greenville NC student housing market.
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LED Strip Lights provide a lot of benefits over the more traditional luminaries, like halogen, incandescent, and fluorescent. A few of such lights are intrinsic to the LED-technology in general, as the extended life expectancy, while the others are unique to the LED Strips, like flexibility. This post will outline a few of the benefits provided by these new generation strip lights available at https://www.lepro.com/.
Color:
The LED lights are capable of recreating a much broader range of colors than the customary types of lighting, making them particularly suitable for the effects of light installations. As well as the standard cool white and warm white, which are utilized for ambiance, the LED lights can also make a broad spectrum of the customary colors.
Less Electricity:
Like all the LED-technology, these LED Strip lightings make use of considerably less electricity in operation. The typical meter strip of the LED lights will make use of approximately 7.2 watts in power, which can really work out to about ninety percent more efficient than the other lighting types. It can really make these lights incredibly reasonably priced to run and permits the users to experiment with the much larger installations without the fright of running up excessive electricity bills.
Flexible:
The customary luminaries really tend to be housed inside the glass enclosures, which are inflexible and fragile. On the contrary, the LED lights on the strip lights are mounted to the flexible ribbon of the circuit board, which can really be bent around ninety-degree corners and be created to really fit the surfaces with the changing gradient.
Life Expectancy:
The LED lights have a life expectancy that can far exceed that of the customary luminaries. A typical Strip Light will last you up to seventy thousand hours.
Less Heat:
Incandescent and halogen light bulbs are infamous for becoming extremely hot during utilization. The LED Strips (https://www.lepro.com/led-strip-lights) while conversely generate comparatively less heat, making them much safer to make use of and less of a fire hazard.
Discrete:
Such lights are usually contemplated as a linear lighting source because of their extremely long and thin design. It really permits them to be fitted in the locations that the majority of other types of lighting cannot. Under the alcoves, kitchen cabinets, bookcases, shelves, you name it, these LED strip lights can really do it!
Cutting:
The LED Strip Lights are one of those types of lighting available that can easily be cut. They feature cutting points all along the length, which can be utilized for shortening or separating strips. The non-solder connections can be utilized for simple re-connection, or you can also ask the retailer to do the job for you.
Simple Installation:
The mounting strip lights are astonishingly simple and need extremely little know-how. The majority of strips have a three M of self-adhesive backing, which permits them to be stuck down onto the surface without the requirement for brackets or mounts. Even if they do not have such backing, installing them is still quite simple and far less annoying than the installation of the fluorescent tube, for instance.
Diverse manufacturers can provide even more variables and also the custom options in these lightings, so discuss the needs with the signage or LED lighting specialist for deciding exactly which product will really suit the best.
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