Indian Selections

…bringing India to you

Author Archive

« Previous Entries

Four Ways to Imaginatively Use Curtains To Hide Decor Faults

Posted by jasnav on July 26, 2011

Home interiors decoration with curtains just got more interesting – you can use curtains and curtain accessories to even hide the fault lines in your overall decoration. Things that you otherwise could do little about. Imaginatively used, curtains and their accessories can greatly enhance the visual experience or change it altogether depending on your plans. So let us see some great ideas on how to achieve these simple tricks that can make a world of a difference to your interiors.

 

Making a Small Window Look Larger

 

If you have a small window that you desire should look larger in keeping with your overall plans, all you have to do is to get a curtain rod that is bigger than the window itself. Fix the rod over the window and draw the drapes to the size of the larger rod. This will achieve a larger look in two ways.

 

Firstly, the area being covered by the curtains being larger than the window itself, the look will be of a bigger window. Who knows what size of window is hiding behind those oversized drapes!

 

Secondly, when you pull back the curtains the drapes would withdraw all the way, letting in much more light than it normally would. Lo behold! The look of bigger windows is yours!

 

Making a Large Window Look Smaller

 

Let us examine the exact opposite of the first situation, in which you have inherited large sized windows you are not too happy with.

 

All you need to do is use your normal sized rod, but add valances to your curtains. This would give a heavy look and give the impression of a smaller window size.

 

You can even add tiebacks to the curtains. This will also serve to give a heavier look to the curtains and make your window look smaller than it actually is.

 

Short or Tall Windows

 

Are you aware that you can even make the window look shorter or taller than it actually is? Yes, this can be achieved as well!

 

In case of short windows that you want to give a taller look, fix the curtain rod above the window frame. Creating the illusion of length will give a taller look to your window.

 

In case of tall windows that you want to reduce the look of, you can use draped valances  to shorten the look of the window. This serves to soften the overall look and thus give a shorter look.

 

Hide Windows

 

Now you have a window you are not very proud of, and would rather it not be there at all. While inviting a mason to brick it up would be a major job, all you need to do is to cleverly match your curtains with your walls! In effect it will reduce the attention to your window.

 

Use plain silk sari curtains to get the right match for your walls. These curtains made of excellent silk are available in a wide variety of colors and textures to suit each taste.

Posted in Cushion Covers, How to, Online stores | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Stripes For Your Rooms – How To Use Stripes Well

Posted by jasnav on July 11, 2011

In my last article we discussed some of the basics of putting stripes in your living room. In this article we go beyond to the other rooms as well as see some more important aspects you must know before you stripe up your rooms.

 

Horizontal or Vertical?

 

This is perhaps the first question that will spring to mind the moment you decide to go for stripes in your room decoration plans.

 

Narrow vertical stripes have the effect of giving an illusion of more height to the room, so narrow stripes would fit in well in a small room with a low ceiling. On the other hand, the broader stripes tend to make the ceiling look lower, hence would be more suitable to a bigger room with a high ceiling.

 

Horizontal stripes have their own advantage, as they create a feeling of space. Broad ones would do well in most situations.

 

Use vertical stripes in places where they are easily visible, such as walls, door and window drapes et all. Horizontal stripes could look good on furniture pieces and accessories.

 

Make a Style Statement

 

You can use stripes in your bathroom to create a dramatic feeling of liveliness. Here you can experiment with bold colors such as the bright oranges, reds and dark blues of this world. Your bathroom can be your lab for experimentation.

 

Use contrasting shades such as black and white, red and white, gray and fuchsia in bold stripes to create a sense of drama. You can experiment at will here as your bathroom is your own private place away from the prying eyes of the world.

 

To create an even more dramatic effect, use parallel lines painted at an angle as compared to the regular horizontal and vertical stripes.

 

Rules Are For The Ordinary

 

In itself the basics of the rule book dictate that you should keep patterns away from stripes. But what fun are rules if they are not broken?

 

Try something different and use patterns with stripes as well. You could go for printed upholstery for your sofas, and stripes for your window and door curtains. Keep in mind however that it would be best to go for small prints and subtle patterns, or else you stand the risk of creating too much clutter.

 

Start Small

 

Starting small can be the answer to your worries of whether your new design will really look good. Use the accessories to experiment before going for a complete makeover.

 

You can leave the doors and walls for now, and start with what is easily moveable. Your vases, rugs, window and door drapes, runners, crockery, table mats et all fit into this category. You can even go for striped pictures on your walls to get the striped look without actually touching the paint on your walls.

 

Once you are surer that the stripes for your room are actually looking good, you can take the next step and spread the stripes to the rest of the upholstery, the paint of the walls, and so on.

 

Enjoy your rendezvous with stripes – experiment and win the world!

Posted in Cushion Covers, How to, Online stores | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Home Decor – Using Stripes For Home Decoration

Posted by jasnav on July 4, 2011

Stripes in home decor are extremely popular with people who have a bold outlook towards life. This does not mean it is only meant for them, though. Whatever be your outlook, a dash of stripes in your living room can add that exotic touch you have been looking for.

 

When it comes to using stripes, however, there are some ground rules you must understand before you step into this uncharted territory.

 

Why Stripes, and Where?

 

Stripes in your home decoration plans are all about making a style statement. And remember, too many stripes are not formal.

 

Your living room presents plenty of options for adding stripes. You could use stripes on your walls, on your upholstery, on your window drapes, on the floor rugs, and even in the numerous decoration pieces that adorn any normal living room.

 

What Kind of Stripes For Decor?

 

Then there are a large variety of stripes you can choose from as well. One way to classify the stripes are the direction. There are the vertical ones, and there are the horizontal ones. You can even use slanting lines in your stripes.

 

The next option is size – there are thin and thick stripes. In case of smaller rooms thick stripes look better as they add to the volume of the room, and vice versa. Thin vertical stripes tend to make the roof look higher than it actually is.

 

Then there are the options in colors. You could use bold or light colors. Contrast colors do well in certain places, but for first timers it is best to stick to the same color family as the stripes themselves are less glaring. Thus you can have a combination of dark brown, light brown, orange and shades of yellow, just to quote an example. In case of contrasts, blue and white stripes are amongst the most popular.

 

Keep it Light

 

If you are using stripes for the first time, it is best to keep it light, as in going in for only an item or two for the changeover. Do not fill the whole room with stripes at one go.

 

Change the upholstery, or the window drapes, or the walls into a striped pattern one at a time. If you like what you see and continue to like it after a while as well, you got a winner on your hands. Now you can go for the next step and add other pieces to your overall striped home decoration design.

 

Vary Your Options

 

When looking for a pattern, try to mix and match. Too many stripes may actually become overbearing, so go for a combination of plain and striped decoration. For instance you could have plain upholstery against striped walls.

 

Window drapes are a great way to create stripes without investing an extra penny. You could create stripes with plain window drapes by using a combination of contrasting plain drapes. Thus a beige colored window drape sandwiched between two dark brown drapes would create the impression of stripes. No loss to your pocket, and you continue to hold the cards in your hand as you can change the combination at will as well!

 

OMG! I started off writing a small piece but there is so much to share it isn’t fitting in one article. So see you around next week for some more basics about using stripes in your home decoration plans!

Posted in How to, Online stores | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Curtain Choosing Basics For Your Living Room

Posted by jasnav on June 25, 2011

While choosing drapes for your living room, there is a thought process that is essential before you head for the market. Keeping these basics in mind will ensure you get a fantastic looking living room without having to spend the earth.

Basic Color Scheme

Keep the basic color scheme of your living room in mind before everything else.

Do you have sober colors or bright ones?

Does your living room have shades of a single color family, or do you prefer contrasts in each item that you place?

In case of a single family of colors, it would be prudent that your window drapes also reflect the same standard. Accordingly, you could go for a different shade of green, blue or whatever the color that you have used in the rest of the décor.

Contrasting colors are a different ball game. Keep in mind that contrasting colors look best in case of larger rooms as they tend to make the room look smaller than it actually is.

Going for combinations like white and black, green and yellow, off white and gray, and so on will give a very different and vibrant life to your room settings.

Fabric

Fabric available for window decor in case of living rooms comes in an extremely large variety of tapestries, colors and prints. You can be well excused for getting confused when it comes to choosing the right fabric for your living room drapes.

Naturally, there is a huge cost variation as well, depending on where in the spectrum your choice lies.

In general your drapes fabric should match that of the other upholstery in the room.

You can choose rich fabrics such as velvet and silk, or combination fabrics that are rich as well as elegant.

In case you desire more staid surroundings, cotton fabrics for window drapes and curtains come in a large variety of colors and designs.

My personal favorite is the middle of the road option offered by silk sari curtains. These are silk curtains that were basically designed as Saris, the traditional six yard dress of Indian women. These traditionally woven have been beautifully modified to fit in as excellent silk curtains and drapes. They offer the best of both worlds – the elegance and the richness of silk at rates that are nowhere near the high end cost of silk upholstery.

Design

As a rule of the thumb your curtains should complement your furniture. In case of plain furniture, you could go for printed curtains. The size of the print can be large in case you want to make a bold style statement. You can even go for bold colored, contrast prints such as those of flowers etc to brighten up the room.

If subtle elegance is your style, then go for smaller prints that mesh with the fabric. By small I mean a couple of inches in size on the outside. You could even go for designs that are woven into the cloth as compared to simple printing, as these have a longer life.

Enjoy your living room decoration!

Posted in Cushion Covers, How to, Online stores | 1 Comment »

« Previous Entries
 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.