One of my favorite things to use when decorating is absolutely free!
Natural Lighting
Light from the great outdoors is sadly under utilized! How many times have you walked into a home and had a feeling of gloom and depression? I'm sure there are lots of ways to achieve this awful feeling but a sure fire way is to cover all sources of natural light. Walk through each room in your house and see if you are taking advantage of God's lighting.
*Open all the blinds and even pull them up to the top of the window
*Move any furniture that is blocking windows
*Raise your window toppers. Do not hang the rod right at the top of the window frame!!!–if you have toppers or valences make sure they do not block much of the glass part of the window–it's better to cover the wall above the window and just let the bottom of the fabric cover the actual window frame. This also makes the room look bigger because it draws the eye (or eyes if you have two) up.
*Lengthen your drapery rods and move the drapes to the outside of the window. The inside edge of the drapes should just cover the framing of the window. This is a design trick that has two advantages: you get more light coming into your window and you have the illusion of LARGE windows! What a wonderful, easy fix!
Your window treatments are there to enhance your windows and frame the great outdoors. When you need privacy, of course, close your drapes or blinds. However, when you are up and about, and not nekkid, open those drapes and bask in the sun!
Do you have ideas for letting natural light in? Share them with others at the Forum!
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I almost never close my curtains. I'm not shy. People can look at me.
I keep mine closed most of the time, because we have ugly, inefficient windows and they let a ton of heat in (they are alluminum, and we live in Texas). But I do love me some daylight! I let myself open the drapes now and then when I need a perk-up.
Love the advice on where and how to mount the drapery hardware. I'll remember that!
Actually it was you, Nester, who inspired me to put some lovely sheer curtains up in my kitchen (not mistreated, but the ties are actually just satin ribbon tacked to the wall with an upholstery tack)…because of those lovely curtains, I always have the blinds up. Now I have lots of lovely natural morning sunlight in my kitchen instead of looking at dingy, dusty old blinds (inherited from the previous owner of our house). So thanks!
~Joanna
I don't even have anything on most of my windows. I have plantation blinds on the ones facing the front of the house, but the back of the house faces the cows and donkeys so they have nothing. Plus I'm a scardy cat when it comes to putting holes in my walls.
Hahahahaha! I am laughing at Sister Honey Bunch's comment…tee hee hee! Anyway, I LOVE the sunshine pouring in! I have to open and close my drapes depending on the window and position of this hot Georgia sun or else our house turns into a roaster! Meanwhile, Nester, 9 something for the cloches??…woohoo…that's highway robbery! I am hoping my Kirkland's still has some in stock…
I got one! *lol*
Get yourself a 1970's european house made in the time that people thought 'walls are too expensive, let's exchange a whole wall for a glass window to make the house cheaper'
hahaha, Can you tell I'm frustrated by my apparment, in which EVERY room has one entire 'glass wall'? (ok, except for the bathroom and toilet, duh!)
greetings from the netherlands!
Um. I live in Seattle. It's sunny four days a year.
Don't you wanna move here?!