Window Covering Answers

  A Short List of Useful Sites     There are so many useful sites when it comes to window coverings and sorting through them can become time consuming.     Listed below are a few that have energy saving tips or DIY money saving ideas and instructions.     http://www.bhg.com/decorating/window-treatments/budget/     As is often the case Better Homes and Gardens has one of the best all round sites when it comes to window treatments of all kinds.   The video instructions for various DIY window treatments are so simple and easy to follow! There are numerous youtube videos on this subject, some more interesting than others. Some trying to sell you something. And some purely instructional and educational. From Britain - a slightly different approach Offering a good overview and a short video of the problems associated with windows. Easy to understand. Some novel approaches.     https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8723719567831969848#

All things that appear -  come from artists and design first. Someone has to imagine it. Or. Receive the inspiration to create it. So.  In the spirit of novelty, joy and creation -  here are some pictures from various sources that express the beauty that can be found at the window. Looking for something unique? Pinterest and Etsy are often great places to start to find something that brings the creative right into your home. Here are a few finds that I have delighted in lately. Let us have joy at the window! Window coverings don't always have to be sensible and practical , sometimes they can also bring enchantment.   I would never have the skill or the patience to do this, but the brilliant colours used in this handcrafted crochet turns humdrum into delightful. Is there anything lovelier or more elegant than toile on a French door? Or what about magnificent stained glass on a window? Both of these treatments are all about elegance amid

Back to the Future - Lace Curtains Re-imagined   So why do lace curtains still have appeal?   I mean this is the 21st century isn't it?   I suppose, lace curtains say something about Art and Creativity. Lace also says something about that special magic that appears only when something is created by hand.    Lace has an ethereal quality. It combines space and non space, light and form,    a barrier that lets the outside in but doesn't let the inside be so very revealing. Lace leaves something to the imagination.       Lace means that this particular space is an entry into the world of the Feminine. A seeming world of kindness and gentleness. A world of growth and possibility. A deeper world of Creativity, of nature and of surprise.   At the edge of the home, at the window there can be - beauty, fragility and strength. Lace combines all three.   Not an aesthetic for all, but only for those who have a love of delicacy and finer energies. For lace

Glass Shutters I have not seen these before but I suspect that this kind of interior shutter might prove useful in certain climates. Similar to the thermal window systems in North America, they have the advantage of being moveable and discreet at the same time. One of the difficulties when thermal windows are installed is that the heat in summer is often hard to disperse. Hence the need for air conditioning in modern, well insulated homes. Homes that are state of the art when it comes to heat retention, and energy saving, can become overly warm in the short summer months. For some climates, glass shutters might prove a useful alternative. Obviously the original windows and the view are unobstructed. Besides, they have charm and beauty. Depending on your view of course. Made by The Glass Shutter Company Ltd they might suit your needs. Another clever adaptation by an innovative company. Here is the link. http://glassshutter.co.uk/contactus.html https://www.youtube.com/w

For those of you wanting to build interior storm windows that have more permanence this youtube video shows a relatively precise and detailed overview of how to make your windows warmer. Interior storm windows bring your heating costs down, and make the room feel warmer. He talks about the Ellsworth Assembly videos as being the best youtube videos he has found. They have several videos that offer a step by step process taking you all the way to completion. Here is the link to that series of how to build your own interior storm windows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL5WR0veLr8

DIY- Making Warmer Windows There is a killer cold here in Canada and in the Northern US.  So this week I am adding several Do-it-yourself projects to help with making your home warmer and of course lower those heating bills. I have posted various Bubble Wrap storm window treatments  before and I find that many people are using this easy and quick fix. Here are a couple of examples of how to make your life a little warmer. http://www.instructables.com/id/Bubble-Wrap-Storm-Window-Insert/       Even less expensive is the following inventive use of plastic stretch wrap. I just love Instructables for the tremendous wealth of inventive and thrifty ideas that people engineer.         http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-window-insulation/   For the details of how to put this together http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-window-insulation/ The link above gives you  step by step instructions about how to insulate windows with common stretch wrap. I have

There are several youtube videos showing how to build your own storm windows for the interior of your home.  This fellow is my personal favourite. No nonsense, very humble but oh so efficient.  A four minute video about how to make your own    structurally sound and incredibly efficient interior storm windows...Hey Frank Pellione you are my hero!     https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BKurS5Oh-Pk