The ABC’s of window fashion

Are your windows “naked” or in need of an update?  Maybe you have been avoiding window treatments because you don’t know how to get started and are overwhelmed by all of the choices.  First things first, you have to know your ultimate goal.  There are some features and functions to consider when choosing the right treatments.

Are you looking for privacy?  Most blinds and shades will give you privacy.  Both horizontal and vertical blinds will allow you to adjust the sunlight and give you privacy at the same time. Shades with a high opacity will also do the trick.

Do you need light control?  To completely block out the sun you can choose an opaque, or blackout, shade.  Blackout cellular shades work great for blocking out light.

Are you looking for energy efficient treatments to lower your energy bill? If your room gets extremely hot in the summer or drafty in the winter you may consider a triple honeycomb shade that offers a high R-value for good insulation.  It will make your room more comfortable and save you money on your energy bill. Read more

Greet tip: Eco friendly fabric

Eco friendly fabric is no longer just hemp and burlap. Today there are some very chic fabrics and textiles that are eco friendly for your home.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Mod Green Pod
• Prints and Solids printed on 100% certified organic cotton
• Wallpaper

Live Textiles
100 % Organic Textiles – Cotton, Hemp, Linen, and bamboo printed with exclusive designs

Harmony Art
1. to bring together pleasing elements, organic fiber and fair trade.
2. to help revolutionize the textile industry.
3. to merge past experience with environmental and social passions.
4. to support like-minded people and companies. Read more

Design tips: Beautiful slipcovers

Every year at the same time I say I can’t believe it is August already!

August is such a great time. There are so many things to look forward to: Sunflowers-which will be in full bloom, the marvelous bounties from our gardens or farmers markets, summer vacations, and just hanging out on the beach, lake, or pool. I will be trying to do all of these things.
-Enjoy-

Beautiful Slipcovers:
You have surely thought it before – “to slipcover or not to slipcover – that is the question.”  It doesn’t have quite the ring of Shakespeare to it, but you get the idea.  Do you cover your existing sofa with a slipcover, or do you just go out and buy a new one?

A couple of items to think about before making your decision:

1. Does the piece you want to recover need a new look?
2. Is the frame of the piece still in good shape?
3. Is the item you would like to recover a favorite piece of furniture?
4. OR – is the item a perfect size and shape for a particular spot in your home?

If you answered yes to these questions, a slipcover might just be your answer.  And don’t limit yourself to just upholstered pieces – slipcovers are a great idea for hardwood and metal chairs as well – an easy way to get a whole new look and feel for a room.  Read more

Cleaning green

Amazing how marketing effects the buying power of people when it comes to cleaning products. You look in your cleaning closet and are overwhelmed by the smells and amount of cleaning solutions that you have bought because of cute marketing and promises to do amazing cleaning jobs. I have found that a great way to save money and to protect my family is a few simple recipes for cleaning solutions that use ingredients that you already have on hand.

Ingredients:

Baking Soda
This works best on proteins, grease, and animal messes. Because it’s slightly abrasive, it can be used for scouring — and, of course, it’s a natural deodorizer.

Distilled White Vinegar
This mild acid works on alkaline substances, dissolving scale, inhibiting mold, and cutting soap scum. It’s terrific for stains such as coffee, rust, and tea.

Simple Soap
Castile soap, made with olive oil, or a vegetable-based soap.

I find that microfiber cloths are the best. They do not leave lint and you can throw in the washer and use again. They are different weaves for different uses.

Recipes: Read more

The architecture of windows

Photo from Better Homes and Gardens

Ah summer is here!  Kids are out of school and the days are long. It is so easy to forget about the interiors of our homes when the focus is on the outdoors. We can bring summer into our homes by lighting things up. Light and airy window treatments are an excellent way to achieve this feel. Pick some flowers from the garden put in simple glass vases scatter around house.  Paint can be your secret weapon. Paint a chair or table a summery color. Open up the windows and enjoy the evening air.

When it comes to decorating your home, it feels that there are a million things to do, and a million places to start.  Somehow, in the middle of this major to-do list, one area of interest is often neglected – your windows.

Windows today come in all shapes and sizes and are often beautiful focal points by their own right – and yet so often we fail to dress or enhance them to really offset their beauty and bring the outside in.  It takes a very special window with a very special view to stand on its own, and not every window is up to the task.
Knowing just what to do with a window can be a problem in itself, and often the easy way out is to do nothing at all.  Unfortunately, this can leave a room feeling unfinished – as though you forgot to complete your design project – and can actually detract from the overall feel for the room you are trying to achieve.

Things to Consider:

The function of your window
What does this window need?  Think LIPs – Light Control, Insulation and Privacy. Read more

Four inexpensive ways to decorate green

Photo from VivaTerra

1. Beeswax or Soy candles-These candles are a sustainable alternative to paraffin. They burn cleaner and do not relay on fossil fuel.

2. Organic Flowers- Decorate with organic flowers that are grown with out pesticides. You can locate flowers at farmers markets and local CSA’s(community supported agriculture). This is also a great way to support buying local.

3. Recycled Glass Containers-  Reuse containers or glass containers made from recylced glass. Check out Viva Terra

4. Hemp or linen decorative pillows. Both fabrics plant-derived and renewable. Add  custom decorative elements with buttons, trim, ribbon, and heat transfer art.

At Elan Interiors, we believe that good design originates from a strong partnership between designer and Read more

Making your first impression a lasting impression

June is here and it is finally feeling a bit like summer. This month is the perfect time to pay attention to the outdoor areas of your home and bringing nature indoors.

Making your First Impression a Lasting Impression:

This is the perfect time of year to look around and review what kind of welcome message your home is extending.  The “curb appeal” of your home isn’t just for resale value, but it is a warm welcome for any guests you may have, and most importantly, for greeting you every evening after a hard day at work.  And those first impressions can easily be turned into lasting impressions.

The View from the Road
When you pull up to your home every evening, what do you see?  What color is your home?  What color are the flowers and blossoms surrounding your home?  What does your lawn look like?  What do the shrubs and bushes look like? Take this beautiful summer weather as an opportunity to plant plants that blossom at different times of the year, so you can have color throughout the year. Then move onto the porch. Read more

From inspiration to motivation

Photo from Country Living

Steps to creating inspiring spaces:

This is a guide line to help with your design process. These steps will work for any type of room, the example below is guest room.   This time of year another ares to think about is your outdoor living area. There are so many wonderful indoor outdoor fabrics and great furniture  available you can really get creative.

1.      Start with an item that you love. Look around your room – what might you find?  For example, maybe a white painted wicker chair with a pink stripe cushion.  And maybe the fabric on the cushion is not your taste, but you have great memories of picking out the fabric with your mother, so the chair and fabric are going to stay.

2.      Select fabric. Because fabric is so diverse, from casual to formal and every little thing in between, the fabric itself can guide you to the rest of the room choices.   For this room example, it was important that the new fabric choices work with the stripe of the wicker chair, yet allow for moving in a different direction. Read more

Late summer tomatoes

I love this time of year you can feel change in the air. Summer is winding down, nights are cooler, and kids are getting ready to go back to school. Read more

Living in style with kids and dogs Part 3

Here’s the final part of “Living in style with kids and dogs. To refresh your memory or if you missed the first 2 parts, click here to read Part 1 or click here to read Part2. Read more