WINDOW DRESSINGS

Michael Holigan: Welcome to Your New House. You know, in many ways, windows are just like eyeglasses. Most people spend their whole lives looking through them, but you rarely notice them. Well, today we're going to give you some ways to change all that. We've got some great new ideas on how to dress up any window, no matter what shape or size, in your home.

Al Carrell: That's right. And today we're going to show you how to tackle three of the toughest windows in a house. Whether it's a big, oversized window, or an arched window, or just a kitchen window. We have solutions that you can put to work today. So let's get at it and start cooking up some window dressing.

M.H.: Have you ever tried to have curtains or blinds and felt like you were a character in a silent movie? Come on guys, it's not that bad. We have a common window problem in this part of the home that you might have in your own home. It's big, it's open, it lets in a lot of light, but unfortunately, it draws our vision outside the window. Now just a few feet out we have a wooden privacy fence. It's not very attractive. We need some way to keep our vision inside the house, have an attractive window covering, and yet be affordable, so we're going to ask the expert. Elaine, what can we do with this window?

Elaine Looney: Michael, what I'm going to show you today are some wonderful new contemporary window treatments and some easy to install hardware.

M.H.: Is it easy enough the homeowner could do it?

E.L.: Absolutely. All we need is a power drill.

M.H.: Instead of approaching home projects like this with a sense of drudgery, consider them a challenge. Use this opportunity to put your creativity to work.

E.L.: Okay, Michael, if you want to leave an inch or two on the end for the application of our fennels. For this window we've selected a crinkle, semi-sheer fabric that has spaghetti strap tab tops and it's pre measured to 84 inches.

M.H.: Generally speaking, the more textured a fabric is, the more casual it will look. IF Elaine would have wanted a more formal treatment for this window, she would have chosen a fabric that was smooth, sleek or shiny. Next, Elaine added swags.

E.L.: On this window, because of it's width, we're going to do two swags. On a more narrow window you may just want one.

M.H.: Remember our goal here was to cover the window to block the view of the fence. But we still wanted to let the natural light in. To accomplish this, Elaine chose eggshell and celery green as the colors for the curtains. The fabric and colors not only let the light in, they give the impression of spaciousness. And the cool colors are soothing. You can change the presentation by twisting the swags, or by adding a fringed kerchief valance. The total price for this project was less than $400. Patty, what can we do with this window?

Patty Shaw: Michael, I'd like to install an arched window sheer that fits inside the window on a rod which then snaps into brackets and comes together in the center with a rosette.

M.H.: Is this something a homeowner can install themselves?

P.S.: They sure can. First thing we have to do is thread a PVC rod through the rod pocket that will go at the top of the arch on the window.

M.H.: And this is what clips in those brackets we just touched on?

P.S.: Right.

M.H.: I guess PVC's flexible enough we can actually bend it?

P.S.: Yes. It makes the arch that follows the line of the window. Next thing I'm going to do is put this smaller rod inside the larger PVC rod, which will extend the length of it for the 72 inch arch.

M.H.: Okay.

P.S.: And pull it down.

M.H.: Okay. Let's go clamp it in the window.

P.S.: Let's go.

M.H.: Like Elaine, Patty has chosen a light fabric for her window treatment. This sheer voile will allow light to filter through, giving the window a soft look. The material is washable and easy to work with. Pattie pulled the material together on the bottom rod.

P.S.: These are the rosettes. They Velcro on to each other, one on either side of the bottom.

M.H.: The curtain and rod comes as a package deal and sells for about $115. The window over a kitchen sink is a decorators nightmare. They come in odd sizes, there's not a lot of wall space between the window and the cabinet. What do you do? Well, we're going to give this window a designer's look. How? By creating a swag. All I need is a set of Duital brackets, a couple of rubber bands, some string, and a few yards of material, no sewing. The brackets come in different sizes. I'm using the 3 inch size, and remember, I won't need a curtain rod. The manufacturer suggests you have the brackets about 2 inches above and to the side of the window. But we've had to adjust our spacing for our project. The easiest way to figure out how much material you need to buy is to take a string and drape it across the brackets. Remember to let the string hang down like you want the swag to do. As a rule of thumb, a swag should drop between 8 and 15 inches. Allow a few extra inches for finishing off the curtain and then cut the strings. Measure the string. The length of the string is how much material you need to buy. Your fabric should be a light to mid weight cotton or synthetic blend from 45 to 60 inch width. Next, you gather the fabric. Place your hands about 18 inches apart in the center of the fabric and begin folding. Lay the folded material across the brackets, making sure the sides are even. Pull the center of the swag down. I'm going to finish off the swag with a balloon hem. Just wrap a rubber band around the fabric and tuck it up inside. If you want, you can buy a snap on accessory to finish off your treatment. The total cost of our project, under $50 and you can do it in a weekend.

Episode 33 1996 - 97 Season

| Window Dressings | Iron Cleaner | Homewrap | Installing a Ceiling Fan | Walkmaker | Measuring with Moola | Conventional Loans |

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