6 Mistakes You’re Making When Hanging Curtains

What you need to know before you hang your window treatments.

By Sarah Yang

Peter Murdock; Design by Kelly Giesen

1. Not Measuring Correctly
The first thing you should do is measure your windows and make adjustments depending on how you want to hang the window treatments. It will save you another trip to the store if your curtains and rods are the right size.

2. Hanging Curtains Too Low
Hang curtain rods and draperies at the ceiling to make the room feel taller — this is especially important in small spaces

3. Buying Curtains That Are Too Short
“For classic side panels, you really have to go all the way to the floor,” designer Scot Meachem Wood says. “If you’re looking at ready-made drapes, make sure that they touch the floor, even if you have to buy the next size up and have them hemmed.”

4. Not Thinking About Fullness
“Traditionally, you should be looking at 2 to 2½ times the width of the window for the fullness of the drapes,” Wood says. “So if your window is 4 feet wide, the ungathered panels should be at least 8 feet wide, or even better, 10 feet.”

5. Avoiding the Iron
Wrinkled curtains look messy. Don’t be lazy and think they somehow will become unwrinkled after a few days, steam or iron them before you hang them.

6. Forgetting About Hardware
The window treatments are the main event, but the hardware is important, too. Pay attention to how heavy the curtains are, sometimes you may need a rod with extra support or added hardware. Also, think about the style of the rod and finial and how it goes with the curtain style.

How to Get Organized in a Small House

During the past few years, many of us have had to adjust to downsizing due to our economy crashing, job losses and home costs.

Here is an article from The Inspired Room which was recently voted 2014 Readers’ Favorite Decorating Blog by Better Homes & Garden’s magazine! In this article there are ideas that can help you organize or re-organize your new small space.  We hope you like it.

Remember: Organizing and cleaning up the clutter will not only look more aesthetically pleasing but it will simplify your life leaving more time and energy for FUN!

XO,

White Owl Market

 

 

I love small houses. Part of the appeal for me is the challenge to make the house cute, organized and functional all at the same time! I love a good house challenge! My favorite thing is to find a way to make everything in the house earn its keep while looking cute or stylish at the same time, and that often means things need to do double duty. It’s my favorite small house organizing trick! I happened upon some great ideas while scrolling through theBetter Homes & Gardens site today, so let’s take a look!

So many small houses don’t have separate foyers, and really that is OK if you can figure out how to create one simply with a piece of furniture. If you walk right into your living room from your front door as many people do, a small chest or dresser as you come in the door not only gives the entry a little definition, but it offers attractive storage for those excess shoes, hats and book bags!

In a small house, built ins can make a world of difference in how the home feels. Free standing furniture can appear cluttered and doesn’t always make the best use of the space you have. So tucking in a built in or a banquette, wherever possible, helps maximize space while offering attractive storage too. Glass doors on a built in keeps the visual space more open while offering organizational options at the same time.

If you are fortunate enough to have a small breakfast nook or dining room, built in banquettes can offer tucked away storage for those extra dishes, entertaining platters, seasonal items and small kitchen appliances, as well as offer the maximum seating for sit down meals! That is a WIN WIN!

Tiny awkward cabinets like this can end up being a jumbled mess. Instead of being frustrated or limited by its diminutive size, find attractive and appropriately sized containers to organize items inside, making it CUTE as well as useful! And when a cabinet is actually CUTE inside, you are much more likely to keep it looking that way. Am I right?

Hanging back of the door clear shoe storage racks also make the most of a small unused wall or cabinet door by rallying small items that would easily get lost or hard to find in a larger space.

Don’t let what little space you might have go to waste! Put it to good use and make it look pretty in the process.

Big walls for hooks and memo boards such as whole wall “family command centers” can be so handy and attractive! But small houses do not always have large walls available to create an extensive system like that. But, you can still make the most of the space you have!  If you can carve out a small area to organize a “landing” space for each child’s school supplies, remember to think ‘double duty.’ A metal bucket for each child could have a magnet or clip for personalizing daily reminders! I like that idea!

So, we don’t all have dedicated craft rooms. Bummer, how will we survive? Obviously craft rooms are nice, but in a small house space is at a premium. But living in a small house doesn’t mean we can’t have cute dedicated spaces for crafts and wrapping! Think beyond the “whole room” to how you could use portions the space you have. You probably will have to pare down and not keep as much or as many craft supplies as someone who has entire rooms dedicated to crafting or projects, but you should be able to find a little nook or cranny for the basics of what you love to do!

I have my eye on a couple of doors in my own house that I’m determined to use to store craft supplies and wrapping paper. I may not have an entire room for craft supplies, but that is no excuse for not getting organized! When you can find what you are looking for in just a few moments, you are much more likely to USE your craft supplies, so that is a big plus too!

Do you have a lack of cabinet space in your small kitchen? I use a freestanding cabinet for extra dishes (see it above!). I also created a pantry under our staircase. By taking the door off and making the small awkward space an attractive little nook by the kitchen, it does double duty by enlarging our usable kitchen space. It even holds our microwave! You could create a pantry in a cabinet or closet in a nearby hall or other room or with a dresser next to a kitchen or dining table.

Creating an attractive, dedicated space for everything you use in your home, no matter how small of a space you have, helps get a small house organized in style. I like that!

 

Visit us at www.whiteowlmarket.com

 

Room Buy Room: Cool Retreat

Sweet Dreams

Create a restful retreat in your nest by blanketing the bedroom in layers of white for a quiet, serene style. To keep the look clean, try varying the texture of whites to maintain visual interest. Punctuate the muted palette with soft but unexpected pops of color, like the ikat pillow, paneled blue door and elements of nature.

Artful Acrylic

The unmistakable silhouette of Louis XV style gets a dose of postmodern style while adding a modern twist to the bedroom.

Branch Out

Designed like metal gallery tables found in old 18th century greenhouses, this simple cocktail table adds sophistication and femininity.

Ruffled Feathers

Soft ripples of cotton voile come together to create a texture so cozy it envelops you in its ruffled waves.

Eye-Popping Pillow

For a look that’s high on style and easy on the wallet, we suggest this bold blue ikat pattern.

Hide and Seek

A hair hide rug adds unmistakable style and character to any floor thanks to refined texture and an imperfect silhouette.

Used Wood Pallet Projects and Ideas

If you know us, you know we LOVE  to take  old, used & forgotten items and breathe new life into them.

Here are some fun ideas using pallets.  You know you wanna try these or just be adventurous and try something on your own.

10 Ways To Get Shabby Chic Style

By Tara Nolan

Don’t let the word “shabby” fool you when adapting the principles of shabby chic style into a room. The look may be unstructured and lacking in formal rules, but this timeless aesthetic can add an effortless elegance to your home. With handicrafts, salvaged furniture and vintage textiles available not only in flea markets, but also in retail shops (often as reproductions), you don’t have to search high and low for the perfect piece. You might even have a diamond in the rough right under your nose – a down-and-out piece of furniture just waiting to be whitewashed and restored. That’s the beauty of shabby chic style – it’s budget-friendly and easy to acquire. Here are some ways you can get the look.
These beautiful accessories will transform a space, giving it the essence of shabby chic style.

Seating you can sink into
Believe it or not, beanbag chairs are part of that laid-back, shabby chic vibe. Even Rachel Ashwell, who trademarked the term “shabby chic” back in the ‘80s, features a few beanbag chairs in her Shabby Chic Couture line. This one from Pottery Barn has been updated in a sumptuous, white, shaggy fabric – the perfect place to curl up with a book.

A well-worn table
Straight lines and man-made materials do not have to reign supreme in the dining room. Reclaimed lumber can be stripped and made into a table, or an existing piece can be whitewashed for that signature, worn, shabby-chic look. Place your table on a faded rug and if you have mismatched chairs, unify them with simple slipcovers.

Antique frames for art
Ornate frames and framed mirrors can be refinished to display treasured art on the walls. Create a grouping over a sofa or find one lovely specimen that can help with decorating the fireplace. Some of these frames are in disguise at flea markets and antique stores – you may find them painted in various shades of metallic. But give them a light sanding and a coat of white or pastel paint and they’ll be ready for their spotlight on the wall.

Give once formal seating a shabby chic makeover
Worn, vintage essential chairs provide the perfect canvas for modern paints and fabrics. Many stores are selling reproductions of various styles, for example, the 18th-century bergère chair, while others charge big bucks for an overhauled seat. Yard sales and antique markets may yield cheaper versions that you can make over yourself.

Light up a room with a chandelier
Whether you opt for a modern reproduction, as shown here, or uncover a vintage gem, stunning chandeliers are a great way to add a little quirky elegance to a space. Hang one over a table or in the corner of a room for extra light. If your pre-loved find is missing a piece, take a spin around eBay, hit up an old lighting store or browse through flea markets to find the replacement glass or beads you need.

Set the table with linen napkins
Bring back the aura of fine dining with linen napkins in a variety of well-worn colours. An old, stained tablecloth that you’re loath to part with can also be cut and sewed into a matching set – minus the stains. This new table setting might even inspire you to pull out your grandmother’s vintage silver and gold napkins too!

Create airy, beachy ambiance in the bedroom
White, sumptuous bedding adds a light, restful atmosphere to the bedroom decor. Look for white-on-white patterns or details accentuated by intricate needlework, like pin tucks. A couple of haphazardly displayed cushions in light, floral fabrics can add a dash of colour, if needed.

Take shabby chic style outside
A little exposure to the elements can inadvertently turn a piece of outdoor furniture into a bona fide piece of shabby chic furniture. This table, for example, would look elegant in the garden surrounded by delicate, white iron chairs.

Make use of well-worn storage options
Old dressers needn’t be confined to the boudoir. They can also be used in an entrance hall, feminine home office or dining room as elegant storage options. A sanding, a couple of coats of paint and another sanding will give a piece that well-loved look. Look for dainty, vintage knobs to add colour and charm.

Serve tea in vintage cups
Fine china can add whimsical sophistication when entertaining. Use vintage tea cups to hold everything from tea and punch, to sugar cubes and bonbons. If you’re on the hunt, mismatched cups and saucers can be charming, but be careful of the poor little vessels that have been filled with wax to make teacup candles – one use for teacups that we’re not so sure about.