Decorating Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-29-2022

Home decorating draws on your creative side, as well as your inner engineer. Whether you dabble in home decorating or make it a career, you get to play with color, texture, and pattern, in addition to tape measures, graph paper, and paint. Finding the furniture you want is important, and so is doing the planning that makes your decorating a delight.

Article / Updated 05-27-2022

The bed is the key piece of furniture in any bedroom, and it naturally becomes the focal point. Bedroom furniture is traditionally arranged according to a few general rules. For the most part based on common sense, here are some general guidelines for you to follow: Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/hikesterson Traditionally, folks tend to place a double, queen-sized, or king-sized bed against the center of the wall opposite the main door to the room. With this arrangement, the headboard is the center of attention as you enter the room. If the dimensions of your room prevent you from positioning your bed on the wall across from the door, other possible choices depend on which walls are long enough to accommodate the bed. Diagonal placement works well when you have the space. Do not place a bed under a window, if the window will frequently be open. Open windows can create uncomfortable drafts. Positioning a bed between two windows, however, works well. If your home is air-conditioned or heated year-round and the windows are seldom open, you may be able to ignore this rule. Do not place the bed where it obstructs a door into the room or a walkway through the room. Consider nontraditional furniture arrangements if doing so will free up space or use space in a more interesting way. For example, a bed may look dramatic placed in front of a secure window; on a diagonal, which takes up extra space; sideways along a wall, to maximize floor space; or in an alcove (a technique called lit clos). If your closet is large enough and you'd like to free-up floor space, put your chest of drawers inside your walk-in closet. Doing this will let you add additional pieces of furniture, such as a writing desk, a seating group, or a big screen TV, to transform any bedroom into a luxury suite. Bedrooms used by a specific group of people have unique needs. Whether you're decorating a master bedroom, a guest room, or a room for children, the following sections provide you with the tips you need. Master bedrooms A master bedroom doesn't have to be huge, but it does need to offer the amenities you need. If your space is less masterful than you'd like, look at some of the following suggestions for decorating your bedroom: Make the bedroom look larger by eliminating clutter. Use only necessary furniture. If you can, push a chest of drawers into a walk-in closet to free up floor space. Keep the bed visually low. Use a headboard, but don't use a footboard, and opt for something other than a four-poster bed, all of which tend to take up space visually, making the room seem smaller. Keep all your furniture — like the rest of your color scheme — light. Light colored furniture, walls, floors, window treatments, and bedding make a room seem bigger. Regardless of the size of your master bedroom, the following tips can help you to make it as comfortable as possible: Add bedside tables that are as big as space will allow. If you read or watch TV in bed, you'll find these tables helpful. You can buy restaurant café tables for very little money and drape them with quilts. Try to make room for at least one comfortable chair. Chairs are great for company on a sick day, for daytime resting, or for reading. Consider carpeting all bedroom floors to reduce noise in the room. Add a lady's desk — a small, delicately proportioned furnishing for writing letters and so forth — if you have room. Teen bedrooms Teenagers usually know what they want in a bedroom and aren't slow to tell you that they need storage for books and music and space for their collections of just about anything you can name. They have firm ideas about style and colors, so ask! And when your son or daughter requests a wild color, do your best to persuade him or her to use it as an accent. More and more activities from surfing the Net to entertaining take place in a teen's room. Extra seating and small tables provide space for visitors. Keep furnishings practical and easy to care for. Children's bedrooms Nurseries must be planned with the child's future years in mind. But from the beginning, make room for a changing table near the crib. As always, keep safety in mind. The following tips will help you do all of these things: Keep cribs away from windows and window blind cords. Make sure cribs and bunk beds meet federal safety standards. Check to see that mattresses fit snugly against the crib's sides. Slats, spindles, rods, and corner posts should be no more than 2-3/8 inches apart from each other. Make sure a child can't release the drop side of a crib. Choose chests and cabinets that can't be tipped over (even when drawers are opened and a child crawls up and into them). This may call for fastening them to the wall for security. Find hardware that's rounded, sanded, and has no sharp edges. Equip all electrical outlets with plastic safeguard plugs. Eliminate any small throw rugs on slippery floors. Make sure all flooring is skidproof. Eliminate dangling cords on window blinds. Choose bunk beds with sturdy ladders, handrails, and safety rails. Make sure you have a guest bed for occasional sleepovers. A trundle bed, which neatly stores a second bed beneath a regular one, is the ideal solution for children's rooms. Guest bedrooms Setting aside a room for guests makes their stay more comfortable not only for them, but also for you. You can furnish the guest room with a marvelous bed and all the necessary furnishings and forget about it. Check out the following suggestions for ways to make your guest room comfortable: Buy a handsome, space-saving daybed or sofa bed that fits smartly against the wall and out of the way. The versatility of these beds makes them a delightful option in a home office or other double-duty room. You may even consider installing a Murphy bed that hides away in a closet. Make sure that your guest has plenty of closet space. Dedicate two sets of sheets, a comforter, special pillows, a duvet cover, and pillow shams to your guest room.

Article / Updated 04-20-2022

Refurbished furniture can add a lot of character to your home. Decorating old or unfinished furniture lets you make a creative statement. Take a look at the following decorating tips. Try some out on your furniture: Consider new uses for old furniture and unique items. Turn an old combination radio/phonograph in a beautifully veneered cabinet into an elegant foyer console. Try using drums as tables; bunch together a trio of drums and use them as individual coffee tables. Discreet furniture never reveals its source (garage sale or heirloom?) but adds to a room’s overall beauty and comfort. Create an instant slipcover by throwing a king-size sheet, quilt, or bedspread over an unsightly sofa. Tie it in place with rope or grosgrain ribbon. Decorate an old chest for a teenage boy’s room with discarded license plates. Garage sales and junk stores are good sources. Just decide where to add them. Nail them into place. Decoupage an old dresser or dressing table with motifs cut from wallpaper. Safeguard with a finishing glaze or coat of polyurethane. Dress up a plain-Jane, upholstered side chair. Get out the trusty hot-glue gun to attach interesting gimp (an ornamental braid or cord), fringe, or other trim along the bottom of the seat. Faux paint old wooden furniture. Paint stores have rows of booklets describing various techniques step by step. They also carry kits. Everything you need is right there in the store. Individualize dining room chairs for your children. Paint mismatched chairs bold colors (all the same or coordinating colors). Stencil your children’s names on the chair backs, or add a motif. Craft shops have small glue-on toys, animals, numbers, and initials. Paint a wooden chair with an interesting shape in different colors and patterns, like a Victorian house. For color combination ideas, pick the colors already in your scheme. Some paint companies put out booklets of historic color combinations; check these out for instant inspiration. Paint vertical stripes on an old dresser or nightstand. All you need is tape (you can buy special masking tape at the paint store), a brilliant color or two, and a very steady hand wielding a paintbrush. Measure off the stripes using a ruler and a pencil to make light marks. Take a tip from Colonial homemakers and cover tables in flat-weave rugs. Dhurries, needlepoints, or chainstitch rugs transform tables into desks and display areas for framed family photos. Use a deep, glass-fronted china cabinet to hold a small TV or serve as a minibar in the living room. Punch a hole in the back to slip through the wires for any appliances. Display glasses and ice buckets. Use pillows to convert lumber into a sofa of sorts outside or inside. Use flatter pillows for seats and backs and fluffier ones for decoration and added comfort.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-06-2022

An ancient Chinese art, Feng Shui empowers you to improve every aspect of your life, from your health and wealth to your relationships and career. How does Feng Shui work? It enhances your environment according to principles of harmony and energy flow. Whether you’re aware of it or not, your environment — and your relationship with it — are constantly affecting you. Consequently, your best bet for a healthy, happy, and successful life is to make your environment work for you through the practice of Feng Shui.

Article / Updated 12-13-2021

Professional decorators use a long list of traditional rules for displaying art. You’re free to accept or reject experts’ opinions, but it never hurts to consider them. When you hang a large, important picture, repeating some of the dominant colors in other accessories throughout the room is a good idea. Relating the painting to other objects in the room is a kind of bonding that emphasizes unity. A few no-nos Some strong social conventions do exist. Following are a few no-nos: Don’t hang nude paintings in your living room or dining room — it’s inappropriate. Beauties au naturel are naughty-but-nice for bedrooms and bathrooms. Traditionally, fruit or vegetable still lifes are for dining rooms and kitchens not bedrooms or living rooms. Don’t hang family photos or too many wedding photos in the living room. Opt for portraits instead. Never hang religious art in the bathroom; save it for the bedroom or its own niche. Don’t hang small landscape paintings near large still life fruits or vegetables. The disparate scales of the two paintings make both of them look ridiculous. Barnyard scenes are foul in a formal living room, but fair in the den. Don’t hang blood-and-guts war scenes in the dining room. Flowers, landscapes, and seascapes are welcome just about anywhere. Floral subjects are usually considered feminine, boats and seascapes masculine, and whimsical themes childish. Feel free to take advantage of this traditional thinking to make quick, easy, and uncontroversial choices. Ideas for experimenting If you have an educated eye, you may want to go beyond traditional thinking. At least do some experimenting — most shops make that possible by permitting you to return and exchange art that didn’t work out as you thought it would. Discuss the possibility of exchanging your art at the time of purchase, keep your receipt, and return the art by the store’s deadline in like-new condition. Look at how professional curators, interior designers, and others hang various kinds of art. Visit museums, galleries, showcase houses, and furniture and department stores with room settings that include art. Browsing through decorating magazines is an inexpensive and time-saving alternative. Woodcuts, etchings, and lithographs A good starting point when finding the proper setting for your art is to look at what’s worked in the past. For example, each of the various graphic media woodcuts, etchings, and lithographs have characteristics that are compatible with certain decorating periods and styles: Woodcuts have a rustic, naive quality that fits with Renaissance, Gothic, and Early American décor. Some make a nice counterpoint to Contemporary furnishings. Etchings are composed of finely drawn lines that are elegant and get along well in dressy rooms. Lithographs are more painterly and colorful and take on a wide range of looks and styles, ranging from romantically Impressionistic to boldly Modern. Black-and-white photographs look fabulous with just about any period or style of furniture. They breathe fresh air into period rooms and sing the same tune as Contemporary style. Depending on the subject matter (no nudes in the living room, please), black-and-white prints are at home in any room. Reaching for the eclectic Contemporary interiors stress individual approaches to very personal rooms where just about anything goes. Some eclectic ideas follow. Create interest by contrasting a large, important, period-looking artwork with a crisp, modern background. Pit boldly colored, extremely geometric subjects against stark white walls in rooms furnished with wildly colored furniture. Create art walls, which mix a diverse group of works in interiors where all other furnishings are subdued and play second fiddle to the art. None of these three techniques mixes a lot of disparate stuff together — that’s not a style but a hodgepodge. These personal statements require a great deal of taste and a lot of confidence.

Article / Updated 10-05-2021

Decorating for Christmas can be easy and inexpensive. Adding small Christmas touches here and there won’t stretch your budget and are enough to pull even the largest room together quickly and easily — just check out these suggestions: Hanging up decorations Hang some stockings: Even if you only hang one or two, these babies say Christmas without a doubt. Hang a wreath: A purchased wreath, bow or not, hung on the door says, “Welcome to our holiday home!” Create atmosphere Dim the lights and light some candles: Lit candles give the same twinkle effect as strung lights, and they take a fraction of the time to set up. Put on some Christmas music: Although music isn’t decorating per se, a little “Jingle Bells” is all you need to create a festive mood. Throw a holiday tablecloth or table runner on the dining room table: This simple touch adds instant holiday cheer. Pines and poinsettias Pick up a few poinsettias: Placing a few of these beauties around your home may become one of your favorite fast decorating tricks. Growers seem to introduce new colors each year, ranging from plum to pink to cream and even peach. Poinsettias work well around doorways and staircases, under windowsills, and in corners of rooms where you need a little color. They also dress up your holiday buffets. If you do decide to put poinsettias on tables with food, just make sure that you remove any wilted leaves or petals so they don’t fall into food items. Poinsettias can be poisonous. Pick up a few pine bough branches and some garland: These items dress up your home in no time. Couple them with a few premade bows and you’re ready to start slinging pine needles everywhere. Here are a few ideas for using these evergreen decorations. Use garland to swag or wrap around staircase banisters: Add bows where the greenery meets the handrails, and you have no-fuss decorating in a flash. Remove everything from your fireplace mantel and place a long piece of garland on it, letting it drape down both sides of the fireplace: Don’t have a fireplace? This trick works for tops of bookcases or shelves, too! Wire in a few ornaments, attach cascading oversized bows to the draped edges, and reassemble your fireplace mantel decorations, moving the garland in and out of your décor. Place a few tall candlesticks on one side, and you have a lovely focal point to your room. Attach a long piece of garland about a foot over the top of a large mirror or painting hanging over your fireplace: Drape and attach the sides of the garland to surround the painting or mirror. Add a beautiful wreath at the top or an oversized bow to complete the picture. Weave garland in an out of casual chandelier arms. Swag the garland if you like. Add a beaded garland to give it sparkle or purchase crystal chandelier pendants and hang them from the garland. The light sparkles through them and adds a hint of shabby chic to the room. Weave and wind lush strands of garland in and around the tiers of your buffet table before you set out the food: Tuck sprigs of berries, ornaments, fruits or vegetables, or other decorative items into the greenery, or just leave it alone. It’s beautiful, plain and simple. Place a few pine bough branches around a tall pillar candle on a table runner: You now have an instant centerpiece. You can also use pine boughs as a decorative swag over doorways or on the edges of bookshelves.

Article / Updated 08-06-2021

When furnishing your second home, don't hastily spend thousands of dollars on items that you may not need. You have the luxury of time when outfitting your second home. You probably won't use your second home in the same way or with the same frequency that you use your primary home unless you plan to turn it into your primary residence post-retirement. So you must decide what you really need in your new second home and what you really don't need. To figure this out, you have to know how you're going to use your new place. Ask yourself the following questions, and answer realistically based on your work and lifestyle: How often am I going to use this home? How long will the home be rented out to others? Will my family and friends be using the home? Will I rent the home on a full-time basis until I plan to retire there in five (or however many) years? Am I going to use the home a few times a year and rent it for the rest of the time on a seasonal basis? Following, are three different scenarios pertaining to your second home. In each one, consider what to include when you outfit your place, as well as what not to include: You plan to use your second home only for your own vacation purposes. If this scenario rings true for you, feel free to fill your second home with as many or as few personal touches as you want. If you envision blue carpeting, avocado appliances, and that Hawaiian hula girl lamp that everybody but your husband hates, then decorate to your heart's content because you'll be the only ones who have to navigate it. You plan to use your second home a few times a year, and rent it the rest of the time. Here's where you want to create a cross between a comfortable "homey" home and a hotel room. Doing so means bringing in the basics (and making sure that they're both tasteful and functional), as well as throwing in a few personal touches that say, "Yes, you're using this home now, but it belongs to someone else." You'll rent the home on a full-time basis until you retire there at some point. Stick with the basics and avoid the personal touches if this scenario applies to you. Go with some tasteful living room and dining room furniture, basic bedroom sets, and enough bathroom accoutrements to keep a renter comfortable. Don't bother with personal touches like family photos, and let them bring their own shampoo. Ultimately, your goal is to create an enjoyable living space without exceeding your budget. Because this won't be your primary home (at least not yet), adopt an "out of sight, out of mind" philosophy. In other words, forgoing that $5,000 grandfather clock that you know would look great in the foyer probably isn't a bad idea. You won't get to see it every day anyway, and why spend that kind of money for an unoccupied house or to make guests or renters happy? Use common sense when spending, create a sense of style that you like, and stick with it for the best results.

Article / Updated 11-14-2019

Inviting Hygge into your home is a beautiful way to cultivate the energy of contentment, connection and warmth into your life. It is a simple way to create an environment that both looks good and feels good for your soul. Developing a serene energy flow in your home is an important aspect of bringing sacredness into your space, where you will likely be spending the majority of your time. When infusing decor into your home, focus on creating a serenity, harmony, warmth, contentment and clutter-free spaces. Hygge is a "feeling" and not necessarily something you can see or touch. The Danish practice of Hygge helps you infuse the feeling in your home by allowing you to decide what type of environment you desire based on your intentions. Do you desire more relaxation? More coziness? More connection? More contentment? A sacred retreat space? A place to relax and unwind? No matter your desired intentions, you can create a Hygge-home by implementing some of its basic concepts and practices. Why not infuse your home with an energy that anchors you, grounds you, connects you, and invites a sense of soul nourishment? Creating an environment that feels good to your soul is one of the best ways to increase the energy flow throughout your home. A Hygge mindset allows you to pick and choose what makes your soul feel nourished and connected. The way you decide to implement this concept is completely personal to you, as it should be. By inviting in Hygge practices, you are allowing yourself to decide what Hygge looks and feels like to you. You empower yourself to create a soothing space that aligns with what you ultimately desire. Below are some truly simple and fun ways to start infusing your home with the energy of Hygge. Remember, these are just basic ideas. The key is for you to promote well-being by doing whatever makes you feel best. 1. Get cozy with some textures. Decorate with plush pillows and cozy blankets. Put fluffy cushions on your couch, bed or favorite chair. Adorn your furniture or fill a fun wicker basket with soft blankets that you can grab and curl up with while watching a movie, reading your favorite book, or taking a nap. Use these items to create a cozy "nook" in your home where you can retreat to when you need some relaxation. Adding comfy textures to your spaces is a simple way to create a warm and relaxing vibe to your home. 2. Bring in greenery. Bringing fresh plants and flowers into your home is a beautiful and simple way to create a serene environment that not only looks nice but feels nice too. Plants offer a grounding source of energy that naturally cleanses the air and calms the nervous system. By welcoming nature into your home you are bringing in the grounding, calming and centering effects that nature provides. Using natural elements, such as plants and flowers, can be a great way to invoke the simple energy of connection. 3. Set the mood. Diffuse essential oils, burn incense or light candle - all of these establish an energetic connection to our environment. Pick your favorite blend of oils to diffuse while in your home. Burn your favorite scent of incense. Light candles not only for the smell, but also to create a nice glow and ambiance. 4. Use lighting in your spaces. Employ soft lighting throughout your space, especially in the early mornings and as the day turns into evening. Light candles throughout your house or let the natural sunlight flow in from windows as the sun rises or sets. Get a fire going in the fireplace for a warm glow. Hygge lighting is all about creating the perfect ambiance to invoke feelings of peace, harmony and serenity. 5. Display books and magazines. Showcase your favorite books and magazines on shelves or coffee tables. Adding these touches to your space will help create a homey, lived-in and warm atmosphere that radiates Hygge style. Plus, why not put your books or magazines on display for quick, easy access so you can indulge yourself in a good story with nostalgic comfort? 6. Create an uplifting bathroom experience. Having a relaxing space where you can retreat for a nice, long soak or shower is a treat for the mind, body and soul. Create a sacred experience in your bathroom by filling it with products that make you happy. Set out some candles that you can light while you soak in the tub or take a hot shower. Add Epsom salts or essential oils to your bath or shower floor. Sprinkle in dried flowers for an added goddess touch to your bath. Play your favorite music as you enjoy your soak or shower. Apply some nourishing body oil after your shower or bath. Apply a face mask and maybe even add a few drops of essential oils to further enhance the benefits. Creating the mood for whatever your soul desires that will make you contended and fulfilled. These are just some ideas to help you get started along your path to a Hygge home. Remember, the Danish philosophy is all about simplicity, comfort, and coziness. There are no specific rules to follow when creating this lifestyle; that is the best part of the whole concept. The only thing you need to follow is your heart. Allow it to lead you into the ways you desire to feel. Everyone has a different idea of what makes them feel comfortable and content. You are free to be yourself and to be as simple or as creative as you like. Hygge is all about aligning your heart and soul. Let that be your guide as you set off to infuse your home and life with Hygge.

Article / Updated 04-19-2017

Maybe your bathroom remodel project budget doesn’t allow enlarging your bathroom, or maybe you aren’t in a position to remodel at all. You can still make your small bathroom seem larger. First, combine smart layouts and small-scale fixtures. Next, consider these suggestions: Add mirrors. They’re great space (and light) expanders when used on opposite walls and even on all four walls. Cover a window in sparkling, colorful glass mosaic for a continuous light show. Increase storage by building recessed shelves between wall studs, so that shelves don’t intrude into the space. Keep accessories to a minimum to avoid clutter and confusion. Keep window treatments simple, and blend blind and fabric colors with the walls’ background color. Make a bathroom appear larger and lighter by using panels of space-expanding transparent glass between fixtures. Replace a hinged door with a pocket door (one that slides back into the wall), which requires no swing space. Store only the essentials in a tiny bathroom. Keep refills and replacements handy in an adjoining room or hallway closet. Use glass tub or shower doors.

Article / Updated 01-24-2017

Curtains and draperies are chameleons. They work hard at blocking light and sound, heat and cold. They're also extraordinarily decorative and add enormous personality to a room. What's the difference between curtains and draperies — and does it even matter? Traditionally, windows were treated to three types of curtains: a sash curtain (to filter light), a draw curtain (to block out light), and an over-drapery (which was purely decorative and is now just called a drapery). In very formal rooms (with sufficiently high ceilings), all of this was topped with a cornice or valance (to hide the hardware). This traditional treatment carries on today in period or very formal or dressy rooms. The modern tendency is to think of curtains as sash curtains (often unlined and in a variety of lengths), and draperies (never drapes) as those that draw, completely closing off the window. Another modern move is to drape and swag fabric loosely over a decorative rod or pole, in a nod to conventional valances and swags. Often, swags serve no function, but earn their keep by looking dramatic. A Contemporary-style swagged window treatment adds to the air of elegant formality. Options Don't waste time getting hung up on the terminology. Consider the tremendous number of window treatment options you may choose from: Hang just curtains of lace, cotton, nylon, silk, or some other sheer fabric. Place a curtain over a blind. Hang a curtain beneath a chintz, silk, velvet, linen, or other draw drapery. Hang draw draperies over blinds or some other shade. Hang draw draperies alone on a decorative pole. Top curtains with short, purely decorative over-draperies known as swags and jabots. Top a blind or shade with swags, which drape over just the top of the window and long or short jabots, which hang on the sides of windows. Top any or all of these window treatments with a cornice or valance. You can see that the variations are practically endless, especially when you combine these elements with more contemporary window blinds and shades that look like accordion-pleated curtains. If you're designing your own window treatments, don't hesitate to do up Country-casual fabrics in a fancy, three-curtain and valance window treatment in a formal Country room. The surprise works magic. And, just to be fair, don't be shy about using a lustrous silk fabric for simple tie-back curtains. This look is especially terrific when the silk is in a pink-and-white gingham check. Lengths How long should curtains or draperies be? Generally, the longer the curtain or drapery, the more dignified, dressy, and formal the look. Shorter lengths always imply a casual, relaxed, and informal mood. The decision is up to you. Take a look at the following guidelines to find the style that's right for you. Dressy or casual, curtain lengths add to the mood of any room. In formal or dressy rooms, curtains should just touch the floor. A romantic room deserves elegant, extra-long curtains that pool or puddle on the floor. Curtains to the sill, or to the bottom of the window trim (called the apron), look great and are practical in a kitchen. Never hang curtains of any length near a stove! Dens or family rooms gain dignity from draw draperies or curtains that reach to the floor. Curtains that stop short of the floor, ending at the top of floor moldings, look awkward. If curtains are hung too high, simply lower them (if possible) to solve the problem. Not all windows are beautiful. Fortunately, draperies can help hide flaws. Here are some ways to make windows more wonderful: Window too short? Attaching rods just below the ceiling molding and hanging long, to-the-floor curtains make the window look longer and more elegant. Window awkwardly long? Add a deep cornice or valance above draperies with a bold horizontal pattern. Create further distraction by adding a horizontal line in the form of a strongly contrasting louvered shutter. Window too narrow? Extend curtain rods beyond the window and hang draperies so that they barely cover the frame, leaving as much glass exposed as possible, all of which makes a narrow window seem wider. Window too wide? A huge window wall can overpower a room. Break up the space by hanging several panels across the window. They can hang straight, or be tied back in pairs. If draperies must be drawn for privacy, let the panels hang straight and rig drawstrings so that the panels close as though they are separate pairs of draperies. Creating special effects If you want privacy but you don't want to cover up your windows, consider the following alternatives to traditional window treatments: Install stained glass. Stained glass provides a sense of privacy, hides ugly views, and gives you something beautiful to look at. Consider etched or frosted glass. This provides a degree of privacy but lets in lots of light. Think about using glass block. The Contemporary alternative to stained, etched, or frosted glass, glass block hides unsightly views and filters light beautifully, while providing a bit of privacy. If privacy is not a problem and all your window needs to do is let the sunshine in, simply hang a grapevine wreath or silk flower garland above it. Instant window treatments Need a window treatment quickly? Try some of the following ideas: Napkin topper: Fold colorful dinner-size napkins in half on the diagonal and drape them, pointed side down, over a fat, stained or painted, wooden pole. (Use enough napkins to cover the width of the pole.) This is a great technique for a kitchen or breakfast nook. Faux balloon: Drape a rectangular tablecloth (folded in half lengthwise) over a fat, decorated pole. Six or more inches from one side of the pole, drape a long folded length of ribbon across the pole with loose ends hanging below the cloth. Gather the ribbon ends and pull them up until the cloth begins to swag, and then tie the ribbon into a bow. Repeat on the opposite side. The result looks like a balloon shade. Lodge-look draperies: Add grommets to one end of a wool plaid blanket. Then run lengths of grosgrain ribbon (long enough to finish in a bow) through the grommets and tie them to a wooden pole or tree branch. Paper café curtains: Fold butcher's paper (which looks like a paper bag) into accordion pleats, punch holes through the pleats (on one end only), and push a curtain rod through, gathering it gracefully as you create a cafécurtain. (You need a length of paper two to three times the width of your window.) See also: Homing in on Hardware for Window Treatments How to Tell Differences among Fabrics and Fabric Blends Making Easy, No-Sew Window Treatments