Here are some instant tips to quickly improve the look of your windows:

Toss it on! Take an old vintage bedspread or a tablecloth and drape it over a store bought drapery rod for a draped one-sided panel effect. Then pin it back about half way down from the sash line. Maybe embellish a “window waistline” with a ribbon or tie and bravo! You just created a window treatment!

Think Linen! Grab a handful of your grandmothers tea napkins that you will never think to pull out, iron and use. And GIVE THEM A PURPOSE other than sitting in a drawer in the buffet. If you are hesitant to stitch them together, just use tiny little safety pins. Turn them on their side and fold down the center point to make a triangle, tack a row of them together and you have created an instant kitchen valance! (OR if you really get going and have several patterns and colors, it would make a great bed skirt on a little girl’s bed!)

Customize Store Bought…just for you! Window treatments don’t have to look store bought. Take a plain panel that you picked up at a department store and dress it up! Stop into a fabric store and find a tassel trim (often I find that onion tassel looks the best for any decor). Grab a sewing machine or hand stitch a full row on the leading edge of the panel facing the inside area of the window. An inexpensive embellishment that really makes your window looks custom!

Key tips that I always follow – why bother if it doesn’t add either drama, elegance, purpose, or beauty? Make sure that it is worth your time; use lots of beefy fabric, gather, gather, gather! Don’t forget the steamer! There is nothing worse than a large wrinkled- unfinished window treatment. You may as well have done nothing at all!

What are some of the do-it-yourself projects you’ve done to add a personal touch to your home?

Beauty and Depth

• No matter how drama or simplicity you want your treatments to bring into your space, it is important to think about their aesthetic impact on the space. A simple straight sheer treatment has a very different impact than a heavy sweeping velvet curtain – but each serves a fitting aesthetic purpose and send a visual message about the space. I like to think of window treatments as the frosting on the cake – you need the frosting, but what do you want to say about the cake through this outer layer? It’s a question of form vs. function – but why not both?

Controlled Light Pollution

• The amount of “light trespass” your home and/or office releases has a direct impact of night sky visibility – this is a growing concern in the eco-driven design community. Lack of night sky visibility, especially in urban settings, can cause a disconnect from humans to the capacity of the Earth at large – not to mention it is just a waste of energy!

Controlled Natural Daylight

• Opposite of the above bullet point – this can be achieved through blinds, drapes, sheers, layered curtains. By controlling the amount of light coming into the space, you can compete with glare – other than that, I am not sure why you would want to block it out!

Privacy

• We all have seen into a house or apartment when it’s dark outside and light inside – it can be like living in a fishbowl! By adding privacy, you do not have to think of this as blocking your view. Think about “half window treatments,” where half of the window vertically remains uncovered so just the lower half is private from view. You can also purchase reverse opening blinds so they can open from the top or the bottom! This can be compared to the purposes of tapestries in castles – they can balance heat and conserve overall heat production, plus look great at the same time.

So what is your window treatment reasoning? What purpose do they serve for you in your space?

Heck, even the sweater I am wearing right now has embodied. It’s wool, so the energy used to feed a sheep, sheer the sheep, box the raw wool, ship it, mill the wool, spin to production fiber, ship again, dye the yarns, weave the sweater, ship the sweater, stock the sweater, my gas to get to the store, the department stores energy necessary to sell the sweater, bag the sweater, drive the sweater home and finally remove the tags and wear the sweater. Phew! Please notice I stopped here and I could go into what energy is needed to dry clean the sweater!

So in short, embodied energy of the total of all types of energy. This is such an important attribute to be aware of as an interior designer because it provides clarification and weight to all the decisions being made for an interior. All of a sudden, deciding on the arm chairs shipping from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Detroit became a better choice over the chairs shipping from Spain – at least in regards to the embodied energy attributes.

Having awareness of embodied energy not only assists you in making wise purchasing choices; it can also help guide you in what to do with the sweater when you are ready to pass it on. I believe when you remove yourself from your own reality for a second and put yourself in the shoes of an object (I know, odd concept), you can have clarity and really start to think about your purchases differently. As Americans we are consumers, but what if we all just made the conscience decision to consume less. Think about the overall impact you could have on embodied energy.

One of the best examples I like to use for reduced embodied energy are vegetables. Think about the energy difference between a cucumber bought at the grocery store versus one grown in your backyard… its an interesting concept.

What easy steps can you take to reduce the embodied energy surrounding you?

Let your window treatments be the first thing to deliver a sense of uniqueness by making sure that they declare “DRAMA” in your room. Remember that if you are putting forth this much effort in designing something spectacular, I highly recommend that there is balance and creativity found elsewhere in the room. If it is found in a great piece of art, that adds richness or a pop of color in your paint selection…something strong needs to happen to balance the play that the windows will have on the room.

Even the most casual and inexpensive fabric can be draped and shaped into a formal drapery. It is a matter of tailoring the windows, giving them structure and attitude. Fabrics with a sheen like silk or a taffeta or something that is made to look like silk can clearly portray a formal look without much help, sort of like the pretty girl in the magazine who magically wakes up beautiful!

Generally speaking, if you are after a formal look, there is something to say for symmetry. Adding swags, jabots, valances, fringe, or tassels should all be done in rhythm, balance and in pairs or triples. (I usually try to add a third of something somewhere always, just to play on the rule of thirds).

Pay attention to the details – big bold fringe, rope detail, beaded trims all dress up and accessorize, just like the perfect necklace and shoes to throw off an otherwise boring black dress. I am not saying that all of these embellishments need to be traditional; this can be a very modern thing to do too. Try a grommet punched leading edge – something that was once used for hardware now becomes your decorative accessory! Be daring, be bold! And EMBELLISH!

How do you add drama into your home (and not the kind between people)?

Seeing these spaces through the eyes of the visitor and patience is of utmost importance – but believe it or not, the group that needs to be taken into account is the staff. The staff takes precedence over the patients because the activity, function and mood of the staff directly impacts the patient experience more than if a gift shop is painted green versus blue.

When designing a health care space, it is great to keep in mind the function first, upkeep and cleaning second and finally aesthetics third.

The reason for function first is because you need to make sure the space is going to meet the expectations of the staff in regards to capacity (will the waiting room fit the number of seats you need it to?), internal communication (does the space plan meet the adjacency requirements – can the staff communicate and get from point A to point B in the right amount of time?) and direct user relation to the space (is all the equipment mounted at the right height, is the room laid out with enough storage?).

Upkeep is the second most important thing to keep in mind because if a facility cannot be cleaned the way it needs to be, the facility owner will not be happy, the janitors will not be happy and neither will the health department. A dirty hospital is not a functioning one. Using products that can be bleached, such as fabrics with solution dyed nylon, are mandatory. Also Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) fall into this category. I cannot stress how important I think it is to use products will low to no VOCs (off gassing) for the patient and staff comfort. If a wall needs to be repainted, great, keep the facility looking good, but use a low smell paint so the hospital is not getting sick and cases of nausea due to facility upkeep!

Lastly, aesthetics come into play. So after you get through the criteria of making sure the space is going to function and be clean, then you have to add a whole other pile of restriction. I have been taught that you have to think of health care environments of having a 20 year life. Meaning, a space may only be redesigned once every 20 years – so whatever is selected has to look as timeless as possible. You want something to “wear out before it uglies out”!

So what do you think are the most impactful attributes of a health care environment?

Consider it fun, fuss free, and mostly affordable. Unlike a formal window treatment, fabric isn’t essential in the design that defines the casual look.

Make sure that your fabrics are durable. Often times when I hear that people are designing a “casual” room it generally means that there may be a stampede of children nearby ready to destruct..so why have anything nice? Right? On the contrary; if you make sure that your furnishings and fabric selections are durable, stain resistant. Sunbrella is my favorite – great for indoor and outdoor use. This line has branched out and offers quite the array of colors and pattern options!

For your window treatments, if selecting a simple gauzy sheer cotton, make sure it has scotch guard woven in the fabric, or that you have it treated by a seamstress, a good dry cleaner, or a re-upholstery shop to name a few places. I love the idea of a sailcloth-weight fabric that is almost raw-canvas-like in color. This drapes beautifully, and really caters to a casual feel.

Another great solution for a casual room is simply selecting a shutter, shade or blind. Even though they come in different styles, sizes and materials, they all fit the same practical role. They give your windows a “smart” look and you can easily control light, privacy and use them as a base to add an unreachable valance for a simple embellishment. You can also give the window some shape and balance by introducing a fun fabric and having it constructed into a roman shade; relaxed, pleated, balloon…you name it! Roman shade looks are endless!

In a casual setting it is important to improvise anywhere possible to give the room personality. Even though your style may be casual, remember that you can still welcome color, pattern, and fun hardware that you may have found at a neat little antique shop. Use some vintage door knobs of different sizes and shapes. Balance a rod across them and drape in between with fabric. Something that people will remember – it is against all rules, and it is lovely! Take chances! What is the worst thing that could happen?

What are some alternative ways you have taken to sprucing up your windows?

A "Saniplus" Toilet

The bathroom, because it would be in the basement or walk out part of the house, meant that the toilet plumbing had to flush up rather than the typical gravity fed systems you find in homes. A great deal of research was done and pricing was obtained. The most recommended suggestion was the breaking up the basement concrete floor to put in a sewage ejector system, which means you break up the concrete basement floor and put in a plastic pit to use a sewage ejector pump to remove the waste. I was uncomfortable with this idea. And then we found the “Saniplus” system. It handled the toilet and sink. (In fact it handles four fixtures – toilet, hand basin, shower and bathtub.)

The pump, which was in a box fastened to the back of toilet, had to be connected. The toilet tank had to be connected to the water supply. The sink was connected to the pump using a 1 ½” plastic pipe, and the pump had an air pipe connected with the other end being put through the wall. It was connected to the electrical supply.

The “Saniplus” system is activated when the toilet is flushed. The micro switch within the pump box starts the motor, ultimately pumping the slurry up to a maximum of 12’. As soon as the water level in the pump box goes down, the micro switch deactivates and the toilet is ready for use again. It takes about 15-18 seconds for the entire flush process.

It was a day and a half job to get a toilet installed in the basement. It uses only 1.6 gallons of water per flush, so it uses less water than older toilets. Have you ever had a need for a bathroom in a lower level? What about any “What were they thinking?!” design problems have you run into?

Don’t limit yourself to sofas and chairs. There is a great deal of alternative options that are now available from leading designers. Consider a super sized floor cushion that can be fun and especially useful if you have children. Since the cushions sit below your sight line, they are perfect in front of a television for example. They are very informal and comfortable. However, consider who you entertain. Is grandpa going to want to get down on hands and knees to enjoy a conversation on what he might perceive as a floor pillow?

These cushions can also draw attention to the floor covering and what colors are being used in coordination. Sitting on them may be isolating if the rest of the furniture is not the same height. Children’s bedrooms happen to be the perfect place for floor cushions. Introduce a little reading nook with a big comfy cushion or two. A wonderful design and very well made high end line of cushions can be found by Roche Bobois. Get ready to be committed to this design. There is serious money to be spent, but a design solution to fall in love with!

Another alternative to the traditional sofa or chair is a long upholstered free standing bench, also referred to as a daybed. Knoll has a beautiful classic piece that they refer to as a settee’ by Lee Mindel and Peter Shelton. Purchasing a pair of these to face each other in a small parlor room with a long, narrow coffee table between them can set the scene for a perfect conversation area for a small gathering of friends. It is classic, clean and simple.

I am sure that your friends will appreciate the uniqueness of your well designed space. These daybeds also work well in the comfort of your bedroom, either as a place to lounge and read a good book or as a footboard at the end of your bed. Maybe you have a grand enough bathroom that could accommodate a “sleek modern piece of art,” also known as the daybed, creating a sense of form and function for the space. Test the waters to find new solutions for seating in your home.

How would you feel about sitting upon floor cushions when visiting a friend? What other seating solutions have you found as an alternative to the traditional couch and chair?

When painting stripes throughout the entire room, I might recommend keeping the contrast subtle. First pick the main color you would like the walls to be in your room. Then take your paint fan deck and go up one or two colors on the page from your main color choice, or down one or two colors. This will ensure you have kept the colors in the same “family” because colors can play tricks on us when they get onto our walls, appearing to have an undertone that wasn’t quite expected such as a green or pink/peach. My other recommendation would be to pick the color you would like to use and paint one stripe in a matte finish and the other stripe in a semi-gloss or gloss finish. This will give you just enough effect to make an impact without overwhelming the space with lots of colors.

Are you looking for a more dramatic contrast? This can be achieved by combining coordinating colors to make a powerful impact in your room. Might I suggest choosing one wall or a focal point to achieve this look? Possibly even using the stripes as a focal point for a headboard, staircase, or fireplace. Finally, pick one of the more subtle colors in the stripes, such as a beige or gray for the remaining walls.

By now you are probably asking yourself how to do this? One way is to paint the entire wall the main color. Let this area dry for 24 to 48 hours. Then decide how thick of strips you would like to use, anywhere from 4” to 12” is standard. Don’t be afraid to mix widths, might I suggest 3”, 6” and 9”? Next, measure and tape the area you will paint in for your stripes. Allow yourself wide enough tape to be able to paint over the edge to guarantee that crisp line. Once finished, remove the tape and enjoy the pop your stripes have brought to your room!

How do you feel about stripes on your walls? Yay or nay? Thick or thin? Dramatic or subtle?

Thinking vertically is a way to use limited floor space and gain storage at the same time. We create floor plans most of the time in interior. Traditionally a floor plan is the equivalent of slicing a space at the four foot elevation and marking everything below that line. For this blog I want to focus on the space above that 4 foot line.

A really trendy and creative way to think vertically is the use of ladders. Either a super sheik metal ladder or perhaps an antique ladder matches your style; both will serve the purpose of thinking vertically. There are even some nice bookcases that look like ladders that are a great alternative to assist in the vertical movement.

Memo boards are another good way to use your wall space. Memo boards are a dressed up way to display notes, cards or other “to dos.” A memo board is just a little more dressed up. Plus, with this type of display, you can make one very easily yourself – select your favorite fabric and ribbon, add a staple gun and a spare piece of board and you are golden! But don’t forget buttons and batting to wrap it up!

Finally, shelving overhead is a great way to think vertically. When talking about that space over 4 feet – why not go all the way up to 6 or 7 feet on the way? This type of installation might give you a heavy feeling from above, but it all depends on what you are planning on putting on the shelving. If you choose heavy books, the shelves will be visually heavier along with having a heavier load.

So whatever method of thinking vertically you pick, just be sure to get the most out of your wall surface area!

How do you use your walls to think vertically?