September 28, 2010 · Interior Design

If you have been considering changing the window treatments ion your home, then you should definitely look into the growing popularity of wood blinds. These blinds come in a great many styles and materials, and are precisely suited to fit any decor. When you add wood blinds to your home, it says to the world that you have exquisite style and taste. But how does one go about choosing just the right style of blinds for their home?

Well, that all depends of which room of the house they are being pot into. You can have a different style of wood blinds in each room of your home, and still be at the height of interior fashion. Take a look at this room by room guide which our interior design experts have put together for you, in an effort to help make the process of choosing wood blinds for your home that much easier.

Horizontal Blinds

Horizontal wood blinds are beautiful window treatments that are designed to look exactly like Venetian blinds, but made with wooden slats. These blinds are excellent in rooms where more light is preferable, such as in the kitchen and bathroom. If you are choosing horizontal wood blinds for your kitchen or bathroom, it is important that you choose blinds that have been specially treated to withstand the mold and mildew that can occur on untreated blinds due to the high levels of moisture in these rooms. There are several different typos of wood used in horizontal blinds, but the most popular are red cedar, and white oak or pine.

Vertical Blinds

Vertical wood blinds are the perfect choice for a room that should be well-lit, such as a living room, or dining room. These blinds can be easily pulled to the side of the window, to allow full sunlight in; and easily closed tight at night for the utmost in privacy. Vertical wood blinds, or hanging blinds as they are also known, are also quite excellent for offices as they allow the most light through the window, when pulled off to the side.

Roman Shades

For bedrooms and nurseries, where the ability to darken a room is important, the Roman Shade style of wood blinds is preferred. These wood blinds cover the entire window when down, and are opaque so as to provide the most light blockage. These blinds are rather stylish when raised, as well; as they fold accordion-style, slats together.

Bamboo Shades

If you are looking for privacy, but still want to let the light in, then bamboo shades are just the thing. These wood blinds are made with only the finest bamboo, and roll as they are raised. When down, these wood blinds are thin enough to still allow plenty of light to enter a room; yet closely enough woven to provide the utmost in privacy. If you prefer to have curtains on your windows for darkness, these bamboo shades are excellent window treatments for bedrooms; although, we do not recommend them for nurseries.

Slider Panels

For the utmost in room darkening, try slider panels for rooms such as media rooms. These wood blinds come in a variety of darker wood, including dark walnut bamboo; and are the ideal treatment for windows in rooms with floor to ceiling windows and sliding glass doors. Backed with an opaque fabric for maximum density, sliding wood blinds can be used not only as window treatments; but can also be installed to divide rooms, or to create closure on rooms with extra-wide door-less entrances.

As you can see, there are a great many different styles of wood blinds that you can choose from, in a variety of different materials. Choose a wood that matches your furniture, and add instant elegance to any room with wood blinds.

June 29, 2010 · Interior Design

When you are looking to purchase new interior doors or new exterior doors you should look into the many different choices of wood doors that you have to choose from. Wood doors offer many advantages over the other types of doors that you can purchase. One advantage is that wood doors are a great way to keep the heat in your home, and the cold air out. Another great advantage is the many different choices of style that you have in wood doors for both interior and exterior.

The different kinds of wood that is used to create your interior doors or exterior doors are going to offer you a different look. So it’s important that you know what you are getting before you actually purchase it.

The style that you will need to get for you doors are going to be determined by the style that your home or office already has. Knowing the style before you begin looking for your wood door will help to narrow down your choices. It’s also a good idea to determine your budget for your door before you begin looking as well. The prices for a wood door can become very expensive depending on the type of wood that you are getting. A mahogany wood door is going to be much more expensive than a pine wood door.

You should not rush in selecting just any door. If you are looking to purchase an entry door, than you are going to need to take the security of the door into consideration as well. This will begin with the door that you select and then the door hardware.

If you are looking to buy an interior wood door than you are not going to need to take anything much into consideration other than the way the door swings and the door handle to select.

The door hardware is an important part of installing your wood door. Your door handle is going to need to match the existing design of each room. So you may have a different handle for each side of the door. One that matches the inside of the room, and the other that matches the outside of the room. This is a consideration that so many people neglect, and it really makes a huge difference in the style of the house, and also the ability to choose the right door handle much easier.

You can find many other helpful information about selecting various door hardware much easier than ever before. This is something that I believe is the most important part of designing your home or office correctly. It’s the little things that always seem to make the biggest influence.

July 18, 2009 · Interior Design

While it is not necessarily the most inexpensive of the flooring options available on the market today, hardwood floors are certainly one of the simplest and most lovely options available. Wood matches just about everything, and you don’ have to worry about vacuuming or those nasty smells that just won’t seem to leave carpet. It is an effective option for floor covering and if you take care of your hardwood floors, they will last you a very long time.

However, having hardwood flooring in your home is about more than wishing it was there and deciding to have it. Here are the three things that you should know about installing hardwood flooring in your home.

DIY Is Not Always Cheaper

Hardwood floors are certainly something that those handy people out there in the world are able to take care of. Buying wood and laying it down as flooring in your home sounds a great deal easier than it is. There are many different kinds of wood that can be used for flooring in your home and depending on your needs; there are great deals of different styles to choose from. You want your flooring to resist nicks and scrapes, but you want it to be able to get some character as well.

There are all of these things and more to think about, and if you install your wood flooring all on your own, chances are that you will not be able to get the solid advice that you might wish you had later. You want your floor to last as long as possible and although you might be very willing and able to put in your new hardwood floor all by yourself, the costs down the line might make this not-so worth it. Do you want to end up having to have your floors redone because of an error on your, the amateur’s, part?

Not All Wood is the Same

The more money that you spend the better quality of wood flooring you will be able to get as far as outward appearance goes; although a floor may not look as uniform and sleek as another type of wood floor it will probably last just as long. The quality and type of wood that you select for your floor has a lot to do with how you want your flooring to look when it’s down. Do you want a smooth look or do you like the way that natural knotholes look in the wood? Do you prefer the way that wide planks look on the floor or do you prefer the look of thinner, smaller pieces of wood for your flooring?

Depending on what you are willing to spend, there are a great deal of different ways that you can go with the wood for your flooring. You can buy First, Second, or Third wood, which is a description of the type or quality of wood on the market ranked in order of quality. Clear is the finest wood that you will be able to get a hold of. It has little to no grain marks or knot holes in it, so if you want the best quality that is the way to go.

You Are In It for the Long Haul

While hardwood floors are a great option for the floor covering in your home, be sure that that is what you want to do, and that it is an acceptable long term solution for you and your home. While the hardwood floor will not have to be vacuumed, it has to be specially cleaned and probably swept constantly (unless you are a fan of dirty feet). Also, keep in mind that depending on the quality of wood that you purchase you may have to deal with some small repairs due to warping or splitting, or simply due to damage that is unsightly for your home. Either way, hardwood floors are much easier to maintain than they are to replace and although you will probably be thrilled to keep your floors for years to come, it will be rather difficult to do otherwise.

This article is sponsored by My Dream Home Registry, the gift registry for everything home. Visit them on the web at www.mydreamhomeregistry.com