home decor

Before, they were used to simply serve their purpose hang curtains. Today, curtain rods are more than just a tool. They have evolved into a more functional, more sophisticated devices that do not just hang curtains but also compliment and enhance the overall effect of the drapes.

Showing more skin, curtain rods are no longer the typical metal or wooden sticks used to hang curtains. They have evolved into remarkable works of skill or talent, showing every design as an intricate sketch of masterpiece.

Wooden curtain rods are now made more sophisticated and classy. Most of them are handmade and crafted with the most top-rated materials to bring out the beauty of the wooden material.

Various designs were sculptured in the wood, with different glaze materials or varnish as the finishing touches. Hence, you can make either a Victorian or a Western-inspired window with curtain rods that were made from high-quality wooden materials.

On the other hand, the solid and powerful effect of metal curtain rods is no longer confined to the usual plain metal stick. With the growing popularity of metal curtain rods, consumers now have more choices. They can choose from a wide array of metal curtain rods such as solid brass, chrome, graphite with brass, and brushed chrome.

With a wider range of choices, more and more manufacturers tried to develop newer, fresher, and more exquisite designs to compliment, contrast, or enhance the beauty of curtains. They can even modify plain curtains by transforming them into something more elegant.

Installing curtain rods has also evolved into an innovation, bringing ease and convenience in mounting curtain rods on walls, woods, or other types of surfaces. Hence, whether you live in a castle, cabin, or the classic abode, there is certainly a good curtain rod that will suit your taste, your style, and of course, your curtains.

However, curtain rods do not just differ according to their designs or structures. They also differ in sizes and shapes. Hence, it is important to measure your windows first before you go out and buy your curtain rods.

Here are some things you must consider when buying curtain rods:

1. Your windows

Your windows have different sizes, according to your plan when you were just building your house. And even if you have bought a ready-made house, window sizes are not standard for all types of houses. Hence, it is extremely important to measure your windows first before you start buying your curtain rods.

All you have to do is to measure the outside part of your window. This is where you will mount your curtain rods. It is best to have the correct size than to waste time and money by going back to the store just because you have to wrong size.

Keep in mind that as a rule, your curtain rods should always be longer than your window by as much as 5 inches. This ensures total coverage for your windows.

2. Your curtains

Of course, you should never start buying curtain rods without looking first at the curtains that you will use. The types of curtains you will use will determine the type of curtain rod that you have to buy.

For example, if you will be using the typical designs of curtains that flow straight down the wall, you will have to buy a chrome curtain rod, for heavier drapes, you need to buy stronger metals such as graphite with brass or solid brass.

3. Strength of the curtain rod

You would not want your curtains sagged unattractively down your windows, right? Hence, to avoid such dilemma, it is best to choose curtains rods according to their strength and capacity to hold a certain type of drapes or curtains.

For heavier curtains, it is best to choose stronger, more solid curtain rods. Supporting devices should also be considered. These brackets provide end-to-end support for the rod, as well as support for the middle portion of the curtain rod.

4. Your budget

Curtain rods can be very expensive especially if they were made from high-quality materials. Hence, if you cannot afford to buy those expensive kinds, it is best to stick the ordinary.

Keep in mind that decorating your home with good sets of curtain rods can change the way people will look at it. However, it does not necessarily mean that you have to spend more than what you can afford just to decorate your house.

So the next time you buy your curtain rods, consider these factors and you will definitely make a big difference. Even if curtain rods are generally seen as something that holds up your curtains, they can also reflect the kind of personality that you have.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://curtains.home-webzone.com where you can learn more about different curtain rods and choosing the right curtains for your room.

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All of us live in houses but how many of us know how to make it a real ‘HOME’.

You may have a very small house with a few rooms: not much to boast about However, if you follow some very simple and practical steps you can make your house (big or small) a real homeand thus, a better place to live in

Read On:

1. A Place For Everything

Irrespective of the size of your house, make sure there is a place for everything. Organize your house - rooms, kitchen shelves, cupboards etc in such a way that there is a place for everything.

2. And Everything In It’s Place

Once you have allocated space for everything in the house, make it a habit to put everything back in its allocated space after use! This will ensure that your house remains organized and well kept. You would be surprised by how much time you save by keeping things in the right place.

3. Discard Unnecessary Items

Make it a point to throw away things you don’t need: There may be an old transistor lying around which no longer works and which no one cares aboutDispose it off - sell it, throw it, give it away. Do what you want with it but don’t let it lie around in the house to occupy space unnecessarily.

4. Keep It Clean

Make it a point to regularly clean the house. I’m not saying become a fanatic. Don’t get obsessed with cleanliness but do try and spring-clean the house once in a while!

5. Greenery

If you have a small balcony, garden or a little gardening space, try to keep it greenKeep potted plants and flowers and water them wellDecorate your living room with a vase of freshly picked flowers. it will brighten up your day and your room.

6. Open Those Windows Regularly

Let there be good ventilation in the house. Let the sunlight come in everyday. Use cheerful and bright colored home furnishings, though this would depend on personal tastes.

7. Rejuvenate With Music

Play some good relaxing music in the house everyday. something you enjoy listening to. This will refresh you as well as send good vibrations in the whole house.

Last but not the least always stay positive and happy. Enjoy and love where you live because after all ‘Home Sweet Home’ is ‘The Place To Be’!!!

About The Author

Akanksha Sinha - is a freelance Web Content Writer and Web designer.

http://www.mygoogly.com/akanksha.htm

aks_design@rediffmail.com

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Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that an unhappy work environment can be one of life’s most miserable experiences. It’s isolating, it’s uncomfortable, unproductive, and it can also block your progress in life. That’s because work, like everything else, often relies on good will.

That is, the good will of coworkers and bosses alike can help propel your career and business. Likewise, ill will and anymosity can create obstacles to career success and make every day you show up for work a pretty miserable eight-hour (or longer) experience.

Fortunately, feng shui offers some techniques for improving work relationships and making them more harmonious and hospitable. So, if your career has stalled and every day you go to work is an excercise of endurance you’ll want try the following.

Tip No. 1 — Don’t directly confront your boss
Look at your desk arrangement to see if it is facing your boss’s directly. Even if you are across the building, if your boss’s desk is facing west and yours is facing east, and you could draw an imaginary straight line to his or her desk, then you are in a confrontational position. It’s always better to have your boss “at your back” so that you are supported by this person.

Tip No. 2 — Ground your relationships with superiors with a gold mountain
Creating your own “mountain of gold” will give you opportunities, help from benefactors, and create great good will with superiors by “grounding” your relationship. Place your mini mountain in the northwest corner of your office. (Find this corner by standing in the center of your office and locating the center with a compass — don’t guess!).

To create your mini gold mountain, purchase a large round glass candle holder. It is important that this plate is made of glass. The plates are those flat glass rounds that hold candle arrangements. Next, paint a mixture of small stones gold with spray paint. Arrange these stones on the plate to resemble a small gold mountain.

Tip No. 3 — Make your relationships with your boss smooth
Create an arrangement of crystal, glass, or snowglobe spheres in the center of your office to smooth out relationships. In addition to helping with superiors, these balls will also help smooth out relationships with coworkers as well. Alternatively, you may also wish to display a crystal vase, remembering to leave it empty so it can collect auspicious relationship energy. By the way, I am a big fan of the TV show, the West Wing. Next time you see the President’s desk, notice that he has cyrstal balls on his desk!

Tip No. 4 — Activate your office according to your boss’s gender
If you have an older male boss, activate the northwest. If you have an older female supervisor, activate the southwest. Both can be activated by creating a mini gold mountain. Alternatively, both can be enhanced by a globe of the earth.

Tip No. 5 — Activate your office according to your supervisor’s age
If your boss is male activate the east corner of the office with plants, flowers, a ficus tree, or a picture of these things. For amale the same age, activate the north corner of your office with a fountain. For male bosses who are younger than you, activate the northeast with a crystal ball, geode, or crystal vase.

If your boss is female and is older than you, active the southeast with some small plants or flowers. If your supervisor is the same age, activate the south with red. If your boss is younger, place metal objects, such as windchimes, radios, fans, etc., in the west corner of your office

Tip No. 6 — Enhance your own luck by activating the lucky corner of your office
The corner that is diagonal to the doorway to your office is considered the lucky conrer. People who don’t activate this corner are missing important opportunities to influence their career luck and the appeal of their offices to their coworkers and supervisors.

If your lucky corner is south: Place a tall tree or large plant here

If your lucky corner is east or southeast: place an aquarium or fountain here

If your lucky corner is north: Hang a large 6-rod hollow windchime here or metal vase

If your lucky corner is northwest or west: Add a large stone, globe, or cluster of crystals on a marble stand here

If your lucky conrner is southwest or northeast: Place a tall floor lamp here

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and the ebook APPLIED FENG SHUI, The Science of Determining and Applying Authentic Feng Shui to Your Space In 9 Easy Steps. For more information, logon to http://www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report “16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity” FREE.

kweber@redlotusconsulting.com

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