Prepare Your Windows for the Holidays

window seat up for the holidays

The holidays have arrived and that means decorating your space for guests and for your own entertainment. Your windows can easily be forgotten with all the kitchen, living room, and outside decorations. The reality is that you can create a great holiday ambiance with your windows with a little TLC. Here is the ABC way of preparing your windows for the holiday season!

 

First off, clean those windows!

 

The first and most important step is making sure your windows are clean. When your windows are nice and squeaky clean, they can help emphasize the lights both in and outside a home. For the inside windows, ABC recommends household cleaners like vinegar or a store-bought cleaner. For the outside, you may need to give them an extra push by washing off all the outdoor dust and strains that stick on the glass. After your windows are back to shiny new, it’s time for the next step.

 

Update your drapes and blinds!

 

It’s time to put away the oranges and violet shaded drapes and switch them out for the reds, greens, golds, grays or even blues. The right colored drapes will help enhance not only the windows but the look and feel of your whole decorations. If you have drapes that stand out like a sore thumb, your whole indoor aesthetic won’t be complete. Get the right drapes that match your holiday decorations with ABC! After you’ve changed out the drapes, the next step is the fun part. 

 

Time to Decorate for the Holidays!

 

Take out those lights, garlands, window stickies, and any other decorations that you want people to see from the windows! The combination of decorations and drapes will really help frame your windows on the outside and inside. Holiday-colored lights, garlands, and curtains are great for framing a window, while stickies are fun for the kids to put on and give a family feel. Place battery-powered candles on the window sills or incorporate a Christmas tree for all to see. However you decorate, we know it’ll be sure to set the mood for the holiday month (or months).

 

Get in the Fall Mood With our Fall Mood Board

ABC's Blind & Drapery Fall Mood Board

Fall lasts until December 21st, so why not make the most of it? Most of you might have already started decorating, but we know some of you may be still looking for new ideas. Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year or you just want some inspiration, ABC is here to turn the gears in your noggin.

 

Fall in Love With Colors

 

The word of the day is Earth. You’ll want to bring more earthy-toned colors to your space. Think browns and beiges with ranges of oranges, hints of reds and even some green. All these colors make everyone think of fall and more importantly, think of cozying up for the season. Just walk outside in the crisp air, what colors pop out at you? Go from there!

 

Fallow these Decor Elements

 

Some common themes you’ll find in fall decor are pumpkins. Not just regular everyday pumpkins, but different sized and colored pumpkins. Pumpkins are great fall decor, but they aren’t the only vegetable you can decorate your home with. Squash in general is a great decor to have for the fall season. Squash represents harvest and is great to have around the house. You can also flourish your home with orange and red flowers, fake or real, mono-toned flowers will make your space pop. And don’t forget the pillows! Whether it says “Happy Fall” or it’s a subtle beige colored pillow, changing out your pillows can really tie up your living room and bedroom in a nice bow. 

 

Switch up Bedding, Drapes, Curtains

 

Fall is a great time to switch up your bedding, drapes and curtains for the new season. And, if you plan it right, you can make it work for winter as well! For the bedding, we recommend staying with browns OR go a little more bold with buffalo checkered patterns. Both styles will hold for fall and winter. For drapes and curtains, we recommend staying in the red realm. With hints of red everywhere, red drapes or curtains, you will pull everything together. Bonus, you’ll also be able to use it again for winter. If you need help getting a certain pattern or color for your bedding, drapes, or curtains, ABC is here to help you. 

 

Are You Ready?

 

It’s easy to get fall style in your home without having to completely redecorate. Window treatments are a great place to start. Curtains and drapes really draw in a room, and by simply changing up the color, you’ll have a whole mood change. Get started today with a free consultation with us today.  

 

Get Your Windows Ready for Halloween

Get your windows Halloween ready

It’s that time of the year again, where we put away our summer decorations and bring out all things spooky. As people start to decorate their homes, we have to ask the question, how are you decorating your windows this year? Windows are usually thought of last when decorating, but let it be known that a great decorated window can boost your decorating rating from a 10 to a solid 20. Here are some fun Halloween decorations we recommend for your windows this year.

 

Dust off the Cobwebs and Skeletons

skeleton and cobweb Halloween decorations

Cobwebs and skeletons, a classic pair that can really spruce up your windows for Halloween. Create a cobweb illusion by spreading them all over your windows or on the sides of your windows. Then grab some different sized skeletons to place on your window sill. You can make the skeletons scary or funny. Either way, you’ll look like a house that hasn’t been dusted in ages!

 

Pick up a Creepy Doll or Two

creepy dolls in windows

If you really want to scare the neighborhood, grab some creepy-looking dolls. With stories about Annabelle and Robert the Doll, you can’t go wrong! Place one huge doll, or a few small dolls, around the windows. You can use a background for them or simply place them in the window. Make it as creepy as you want. 

 

Carve out Some Jack-o-Lanterns and add Bats

jack-o-lanterns and bats in the window

Jack-o-lanterns and bats are classic Halloween decorations and are great to display on your windows. Place your Jack’s inside or outside and create different faces for each. Then grab some bats, or make your own, and stick them on the window for an ageless window appearance. This is also a great window idea for both the spooky and the spoopy. 

 

Put Some Ghosts in their Place

spooky ghosts in the windows

Whether it’s small ghosts that stick on your glass or bigger ghosts that hang from the windows, ghosts are always a must. Place ghosts all around your window, with light cobwebs sticking around. You might also want to use purple, green or orange lights to make them take effect. 

 

Got some Ideas?

 

Now that you have some ideas, go forth and conquer Halloween! In need of some more permanent window decor options? Let ABC help you today! We specialize in everything from decorating your windows to creating bedding and patios exactly how you picture it. 

 

Window Treatments for Oddly Shaped Windows

modern building with oddly shaped windows

Oddly shaped windows are fun and provide a unique flair to any home. These windows range anywhere from octagons, half-moons, and small-sized triangles. While we may enjoy these oddly shaped windows, it can be a bit of a challenge to find a window treatment that fits the mold. ABC is here to help with those tricky windows.

 

Angled Blinds

 

Angled blinds can be custom-made with angled tops. The top of the blinds in the triangle will only tilt. When you raise the blinds, it will rise to the bottom of the triangle, meaning the triangle area will always be covered. ABC can help with your custom blinds for your odd triangular-shaped windows. 

 

Long Drapes

 

Adding drapes is not only a great and simple way to add color and style to your home, but it’s also an easy way to be versatile with your oddly shaped windows. If your odd window is high enough, drapes make it easy to pull back and reveal your window panes or cover to hide away the blaring sun. 

 

Cellular Shades

 

Cellular shades are versatile and come in a variety of shapes and angles, including arches and triangles. They’re available in a wide array of colors and textures, making them a great choice for your oddly shaped windows. 

 

Custom Shutters

 

Custom shutters can fit your windows and can be your perfect solution. Shutters can be custom-made into different shapes, including circles, octagons, and arches. 

 

Need a Fit For Your Oddly Shaped Windows?

 

ABC Blinds can help you pick your perfect oddly shaped window treatment! We’ll help you find a solution that fits both your style and your home’s function. 

 

How to Take Care of Your Antique Furniture

antique furniture

We have seen an uptick in homeowners having a fun or unique antique piece in their home. These furniture pieces often bring a sense of boldness to your kitchens, living rooms or bedrooms. While we love these pieces and appreciate their authenticity, we also need to make sure we know how to take care of our antiques. Unlike their new-age counterpart, antique furniture needs a little more TLC. Here are our tips for taking care of your antique furniture. 

 

Dusting

 

Dusting. We hate it, but we do it anyways. Your antique furniture needs dusting just as much as your regular furniture, just tweaked a bit. With your antiques, you want to make sure you’re dusting regularly with a soft brush. Some folks like to wet dust, but your older furniture won’t like that and it can cause damage, especially on wood finishes. 

 

Wax Polishing

 

Waxing with a good quality beeswax polish brings out the color of the wood and protects your furniture at the same time. Just put a small amount of polish on a soft cloth and rub the piece on the cloth. Rubbing is important because it helps evaporate any solvent. Then polish with a clean duster. Unlike dusting, we recommend waxing once every few months. Too much wax can cause dullness and absorb dust. 

 

Pro Tip: We know you’re busy, but we do recommend waxing during the night. The wax needs at least 5 hours to nourish, so leaving the wax overnight allows for no unexpected interruptions to the furniture from pets and children. 

 

Environment

 

Besides cleaning, your furnitures’ environment is a key factor in its life expectancy. When your furniture is in the sunlight and humidity, wood, fabric and leather can become warped and faded. If your antique furniture needs to be near a window, consider purchasing roller shades or thicker blinds to cut out the rays without compromising the natural lighting.  

 

The room where your antiques sit should also be kept at a constant temperature and well-aired. Avoid damp and heavily humid rooms. 

 

Last Thoughts

 

When it comes to our antique furniture, we want to make sure it lasts for years to come and not become that old, rundown piece of furniture in the room. Clean regularly, make a schedule to wax and polish and check on your furniture to see if the environment is affecting the color or shape. If you do have a furniture piece that’s seen better days, ABC can help you today! Besides customizing shades, blinds and bedding, we also restore furniture to look good as new.