The Finishing Touch

Top 5: Ways to Increase Your Home's Resale Value

 

Selling your home right now is no easy task, but here are the best things you can do for your windows to make sure your home is as good as sold.

 

1. In high traffic rooms like living rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, replace your blinds more often. New blinds instantly make  a room appear brighter and more polished.
2. Install insulating window treatments, like cell shades and shutters in rooms where you spend a lot of time, like living rooms. When potential buyers feel the heat or cold filtering through the windows of their potential home, they’re instantly concerned about energy costs.
3. Dress up your home by installing shutters. Shutters are considered extremely durable as well as stylish, and will show buyers that your home is well-maintained.
4. Hang beautiful, neutral-colored draperies. Sheer and silk draperies are considered by many interior designers to be the most chic and versatile. Hang these in rooms that might look plain or bare for instant appeal.
5. Replace any blinds with broken or missing slats, blinds and shades that no longer operate correctly, or have noticeable tears or dings. Always keep your window treatments free of dust. In fact, I love this mini-blind cleaner from Ace Hardware. It’s machine washable, and cleans six slats at once. Plus, it’s a paltry $5.99. Worth the investment, I’d say.

 

Tell me what you've done to increase your home's resale value. I’d love to know…

-Esther

Fall Makeovers for Your Home

The lazy days of summer have long past.  As the holidays approach we all need some quick ways to make our home into a more cozy place to entertain.  Creating nooks for sitting, reading or eating will invite your guests to relax.  Break out heavier draperies and accessories in rich autumnal colors to herald in the new season.

Reading Nook

What We Love:Bold patterned wallpaper, a hinged folding screen, and an oh-so-cute pug to stand guard over it all.

What Makes It Perfect for Fall: This room lives by the "add color with accessories" credo: the brown lampshade, antique rusted starburst mirror, and orange pillow make this otherwise neutral room ready for autumn.

Breakfast Room

What We Love: The cozy look and feel of plaid and the functionality of a breakfast nook.

What Makes It Perfect for Fall: Plaid curtains and seat covers couldn't be any more traditional "fall," but they always look crisp and fresh.  Hurry this month, save 15% off Thomas Kinkade curtains at Blinds.com.

Decorating tips and photos courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens.  For more Fall Decorating read here.

Hyper-caffeinated Cleaning Binge: How to Keep your Blinds Clean

I have discovered the danger of ordering a Venti at Starbucks.  It gave me the energy to do all those things I always put off, and for some reason in my caffeine high I got a jump on pre-holiday cleaning.  The downside, I can now make an eco-friendly sweaters from the dustbunnies I found under my bed.   In my cleaning frenzy I came up with a quandry.  How should I properly clean my Blinds.com blinds? 

Here's the answer:

Aluminum Venetian Blinds

There’s a couple of options with Blinds.com Aluminum Venetian blinds, firstly you can use a blind cleaner, a special type of duster designed to get in between the slats. This makes the cleaning extremely quick and easy but it is only really suitable for dusting. For a more thorough clean, the blinds can be closed and wiped down or an even easier method is to take the blind down and use either the bath or shower to spray the blind down. Try to avoid using any soap products as unless you have the time to spend making sure that every last bit of soap is washed off. Soapy products can turn even the most expensive aluminum blind, a slightly yellow color!

Wooden Venetian Blinds

Generally wood venetian blinds are coated with a finish and can be dusted just like aluminum blinds.  However, if you are a closet Martha Stewart or feel like the wood is getting lackluster than it’s worth giving them a good polish with a wax based polish. This helps to protect the timber and the richness of color. The wax in the polish builds up a protective layer which will repel any splashes or marks.

Home for the Holidays

This month, we're celebrating the changing season at The Finishing Touch, the new daily blog from the design experts at Blinds.com. This month we are tackling high-impact spots like living rooms, dining rooms and guest rooms that will see the most use as our homes become temporary bed and breakfasts for out of towners.  So stay tuned for quick tips, weekend DIY projects, chic accents that will make your home wow worthy this holiday season. 

If you are new, our in-house designer, decorating experts, and product editors collaborate to make The Finishing Touch your  must-read decorating blog. With a great selection of projects, videos and Editor's Picks for products and window treatments your home will always be ahead of the trends.

This month, we'll help readers transform barren guest rooms into hotel-style suites -- all on a budget!

October is Home for the Holiday month on The Finishing Touch, so keep reading for ways to  personalize your pad.  Who knew stenciling could look sophisticated.  Discover how to use our techniques to personalize everything from roller shades to lamps. We are here to teach you how to transform your home for the fall season.

Write in and share your decorating tips or favorite new products and get featured as our Decorator of the Day.

Happy Decorating,

Jessica

Guest Room Upgrade:Desks for Every Style and Budget

The holidays are around the corner. If your calendar is full of visits from friends and family, but your guest bedroom still consists of a bed plus a mish-mash of storage and mismatched accessories, now is the time to begin the overhaul.

After you declutter and decide on a design scheme, add a functional writing desk to instantly upgrade.  You'll give your visitors a private spot to finish work, write a letter, or check email.  Shop our assortment of desks to find a perfect fit for your decor and budget.

Classic Parsons
This unadorned, sleek block blends with any style and is a steal at less than half the price of Parsons styles at moderately priced competitors like West Elm.

$134, 26.11" H x 47" W x 20.5" D; Linon, Home Decorating.com

Updated Secretary
Though it is appropriately petite for a guest bedroom, intricate carving makes this pecan-finished secretary a true statement piece.

$300, 40" H x 25.25" W x 11.75" D; Southern Enterprises, Home Decorating.com

Trestle
A-frame supports give the "Style-It" desk extra storage below. Six drawers keep things organized up above.

$593, 62 by 35 inches; PBteen, PBteen.com.

Want to see Shaker styles, chinois, or modern desks? Browse Oprah.com for 18 more stylish desk choices.

DIY: The Return of The Stencil

Martha knows how to make me happy! With Fall just around the corner, I was so excited to get my September MS Living...and to make it even better, it was a Decorating Issue!

Making a Mark, one of the issue's feature stories, surprised me. I haven't seen stenciling in the decorating world since probably the early 90s, when I was in middle school trying to  personalize my room with my babysitting money and begging my mom to let me stencil my room, my desk, my notebooks...anything!
So you shouldn't be surprised to hear that I'm super excited for Martha's DIY stenciling project that will turn Blinds.com roller shades into customized works of art.

 
STENCILED ROLLER SHADE
Tools and Materials
Roller shade
Vine stencil or choose your own from stencil-library.com
Ruler
Drafting tape
Pencil
Small sheet of glass (palette)
Palette knife
5 to 7 ounces acrylic paint in white
Natural sea sponge

To Mark Stencil Spacing
1. Measure widths of roller shade and stencil using ruler. Determine how many stencil repetitions will fit across shade, leaving even spaces between each column and on outer edges.
2. Using strips of drafting tape, block off measured space between each column and on outer edges. The stencil should fit snugly into columns.

To Stencil Vine Pattern
1. Place stencil in far-left column, shifting it 1 to 2 inches below shade's bottom edge for a wraparound effect. Using pencil, mark the registration holes at stencil's top edge (pencil marks can be erased once paint is dry).
2. Prepare palette with paint. Use sponge to apply paint to stencil. Let dry 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Shift stencil up, aligning it with registration holes and marking new ones. Paint as in step 2. Repeat until column is complete.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for remaining columns, flipping stencil over (make sure reverse is dry) so adjacent motifs mirror each other.
Sources
4 1/2-by-18-inch Spencer Eddy House vine stencil, $33, mbhistoricdecor.com

Still have stencil fever?  Go nuts on your lampshade or even make a stenciled clock! Martha's has tons more  DIY stencil projects to share.

Now get out there and start stenciling away!

Images & instructions from marthastewart.com

Cozy Up to Fall

Autumns' chill is in the air, so ease the seasonal transition with decorative touches that add warmth, texture, pattern and a touch of fall color.

Fireside Chat
Nothing draws a crowd like a roaring fire.  Make your hearth a focal point with an indulgent new mantelpiece and ample fireside seating.  Options abound even at all prices, so keep looking even if you’re watching your budget.  You are sure to find the perfect fireplace to complement your style.

Fall Fabrics
Change sheer draperies to heavier patterned drapes.  They’ll keep out the draft and led an aura of opulence, especially if you let them pool an inch or so on the ground.  Add textured throw pillows and hand crocheted blankets to couches and you’ll  create a cozy spot to pay bills or for the kids to do homework.

Blinds.com Fundraiser for Hurricane IKE

Blinds.com, in conjunction with the Houston Food Bank, is joining the challenge to provide 500,000 pounds of food per day to those affected by Hurricane Ike.

How can you help?
Support the cause by making a purchase and applying coupon code IKE and 50% of the profit from your purchase will be donated to the Houston Food Bank until October 17th.
Visit Blinds.com for details, learn about volunteer opportunities or make a direct donation.

The storm made landfall on the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island on Friday, September 12, leaving a trail of devastation that all Blinds.com employees are still feeling weeks later. Blinds.com employees took on the task, because they know first-hand what it feels like to be without power, water, and life’s conveniences after this storm.  However, they are grateful to still have the necessities and know many others have not fared so well.

In looking for an opportunity to support the community after the hurricane Blinds.com sought an opportunity to provide emergency assistance directly to those displaced by the storm.  We were impressed with the Houston Food Bank’s goal to provide half a million pounds of food a day to the burgeoning numbers of hungry, as well as their ability to feed an adult, child or senior citizen on just one dollar a day.   But we knew that with empty grocery stores and tons of food spoiled due to power outages they would need lots of assistance. 
Blinds.com has a history of charitable initiatives including work with Make a Wish and igive as well as employee volunteer projects like Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and Habitat for Humanity.  From Friday, October 3 until Friday, October 17th Blinds.com will donate 50% of all profits to the Houston Food Bank.  "We have wonderful customers around the country who want to help. Many of them participate in online charities like iGive.com, which we participate in as well. This is another outlet for them to do what they can," said Blinds.com CEO, Jay Steinfeld.   

 

Trend Watch: ABC's of Fall Design

Its been a long time since I took a vocabulary test, but that isn’t stopping me from enjoying fall’s latest design trend and one of Oprah's new favorite things for fall.  This year abandon florals and traditional patterns.  Instead, commemorate back to school with updated accessories that turn type into graphic patterns. 

This mirror will greet you with over the top complements each time you gaze into it.  Indulge.  After all  aren't you the fairest in the land?

Or serve tea on a set made from vintage pieces painted with the Seven Deadly Sins adds a touch of modernity and humor to your living room or kitchen. 

If you are more nice than naughty evoke thoughts of sugar and spice with the addition of Jonathan Adler's Happy Pillow to your couch.

Want to continue the trend in the bath?  Keep reading...