Curtain & Window Treatment Ideas

Curtain & Window Treatment Ideas
窗户的“衣服”

Thinking to redecorate your living room or dining room? Never underestimate the power of a new pair of curtains. Not only will they give your home a fresh new look, they’ll also keep it lovely and toasty on those rainy nights. Let’s see what are the option for covering your windows and bringing a new fresh look for your living room. 

是否想着如何改造客厅及饭厅呢？别低估了窗帘的影响力，它们不仅为你遮风挡雨，也为你的家带来一个全新的外观。让我们看看有哪些选择可以为你的窗户穿上“衣服”。


Fabric Curtains
布帘

 Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

If you have a large double glass window opening to the patio, you might want to consider traditional fabric curtains. They are easy to remain open during the day. They fold nicely and if made from decent material, they will look nice with little effort. Curtains are also fairly easy to put up and to get them down. 如家有落地窗，你可考虑较传统的布帘。它们既容易安装又容易打开，也能保持白天一直开放着，花点心思就能折叠得非常好看。

Roller Blinds
卷帘

 Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

They are grand for hanging in a bathroom or a kitchen. They are easy to hang, stay fairly clean and giving a chic look too. They are available in different colours and patterns, and some of them look quite nice.
卷帘非常适合挂在浴室或厨房。它们外观别致，既容易挂上又能保持干净。你可以依据自己的喜好选择颜色和图案来搭配家居。

Venetian Blinds 
软百叶窗

 Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

They are very easy to clean and to sun block when they are winded up or shut. They can also cover large windows and there’s no problem with opening and shutting, or rolling up. Because of their style, they’re also good of popping up to cover that small window that you don’t know what to do with. 
百叶帘既容易清洗，又轻易关上或打开，遮盖力也非常好。它非常使用于大窗户，因方便卷起、打开和关闭，也容易取决于你要多少阳光照射进屋里。家里有个小窗户不知道可以怎么装饰的话，不妨试试百叶帘。

Roman Blinds
罗马帘

 Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

In some ways they’re similar to venetian blinds, but there’s a whole lot of difference. You can choose your colour and design very easily just like fabric curtains. But even better, they are made from a variety of material, such like firm polyester, bamboo, cane or soft wood. 
在某些方面，与百叶窗非常相似，仔细地看，却发觉它们有着很大的差异。你可以依据喜好选择颜色和款式，但重要的是，有非常多的材料可供选择如：聚酯、竹、藤或软木等。

Plantation Shutters 
林百叶窗

 Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

Plantation shutters were originally used in old plantation homesteads, which was where their name derive from. In colonial days, they were attached to the outside of the windows and were primarily used to keep the hot sun and dust out of the home. These days, the shutters are usually attached to the inside of the windows. Shutters are attached to the panels, and these panels are in turn attached to the window casing. 
林百叶窗原本是用于老旧种植园的家园，这就是他们的名字来源。在殖民地时期，他们安置在窗户上，主要用来遮太阳及灰尘。近些年，人们基本都直接安置在窗户上。

By: Pek Yeng & Asikin

Break The Rules, Make The Change

Break The Rules, Make The Change

打破成规，大胆改变

Our homes would be boring if we all followed the rules. The great interior design has its personality. The most important rule to remember in decorating is there are no rules. Here are a few rules that we can break.

如果大家都遵循同样的规则，那么我们的家居就变得既无聊又无生气。一个好的室内设计是非常个人的，最重要你要记住装饰是——没有任何规则的。这里有几个规则，我们是可以打破的。

Living Room Needs a Sofa

客厅需要沙发

Your living room needs to function well for the way you live. Putting a sofa at centre is ideal for many, perhaps you’d consider a cosy mix of chairs and ottomans for reading and conversations or a daybed for napping and lounging.

你的客厅应该依你的生活方式及需求而装饰。因此，尽管对许多人来说置放沙发是最理想的选择。但是其实你更需要一个舒适的椅子或垫脚软凳来阅读及谈话，或是一张沙发床让你在周末懒洋洋地躺着或小睡。

Everything Must Match

所有东西必须匹配

Just because furniture is sold as set doesn’t mean you have to use it that way.  Mix a new dining table with a medley of refinished antique chairs. Buy new sofa you love, but have your favourite chairs recovered instead of settling on the matching settee. Make choices that reflect your unique personality and lifestyle.

只是因为家具是一套式出售，不代表你必须所有的家居都是套式。把一个新的饭桌配合一张古董椅子。买一张你喜欢的沙发，换上其他椅套，让它有不规则的搭配感。让你的选择反映出你的独特个性及生活方式。

Small Rooms with Small Furnishings

小空间与小家具

Filling a small room with lots of small furniture can actually make it feel cramped. You can put oversize furniture in small spaces. A few well-chosen large pieces can actually make a room feel bigger.

小空间里摆置许多小家具会使得整个空间很局促。大胆地尝试摆放大型家具在狭小空间里。实际上，几个精心挑选的大型家具能使空间顿时感觉变大。

Wallpaper only for wall

壁纸只能贴墙壁

Wallpaper isn’t just for walls. It also works well on ceiling and other many things. In a room with lots of pattern, a white ceiling stands out like a sore thumb. Use wallpaper on the ceiling to tie the space together. Paper the drawer, dresser or cabinet, or even plain headboard. You’ll get a custom-looking piece of furniture with lots of impact.

壁纸不只是贴墙壁。它也可以贴在天花板上及许多东西。在一个花巧的空间里配上白色天花板会显得很突兀。利用壁纸贴在天花板上使它与墙壁互相配合。你也可以将之贴在梳妆台或柜，甚至是床头，你会制作出独一无二的家居。

Paint Small Rooms with Light Colours

小空间应该粉刷浅色

Light colours make a room feel bigger. But, that doesn’t mean that they are the only option for small spaces. A small space can handle dark walls too. Dark colours can create an illusion of depth that expands a room.

无可否认，浅色系能让空间感觉变大和宽。但这不代表浅色就是小空间的唯一选择，小空间也可以漆上深色系。深色系可以扩展空间及深度幻觉。

White Ceiling

白色天花板

Ceiling doesn’t have to be white. Painting the ceiling a colour adds interest to the room and brings harmony to the walls and ceiling. Choose a colour similar to the walls, or have the colour mixed a shade or two lighter or darker.

天花板不一定要白色。为天花板粉刷其他色彩能为整个空间带来和蔼的感觉。选择与墙壁相近的颜色深两度或浅两度的颜色。

By: Asikin & Pek Yeng

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

7 Ways To Make Your Room Look Bigger

7 Ways To Make Your Room Look Bigger

7个方法让小空间变大

Do you feel uncomfortable and cramped with your small space? Let’s find some simple solutions that you can use to maximize space and make your home feel inviting.

在狭小空间是否感觉很拥挤及无舒适感？来看看用什么方法来布置家居使得它看起来比原来的还大。

Use Windows

善用窗口

Windows can be a strong tool in visually enlarging a small room because your eyes move beyond the wall to the outdoor view and embraces it as part of your living space. Take advantage of this liberating effect by leaving windows bare, or dress windows with draperies that match the colour of the walls to eliminate boundaries.

窗户能在视觉上使得小空间变大，因为我们的视线能从墙壁延伸到户外景观。你可以利用漂亮的风景来让窗户保持干净整洁或让窗帘搭配与墙壁临近的颜色，以减轻区别感及延伸墙壁颜色使其有宽大的错觉感。

Floor and Ceiling

地板与天花板

Cover the floor tiles with brilliant light that makes the room seem brighter and spacious. The same applies to the ceiling, use a white or a light colour in order to open up the space. Your room will look more spacious if all the walls, floor ceiling and use light colours.

采用浅色系的地板能让空间变得更明亮及广阔。这同样适用于天花板上，使用白色或浅色的天花板能开拓空间。如果所有墙壁、地板和天花板都采用浅色系的颜色，你的家居就会看起来很大。

Open the Way

广阔空间

With furniture and accessories blocking the view into a room and out to the open spaces, a room will look cramped. By moving furniture out and away from walkways, you’ll open up the space and make it feel more spacious. If you can see the floor, the room will look bigger.

家具如果太多而挡着视线，那么房间就会变得很局促。尽量避免摆置家具在走廊上，能使得空间变得大一些。地板看得越多，空间看起来更大。

Colours

运用颜色

Try to give up very bright and contrasting colours. To create the impression of a larger room is using the light colour scheme. The most suitable colours are pastel or white. In a cold colour like blue, it increases the space, while warm colour like orange and red rather reduces space.

舍弃对比色，要使得空间看起来比较阔，要好好地使用浅色。最适合的颜色为柔和的白色，冷色调如蓝色能放大空间，温暖色如橙色及红色却会缩小空间。

Mirrors

镜子

Hang a large mirror with a decorative frame or prop it against a wall to create the illusion of depth in a small room. Even small mirrors expand the sense of space by reflecting views and light but an oversize mirror has a dramatic effect because it reflects a large chunk of the room.

挂一面漂亮的大镜子或镶在墙壁里的镜子能创造深度的幻觉。在一个空间里，即使是小镜子也能扩大空间；但是一面超大的镜子却有明显的效果，因为它反映了整个房间的空间。

Let in The Light

让空间亮起来

Any room will look bigger if it’s well-lit, either by natural light or artificial lighting. In a small space if is good to have built-in light, hidden spotlight or natural sunlight.

如果光线充足，空间自然而然变得广阔，无论是通过太阳自然光照进或是人工照明。在狭小的空间，安置一个良好的照明灯、聚光灯或自然阳光照入。

See-through space

透明感

By using materials that you can see through, anything beyond will appear further away. For a tiny bathroom, get rid of an opaque glass shower enclosure and substituted it with a clear, frameless one. The room will look more spacious.

通过使用透明材料，你可以看到更远更阔。在狭小浴室里，弃用传统的玻璃浴房门，采用一个透视及无框的塑料门，相同尺寸但是空间感在视觉上却增加好多倍。

By: Pek Yeng & Asikin

Image courtesy of iStockphoto

Instant Sofa Makeover Tips

Instant Sofa Moveover Tips

快速为沙发改头换面

Boring with your living room? Want an instant makeover? Without having redo the entire living room, simply just add a decorative pillow with little effort, you can turn your living room to a new fresh style. Let’s see what we can do…

厌倦一成不变的客厅？想要改造下这沉闷的设计？无需重装修整个客厅，只需花点心思利用装饰枕头来改造，你会发现很多意外。让我们来看看有什么可以做的……

Warm up with textiles

纺织品

Textiles can change the entire feel of a room. A wild mix only works when there are balance, pairs, and colours of equal intensity. Consider placing a throw blanket to make your room cozier.

纺织品可以改变整个空间的设计感。依平衡感、双对、颜色对比来制造狂野搭配。放置一张毯子以增添舒适感。

Touchable surface

布质

Creams and white colours are the most beautiful colours combination. But when all shades are similar, it can feel flat; do contrasting, adding textures to make it visually interesting.

米色及白色两种颜色是最漂亮的色彩。但是，当所有的色调是相似的，你却需要搭配不同纹理或布质来刺激视觉上的效果。

Balance in pairs

成双成对

To keep your room look clean, consider doing in pairs with patterned pillows in front and solids as backdrop. Deep plum brings sofas to life in a bold way, and the feathers add a style of bohemian whimsy. Such combination will dress up any sofa.

为了让沙发显得干净，你就需要将东西成双成对，利用图案枕搭配素色沙发。紫红色的枕头为沙发带来了全新面貌，和羽毛枕相配有着波斯米亚风格。这个组合能完美搭配任何类型的沙发。

Splash with colour

运用色彩

The pillows are one of the easiest and quickest ways to experiment with colour. The turquoise and plum are typical combination, but they unexpectedly complement each other. They are great contrast with neutral background.

枕头是最快最简易运用色彩的工具。绿松石色衬上紫红色是经典组合，却又是出乎意料地相得益彰。在素色的沙发上能有非常好的冲击力反差。

Play with shape

千姿百态

Round pillows have great finishing touch, make a contrast between round and rectangular, feathers and tartan to make it looks unusual. Replace the classic square shape to another that instantly change the way your home looks like.

圆枕有画龙点睛的效果，将之做个强烈的对比 -  圆形和方形，羽毛和格子纹之间等。经典的方形枕头能瞬间改变客厅的面貌。

By: Pek Yeng & Asikin

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

Balcony: A Private Space

Balcony: A Private Space

阳台 暂别烦恼的地方

 

For those who live in big cities, balconies are probably the places where they can get some fresh air. It’s a good idea to make the space more comfortable rather than using it only for drying clothes.  

住在大城市的人们都缺少了新鲜空气，阳台就是最佳的地方让你休息、吸收阳光及呼吸清新空气。所以，何不花点时间让打造阳台成为属于自己的私人空间，让它不再是晾晒衣服的乏味空间。

In case you live in an apartment with balcony, don’t miss having a nice balcony décor. Wait no more, some fun décor ideas are shared here. 

如果你住在公寓里有个阳台，就别浪费这个机会了。还等什么，今天就动手改造你家的阳台吧！

Furniture 

家具

Benches and garden chairs are the perfect furnishing item for balconies because they provide enough space for at least two adults, or for one adult to lounge. You can decorate benches or garden chairs with decorative pillows according to the theme you decide to incorporate. 

长凳和椅子是摆置在阳台最佳的家居，因为它们提供了足够容纳两个成人的空间亦可以成为一个人的休息室。你可以摆放一些可爱的装饰枕头来决定你要的风格主题。

Placing a small side table beside your chair or bench is great idea, it can hold your drinks, snacks, or favourite books. But make sure to purchase weather-resistant cushions and furniture to ensure durability of your stuffs. 

摆置一张小桌子能让你放饮品、零食和书籍杂志等。确保你买的家具是耐候性（阳光照射、温度变化、风吹雨淋）。

Décor

装饰 

Balcony is a very flexible living space and can easily adapt to any seasonal home décor. So you can decide on the theme you prefer to portray. This should highly depend on the activities you plan on engaging in this room.

阳台是一个灵活的生活空间，能适应任何季节的家居装饰。所以，你可以随意决定你喜欢的主题。主题的考量决定于你打算在阳台进行什么活动而定。

For instance, if you plan on lounging and seek a serene hideaway, consider using soothing colours like blue, green, and white. If you favour something entertaining, then apply festive colours like orange, yellow and red. In addition, if you want a private rest time in balcony, hang weather-proof blinds as you can lower when necessary.

例如，你打算有个休闲及世外桃源的阳台，哪你考虑使用柔和的颜色如：蓝色、绿色和白色。如果你想要成为家人及三五好友聚集的地方，那么你可以选择橙色、黄色和红色。另外，你如想有个私人的休息空间，在阳台上记得安装耐候性的遮帘。 

Plants

植物 

Plants bring life to any room, and are necessary in an outdoor area like a balcony. Decorate using flowers and small trees to add colours. Use decorative planting pots to exhibit your flowers. Hang planter boxes on balcony railings or hang planting baskets from the ceiling. They will give your balcony a European look and will not consume any additional floor space.

植物能为我们带来生命的气息，也是阳台必要的元素。用鲜花或小乔木来装饰阳台，利用可爱花巧的花盆来承托美丽的植物；或是挂在阳台栏杆上，或是挂在天花板上的种植篮，以增添色彩。他们会你的阳台带来一股欧洲的气息，并且也不会阻碍空间。

If your balcony is very small, consider turning it into a flower and herb garden. Mix up colourful perennials, seasonal delights, hardy ivies and herbs that you can use in the kitchen. Get a sturdy stool and a soft cushion for the seat so that you’ll enjoy working in your own private garden.

如果你的阳台非常小，没关系，你可以将它打造成小花园或芳草园。混合多种类的植物，如：多年生植物、常春藤、香料或草药等，收成后还可以成为厨房香料呢。摆放一个坚固的凳子和一个软垫，让你好好地享受在自己的私人花园里进行园艺。

By: Asikin & Pek Yeng