Home & Garden Blog

During the summer, you want to let that beautiful morning glow come in, but not too bright or too early (5:40am sunrise time? No thanks, mother nature.  I may get up at 7:00am, but not a minute earlier!)  I am too partial to the “den” set up, where window curtains are so thick and dark that the bedroom feels like a cave early in the morning, and near impossible to wake up in.  So, by investing in a sheer window curtain, I’ve made my mornings a lot easier, now that there’s actual, natural sunlight to help me wake up and seize the day.  Smarter.com helps you find the best deals on sheer window curtains in all types of lengths and covers to fit your needs.

Some top picks:

Sheer Linen Window Panel by West Elm: $29.00/ each.  An Internet/Catalog sale price only, buying these window panels online saves you $10 a panel!  Incredible!

Twisted Teen Curtains by PB Teen: $9-36.

On sale depending on color or size, these panels come in a variety of bright and cheery colors and are sold single panel.  The cheapest ones are the Navy 40×63″ at $9.99, so if you’ve ever felt the urge for navy curtains here’s a chance to jump on a stellar steal!

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more sheer curtains.

While hospitality and housewarming is usually thought of in terms of guests, the tradition of having actual rooms designated as guest rooms has gone by the wayside, and rightly so.  With the advent of speedy transportation, planes, trains and automobiles, the tradition of inviting friends and family to stay for a week or so because you never get a chance to see them the rest of the year has become non-existent.  Except, of course, by the people who truly know how to live.  Families that have held onto the tradition of guest rooms (either by necessity or default, meaning kids moved out of the house and now they have an extra room) are legendary.  The parties become less of one night bing-bang bashes and more of an extended, relaxing siesta.  The house designed by architect Ellen Cassilly and her husband Frank Konhaus, featured in the New York Times Home & Garden section, finds the perfect mix of natural tranquility and guest room hospitality.

How can you design a guest room?  Well first, you have to have the space to designate a guest room in the first place.  A dining room converted to a bedroom space has great potential, I think, because it is usually on the first or second floor of the house and a bit more removed from the regular family’s quarters, so they feel like there is a little more privacy/intimacy.  Also, they are close to the kitchen for the morning.  In terms of outfitting a guest room, you want it to be simple and uncluttered.  I suggest investing in some nice Ikea bedroom furniture, a chest of drawers, and a chair.  Curtains and rugs really do wonders to pull the place together.

Suggestions from Ikea.com:

MALM Bed Frame: $199.00 for prices like these, who needs guests?

This product is sturdy, elegant, and beautifully crafted, also adjustable depending on the height of the mattress.

BOMULL pair of curtains with tie backs: $19.99.

10 percent of the MALM bed?!?  How can you pass up these beauties!

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more bed frames and curtains.

Image Source

Hello awesome, check out the “Multi-Media Mirror”! 

“A dazzling reflection of modern innovation and contemporary style, the multimedia mirror Hi_Mirror by Italian company Valli Arredobagno fuses fashion, quality and technology into one striking yet simple design. The Hi_Mirror combines a clock, a weather station, a radio, a television and your own reflection in a modern must-have to complete your luxury spa experience at home. This cool collection of six mirrors features clean lines and a refined elegance worthy of the most discriminating tastes. Their sleek, lacquered-metal frames, available in black or white, softly curve around the multi-media center and the mirror itself. Designed by Gabriele and Oscar Buratti, this all-in-one multimedia mirror can easily go from bath to bedroom to foyer to kitchen, taking function with it wherever it goes.”

(Source: Trendir.com)

While in the land of Smarter Home and Garden: 

• Funny Design Photo of the Week - Serving your guests is finger lickin’ easy!
• Low Priced Furniture - Daybed with Pull Out Trundle
• Decorative Candles - Square Colorful Votive Candles
•  Let’s do Tea! Check out the Platinum Whistling Teakettle from Williams- Sonoma
• Deal of the Day - Woven Wood Panel Tracks from JCPenney

I recently had wood panel tracks installed into my apartment and it is by far the best investment I have ever made! I am so happy with the result - it is clean, modern and pretty.

I prefer the wooden panels because they block my large windows from voyeurs yet allow enough light into my house to feel refreshing and bright. Plus, I have this odd phobia that fabric curtains tend to trap dust, pollen and dirt more than these wooden panels do.

If the aesthetic appeals to you, I would definitely consider giving them a try.

Prices are flexible based on the size of your windows so, if you are interested in the Woven Wood Track Panel from JCPenney, click here.

To shop for more discount curtains, click here.