Using crates and support brackets for storage

I saw this cute idea on Pinterest.

All you need is crates and support brackets.  These could hang in a bathroom for towels, toilet paper and toiletries or in a playroom for toys or in a living room for decor.  Any bracket design will work.  It just depends on your use and taste.

West Elm has these awesome apple crates.

Uline has blue milk crates for $10 each.

How to measure for curtain rods

We talk about this often, but the length of your curtain rod really is a personal choice.  And it is based on your curtains and windows.  A lot of people measure the width of their window(s) and add 6-8".  That leaves about 3-4" on each side for your curtains to hang.  Remember that the bracket uses 3/4" and the finials go on the end of the rod.

You can add a lot more to the length if your curtains are thick or you want the curtains to pull all the way to the right and left of the window.  But make sure you have enough room for the rod between walls (or in a corner) and for finials in you want them.

If you are trying to frame a window, you probably don't want to add too many inches.

If you are going to draw the curtains only one way, you probably need to add more inches to have enough room on that one side for the curtains.

How to make your windows look larger

Making your windows look larger can really help out a small room. We're covered some of these ideas before in this blog.

One way to accomplish this is to hang curtains farther outside the window. You can hang them several inches higher than the top of the window and let the curtains hang all the way to the floor. You can also buy a curtain rod that is longer than your window width so that your curtains hang several inches (or even feet) to the right and left of the window. It makes the window and the room look bigger.

When you have two or more windows close together, hanging curtains in between the windows to hide the wall between also makes the windows look bigger. It can look like the windows span the entire wall. Use one curtain rod all the way across and have curtain panels not only on the left and right of the windows but in between the windows to cover sheetrock or trim.

You can also have one curtain rod that goes all the way from wall to wall. End mount brackets can help you achieve this look. They replace finials so that your curtains can extend from wall to wall with no spaces at the ends. They also support some of the weight so that you can minimize the number of brackets you need.

When choosing material for your curtains, go with a lighter color and a lighter material. You don’t want black, super-heavy velvet drapes in a small room. Use a cotton or linen, for example, in a light shade of your room’s color.

How to turn a closet into an office

Sometimes we need some privacy to work. Whether its kids or other distractions, a dedicated spot for paying bills, surfing the internet or even doing some full-fledged work is always nice. If you don’t already have an office in your house, you can turn a closet into a high functioning work space. And you can even do it on a budget.

First, you’ll want to choose a closet that has enough room for a desk. You can find a small desk that’s 20" deep, so the closet needs to be at least that. To get the most out of your space, try to buy a desk that’s just a little bit smaller depth-wise than the depth of your closet. After you’ve chosen your closet, you’ll want to take the doors off of the closet. They will get in the way and limit your space. Next you can paint the inside of your closet. Don’t choose too dark of a color or you will feel too enclosed. Next, place your desk inside your "office."

Now you can see what other space you have. To take advantage of the space way above your desk, you can hang a long shelf all the way across from wall to wall. Your closet might even already have a shelf like this. If you have some room to the right or left, hang shelves from ceiling to desk level (or even to the floor if you have room). You can place baskets or boxes to hold your office supplies or a printer. Above your desk and below that top shelf, you can hang a bulletin board or dry-erase board on the wall. You might want to add a lamp for light. If you don’t have an electrical outlet near, you can buy a battery powered light.

The last step is to hang curtains to hide your space when you’re not working. A great way to accomplish this is to hang a curtain rod above the door trim on the inside of your closet. You can use a center curtain bracket in the middle if you need one. Use one or two curtain holdbacks on the sides to hold the curtains back when you are working. When the curtains are closed, it will look neat and you won’t have any hardware showing.

How to use curtain rods to divide spaces

Using curtains is a creative, budget-conscious way to divide room or spaces in your house. You can choose anything from simple cotton curtains to luxurious velvet drapes. It can divide a home office from a living room. It could hide the kids’ messy play area from your living room. Or, in a loft, it could separate the bedroom from the kitchen from the living area.
Curtain rods are a great way to hang these room dividers. There are three basic ways to hang your curtains with rods.

1. If you are hanging the curtains above an open door frame, the curtain rod can be hung on the wall using standard brackets. The brackets are attached to the wall and the rod is placed in the brackets. This is the same way you hang curtains on a window.

2. Ceiling brackets can be used with your curtain rod to hang the rod from the ceiling. The curtain rod can be as long as you need as long as you have enough support from the ceiling brackets.

3. If you want the curtains to hang from wall to wall, you can use end mount brackets. One side of these brackets is closed and the other is a saddle. You place the curtain rod in the closed bracket and lower it down into the saddle end. You may need one or more brackets to support the curtain rod if it is longer.

You can use decorative finials with options 1 and 2 above. Option 3 uses end mount brackets instead. You can also use rings with any of these options. Holdbacks and/or wands might be helpful if you want to move the curtains to the sides at some point.