Our favorites from Ikea’s 2017 catalog, due out on August 8, from $30 tray tables to a kitchen that costs $120 (to be filed under: only at Ikea). Above: The new modular Elvarli closet system has a slim profile and can be used as out-in-the-open storage or installed in an existing closet space. Above: The deep stainless-steel Norrsjon Sink is $260.48. Above: A trio of Svertan Decorative Bottles atop the Svertan Tray Table, designed by Martin Bergstrom for Ikea (available in September). Above: The solid birch Knotten Standing Desk is $149. Above: The Enighet Candlestick is $12.99. Above: The Gladom Tray Table comes in green or light yellow and is $29.99. Above: The Sunnersta Mini-Kitchen, designed by Henrik Preutz, is $120 and will be available later this year; the Sunnersta Utility Cart is $29.99.Since posting updates of the bedroom, I’ve fielded many questions about our window treatments. Many of you have questions! I thought it might help to turn my answers into a bona fide post.

I finally got a chance to hem the curtains on the window… …and on the closet. They are the RITVA 118″ panels. If you look closely, you’ll notice I hemmed the four closet curtains {94″} a few inches shorter than the window curtains {96″}. At the closet, we open and close the curtains daily to gain access to our clothing so it helps that the curtains graze the floor instead of pool onto it. At the window, we never close the curtains so a little pooling action gives a luxe, relaxed look. kippers and curtains sayingI prefer to sew my curtain hems versus using the popular hem tape. spotlight ready made pinch pleat curtainsSewing is cheaper and I think the curtains fall better with a sewn hem. curtain falls blue tradução

But that’s just my personal preference. Our ceiling in the bedroom is 8′. In a room with 8′ ceilings, you might be inclined to buy the 98″ version of the RITVA. However, if your plan is to hang the curtains floor-to-ceiling, once they are pre-washed there’s a good chance you could end up with flood water curtains. In my experience with IKEA curtains {and I’ve had quite a bit}, you lose about 4″-6″ of length after pre-washing and drying. absolute zerotm velvet blackout home theater curtain panelsOf course, it depends on the material you choose but either way you are going to lose some length and that needs to be considered – especially when you account for 2″ for your actual hem. silver curtains harry corryI know it sucks to spend more on the longer version but, trust me, buy the longer version if you’re in doubt.curtains edithvale

So the curtains are hemmed. Now to address the popular window treatment questions. Source list: RITVA curtains // black cafe curtain rod // petite rustique bamboo shade // Levolor room darkening shade The bamboo shades are functional but we don’t close them. Our windows are wide but relatively short so the 54″W x 74″H stock size woven blinds are a bit heavy and cumbersome to raise and lower daily. If we don’t close the curtains or the bamboo blinds, how do we maintain privacy at night? martha stewart curtains amazon marketplaceOn all bedroom windows in our house, we use Levolor room darkening shades. Anything to catch a few more zzzz’s! We bought the inexpensive Levolor shades at Lowe’s right after we moved in last summer. They can be cut in-store to your desired width. Just be sure to measure each individual window opening precisely. Even if all of your bedroom windows are 52″ wide, you need to measure the exact opening where each shade will be installed.

The smallest of measurements can throw off the fit and function of the blinds. This is coming from someone who measured one window then had all the bedroom shades cut to the same width. Luckily, we were able to recoup our cost by selling them on craigslist and then re-measure EACH WINDOW for a proper fit. When closed, they do a great job of blocking light and providing privacy although they aren’t much to look at. The tension needs to be readjusted sometimes, too. When a shade loses its ability to recoil completely, I just roll the shade all the way up and reset it into the metal holders within the window frame. It’s not difficult but it’s something I thought you should know. If you’re thinking of trying these shades out, expect a good price and great room darkening capabilities but also expect loss of tension over time. To disguise the roller shades, I don’t pull the bamboo blinds all the way up. The blinds are installed outside of the window frame and close to the curtain rod to make the window look taller than it really is.

Lots of window trickery happening in this little brick ranch! When adding woven blinds, typically, I like to see them mounted outside the frame of windows without molding and inside the frame of windows with molding. There are always exceptions though. I’m still hunting for trim to add to the curtains. I’ve checked out every possible option near me but nothing has really caught my eye. I’m happy to wait it out until I find “the one.” I think that covers everything pertaining to our bedroom window treatments. If there are still questions, post them in the comments below and I’ll try my best to answer them. Check back later today for five things I’m doing next week. It’s going to be a fun one! images: Dana Miller for House*TweakingStep 3: Burn the holesShow All Items« PreviousNext »View All Steps DownloadOne of the rooms in my new place has a bare white wall that was just crying out for some creative sprucing up—so armed with this previous Lifehacker post on a DIY photo wall project and a few ideas on how to modify it for my own tastes, I went ahead and created a cheap, easily-reconfigured photo wall.

For under 20 bucks, using some wire, black card stock, and mini binder clips, it's easy to create your own wire photo hanger. Let's take a photo tour of how to get the job done. What You'll NeedFirst, you'll need a bare wall with a place to screw mounts in about 1/4" away from the wall on either side, with no obstructions in between. A length of cable that spans your wall. I got 1/16" thickness, and lots of extra length in case I screwed up. ($2.00 at your local home store)2 wire sleeves, the same thickness as the wire, so 1/16" for me. ($0.78 at your local home store)A set of 2 screw eyes. I got the 1 5/8" size. ($0.92 at your local home store)1 screw eye with hook turnbuckle. I got the 5 1/4" size. ($4.13 at your local home store) Of course, you'll need photo prints. In the original project that we linked, they used slats of wood to mount the photos on, but I didn't like that look—I wanted something darker and sleeker. So I went with black card stock—actually, the Staples near me didn't have that, so I used black certificate holders instead.

Use double-sided tape to fasten the photos to the card stock, that looks like a faux matte. My photos were originally digital, but I had them printed at a place that can automatically include a nice white border around them to make them stand out against the black background even more. (Coincidentally, Photoworks in San Francisco can print photos in Flickr, and they offer several border options, plus glossy or matte finish on the prints. I used them and I was pretty pleased with the results—except for a little unevenness on the side borders of one of the photos, the prints came out very well.)AssemblyGathering the supplies is the most annoying part of the project; once you've got those down, the fun begins. You can probably imagine where all the pieces fit, but let's step through them. First, loop one end of the wire through the turnbuckle screw eye, and slip on one sleeve to seal the loop. Clamp down the sleeve to make it permanent. (I had trouble with this part; see the end for more info.)

Drill a hole on either end of your wall about 1/4" in and screw in the eye screws. Do yourself a favor and use a level. Update: Also, if you're not drilling into a stud, use wall anchors first, so you don't pull the screws right out of the drywall like I did. Unscrew the turnbuckle so it's as open (and wide) as it can be, then hook it onto an eye screw on one side of the wall. Loop the other end of the wire around the other eye screw, and slip on the sleeve. Trim off any extra wire. Pull the wire taut, and fasten the sleeve.Now you should have a bit of slack in the line, but reduce it as much as you can. For the wire to support your photos, it needs to be tight. When your sleeves are clamped, tighten the wire by turning the middle part of the turnbuckle, which will contract it and pull it tighter. Mount your photos on black card stock with double sided tape. Clip the cards to the wire with mini binder clips. Arrange and space the photos to your liking, and admire your finished product.