DIY Roller Shades

My partner and I moved to our current apartment in May, and before then neither of us had ever lived in a building with radiators. After reading some safety guides, I realized that our curtains would pose a fire hazard. I was looking online for a while for printed roller shades that could block the light from our east-facing windows in the morning, but I couldn't find any that weren't expensive and that would coordinate with the patterns in our room.

I happened upon this tutorial the other day, and decided to try it out. I actually found Lazy Cozy's tutorial to be lacking in some aspects: she does not mention that you absolutely need a dropcloth, otherwise glue will get all over your floor! The fabric will also fray if you don't hem the sides. There was no instruction on what to do with the fabric that meets the end of the shade. My tutorial will expand on hers.

I could not locate her adhesive since she is located in the UK, so I used Sobo, the glue I use for all my modeling projects. It did not leak through my fantastic fabric from Jessica Hogarth, but it did leave blotches on the ENJE fabric. I took pictures of my rollers' current state, but I'm going to buy a dark canvas to cover the backs, because we want total room-darkening.

I found that doing the second shade went a LOT quicker after I figured out what I was doing. The first one probably took me 5 hours. I hand-sewed since I don't own a sewing machine, and I have no idea how to operate one. If you use one, I bet you could finish one shade in under an hour.

Jessica Hogarth's City Scene in Night

Read the tutorial with images after the break.

Sorry for the delay!

Hi Mark and dear readers,

Sorry for the delay in posting! Today was my first day back to grad school, so my schedule is going to be quite hectic for the next few months. I'll try to update 1-2 times per week though.

Over the weekend I tackled another DIY project. I created some roller shades for our bedroom using two IKEA ENJEs and some beautiful fabric by Jessica Hogarth. I'll post pictures and the tutorial either tonight or tomorrow.

I'M ON IKEA HACKERS!

My DIY bathroom cabinet made it as a featured hack on ikeahackers.net! That site is one of my favorites; the posts are so inventive and inspiring. If you've ventured over here from IKEA hackers, welcome! 

How do I work from home, but still look professional? Part I

image source 

I'm about to launch a business from home. What are some small changes I could make so that my home is still comfortable for personal use, but professional and accommodating for clients? I plan to host meetings in my office, but right now it is not presentable... to say the least. Do you have tips on how to make it look more attractive on a budget? To get to the office, one has to pass through the living room and can see our kitchen. Should I spruce those areas up too? 

-Mark

Hello Mark! Thank you for asking such fantastic questions. As someone who also works from home, your workspace is part of your brand. Its appearance and orderliness communicate how you might manage your client's work, so it's important to keep your home streamlined, uncluttered, and clean. However, they understand that you live there too, so they will excuse some informalities.

I'm going to divide your inquiry into 3 parts. Part II will cover home office design on a budget, and Part III will cover sprucing up the other areas clients can see.

Here are some tips on how to make your home look professional and function like a commercial space:

1. Let your clients know beforehand that you work from home, so they won't be confused when they pull up to a house instead of an office building or strip mall. Have a small sign on the front door to let them know they're at the right place.
   
2. The exterior of your home and landscaping also provide clients with information about your values. Make sure you have curb appeal!
   
3. Offer beverages and bite-sized snacks. Have a pitcher of ice water and glasses out. These small touches welcome clients and make them feel more at ease.
   
4. Another important amenity to provide is bathroom access. Let your clients know where the bathroom is located when you welcome them to your place. Hide your toiletries, offer clean hand towels, make sure extra toilet paper is visible, and use an air freshener or reed diffuser.
   
5. If you have pets, inquire about your clients' allergies. Offer to move the meeting to another location if they are allergic.
   
6. Don't apologize for working at home. Your business is legitimate, and you are a professional. By pointing out the imperfect aspects, you'll bring attention to them.
   
7. Ask the people who live with you to please be quiet and to not interrupt your meeting unless it's an emergency. Keep pets out of the way by moving them to another room.

I hope this information was helpful! If you have any tips for Mark, please leave them in the comments.