Ronica Van Gelder

Ronica’s Custom Creations, Knightdale

919-266-9705

ronicaswindowtreatments.com

Your design philosophy in 15 words: Your home should make you feel relaxed and comfortable. You should be happy to come home every day.

Best way to spend $100 for maximum decor impact:When you are giving your room a facelift with new window treatments, I don’t recommend DIY installation. Professional installers know how to “dress” ready-made or custom treatments to look their best, and how to anchor them to the wall so you will have no worries that they will fall down!

Your favorite formal window treatment - and why? Swag treatments offer a formal look in any room. If you don’t like the look of traditional swags, variations can give an updated look and still be formal.

Best way to dress a window over the kitchen sink: I love café curtains. You can also add a valance at the top of the window for more color and interest.

Your hardware store must have: Good lumber. Board-mounted window treatments need straight boards. If your board is “wompy,” your valance won’t hang properly.

Best decor bargain you’ve ever scored: I recently found the perfect accent light on clearance for $10 at Kirkland’s. Who doesn’t love a good bargain? Don’t be afraid to look for accessories in discount stores.

Favorite design blog: Colour Me Happy, Maria Killam’s blog. mariakillam.com/blog Maria always offers interesting use of color and color tips. I also love looking at Pinterest Design Boards.

The next big decorating trend will be: Brass is making a comeback. This doesn’t mean you have to run out and replace all of your oil-rubbed bronze fixtures with brass tomorrow. But don’t be surprised when you see it showing up again.

How I turned a decor miss into a decor hit: Recently, an area rug was purchased for one room of the house, and it just did not work there. We tried it in a different room and it was perfect.

My best tip for do-it-yourself designers: Another trend is painted furniture with a French or vintage feel. Chalk Paint is an easy way to give your furniture a washed look. Every room should have at least one piece of “old” furniture. Keep your eye out for that flea market find that just begs to be painted; or try painting an accent table that is ready for a change!