You can easily find attractive decorative vases at your nearest department store or home decor outlet. Pick a simple vase that matches the color of another accessory in your living room, like the throw pillows on your couch. Alternatively, create visual interest by choosing a vase with cutout designs. When set near a lamp, a cutout vase will cast appealing shadows along the top of your side table. Pick a style of glass that appeals to you; both opaque and clear glass work as side table decorations. Color is most important for decorating with glass bottles. Try to pick glass bottles in colors that are not identical, but work well together (like violet, pink, and magenta or teal, mint green, and ocean blue). You can also place flowers or sand inside the bottles for an extra touch. Purchase an item that really catches your eye, whether it be a plant, sculpture, decorative box, lamp, or something similar. Place it in the middle of the side table on its own so it can take center stage. This decorative choice is simple, but will prove effective at drawing the eyes of your guests. Small coffee table books can be set on top of your side tables. Try to pick books with the most appealing designs. Vibrantly designed books make the best choices. Watch out for interesting lettering and color schemes. Try to pick books of different thicknesses as well for further visual interest. If you want to make your decorating a bit more personal, try to pick books that focus on subject matter you enjoy, such as photos of kittens or gorgeous cityscapes. Your theme could be anything that appeals to you or hearken back to a favorite memory. For instance, if you’re a lover of the outdoors, decorate your side table with flowers, plants, and stones. If you recently traveled to an amazing city, place souvenirs (such as a mini Eiffel Tower or tiny Kyoto shrine gates) and travel photos from that city on your side table. While you can use plain jars, decorative glass jars make a stronger impression. Pick jars with gorgeous etchings or your favorite saying scrawled on the sides. If you want, fill your jar with glass beads or your favorite type of candy. Houseplants are a classic decor item and are perfect for side tables. Make a potted plant a standalone centerpiece on your side table, or group it with other items, such as decorative jars and a stack of books. Mini ferns and succulents (like cacti and aloe) are great plants to decorate with; succulents also have the advantage of being easy to care for. If you don’t want to care for a live plant, purchase a fake plant to decorate with. Your flowers can be real or artificial, and of any color or species you like. If you’d prefer real flowers, consider using flowers from your home garden or buy flowers from your grocery store’s florist section, and replace them as they wilt. Alternatively, use dried flowers. You can keep your flowers in a vase or bundle them and lay them across the table.

Summary: Place a vase on top of your side table for a classical look. Arrange a trio of glass bottles to create a simple but artsy aesthetic. Set up a “statement decoration” to add a bolder touch to your decor. Stack books on the side table for a designer, intellectual look. Create a theme for your side table decor for a personalized touch. Arrange decorative jars on the side table to give a subtle, elegant effect. Set a potted plant on top of your side table for a simple, natural look. Add flowers to your side table if you like classical and romantic decor.


Storm shutters, or panels, come in aluminum, steel, or reinforced plastic, and are all considered equally effective. Plastic is more expensive, but will also let in light, so you won't be left in darkness if a hurricane blows out the lights. Depending on the kind of shutters you buy, you may need panels the same size as your window, or panels that are several inches larger on every side.  All hurricane shutters have a width of 15.25 inches (38.7 cm). Order shutters, H tracks, and F tracks from your local home construction store or from a metals or plastics distributor. If you are bolting your windows instead of installing tracks, you will not need to buy H or F tracks. Purchasing shutters will usually lower your homeowner's insurance premium. Plastic will run you about $18 sq. ft, while metal will fall around $11 sq. ft. If you're doing it yourself, measure the window height and the shutter height. Subtract the window height from the panel height, then divide the result by 2. Bolt the H track that number of inches or centimeters above the window opening. Then install the F track the full length of the panel below the H track.  For instance, if your panels are 6 inches (15 cm) taller than your windows, install the H track 3 inches (7.6 cm) above the window. Slide the shutters into the H track. Attach the bottom section of the shutters to the F track with bolts. Besides the instructions, the bolts, and the wing nuts included with your purchase, you will need a screwdriver. Fabric storm panels are more expensive than metal and plastic panels, but they come with some advantages. Once they are mounted, they are very easy and quick to put up, meaning it won't take you long after a storm warning to protect your windows. They're also lightweight, so you can put them up yourself, and they fold up for storage.  Find a dealer online or at a home improvement retailer near you. In most cases, your dealer will install the fabric panels for you. If not, follow the included instructions for installation. Fabric panels are just as effective as metal or plastic shutters, and will also qualify you for savings on insurance. PVC fabric runs around $12 sq. ft, whereas Kevlar will cost you nearly double that. High-impact glass is two panes of glass with a plastic layer in between them. They are quite expensive, but once they're up they will look like ordinary windows. It will cost you up to $50 a sq. ft. for single-glazed impact glass and $70 sq. ft. for double-glazed.  Double-glazed glass is more expensive, but it's also more energy efficient, and may lower your heating and air conditioning bills. Purchasing high-impact glass will likely lower your insurance premium. Hire a professional to give you all-new windows.
Summary: Order metal or plastic storm shutters. Install your storm shutters or hire a professional to install them. Consider investing in fabric storm panels. Replace your windows with high-impact glass.