I was trying to hold off on posting about our living room windows until I had actually done something to them. But obviously -- as our "temporary" paper blinds can attest to -- that's not happening. Yes, it's been two and a half years and these $5 blinds are still hangin' on, long past their intended life span.
(Yes, that would be Phoebe in her favorite spot. And yes, I need to replace a light bulb.)
It's a little embarrassing, because I've become so used to them that I almost forget they're not real window treatments. I mean, they've got these nifty plastic clips to fold them up and everything. Classy, right?
But I just know that our living room would feel so much more homey if we had real blinds or even curtains. I just can't decide what to do!
The windows in our office and master bedroom also have paper shades, but no one sees those as often and I think they'll be easier to tackle. Sadly, there are only two other windows in our entire house that have been appropriately dressed:
Entryway
Guest bedroom
Both these windows were rather large, but the only real difficulty was finding 96" curtains instead of the standard 84" length, and that wasn't really all that hard. But this wall of windows in our living room has been far more intimidating.
So, I need some window covering counseling from my fellow stylish and thrify bloggers. What would you do? Blinds? (Wood or faux? White or matching the trim?) Roman shades? Curtains? Any inspiration photos to share? Something must be done, if not just for aesthetic enhancement, then at least to add a little more of a barrier between the drafty windows and us (especially now that winter is right around the corner).
And obviously it would be ideal if this project could be done on the cheap. If it comes down to DIY, I may not be able to sew, but I can Steam-A-Seam!
Oh, and for what it's worth:
- These windows are south-facing (so it's nice during the winter when we can let some sun in).
- The loveseat under the windows pretty much has to stay put. Our living room is small and our three big pieces of furniture only fit a certain way. *sigh*
hmmm, roman shades might be fun, add some color and be a curtain and blind all in one?
ReplyDeleteor, if it was my house i just do curtains because privacy isn't on the top of my list.
I feel like the window needs to be framed with curtains on the very ends of the first and last window. Then I would do bamboo blinds in the windows. I think that ton would flow nicely with your wall color.
ReplyDeleteI'm a sucker for bamboo blinds and white curtains. :) Can't wait to see what you decide! (and your Christmas decorations, too!)
ReplyDelete~Chelsea
You have great windows!! I would do faux wood blinds or bamboo roman (if you like that style) I would just frame the windows with a pair of curtains make sure they are full so it looks nice and hang the rod higher if your able too - should look good
ReplyDeleteI never know what to do with window treatments. And out of the 13 (mostly large) windows at my house, only 3 are properly treated. The rest are either uncovered or treated with your basic home depot roller shades.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to do something like this. It should be a breeze if your windows are standard sized...plus there is zero sewing involved!
Good luck!
I also think fun shades would be awesome - Elisa at What the Vita just put up amazeballs ones!
ReplyDeletehttp://whatthevita.wordpress.com/2010/11/20/window-joy/
I could be mistaken, but I think that Ikea carries curtain panels that are 96 inches. Theirs are also very affordable. I think that a series of 3 blinds over the windows would look great - especially if they were oversized and looked like one seamless blind. Then do a curtain panel on each side.
ReplyDeleteI really like roman shades (and just made one for my kitchen, in fact- with no sewing!) BUT I love to be able to control the amount of light coming in. Since you have a nice south-facing window, I would totally get 2" slat wood blinds to match your trim. I think it would make that room really cozy. Then flank each end with a long curtain panel, hung high and wide. That's my opinion!
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of bamboo roman shades and full looking 96" curtains. Every room in my house has 96". The best ones I've found are the woolrich brand grommet curtains from Target. I think they are only $27 for a pair and they are awesome. Washable and haven't faded (been up over a yr). They'd also be easy to customize with ribbon trim or liner if you wanted.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of roman shades... I'm not sure bamboo would work for you, because of the trim. We have wood trim and it was impossible to find matching or even coordinating wood tones in a shade. I like the idea of ivory roman shades with full curtains. Hang the rod high and do a curtain panel between each window.
ReplyDeleteWhen we moved into our house my mother and I took a road trip to ikea. I bought 8 packages of Lenda unbleached 108" drapes and covered all of our windows, just to get something up. 18 months later, I still haven't found anything I like more.
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ReplyDelete