Tuesday, January 18, 2011

shades vs. curtains HELP!

So, we're mostly settled into our new apartment. It's a garden style single story building with access to a community courtyard. We have windows on three sides of our space, which is amazing!! We get such beautiful light. However; this presents a couple of dilemmas. 1) window treatments are a necessity, all of our windows look right into our neighbor's apartments. 2) they all have the ugly, standard, white plastic mini-blinds

Now, I don't hate the blinds...I may be able to live with them if I'm able to distract the eye. We have a ton of windows (5 in the living room alone!), so replacing them could get really pricy. I've been looking at roller blinds and roman blinds...and I love them!! But can I afford them?? Can I DIY them??




Now, if money were no object, these blinds from Delia Shades (below) would be ideal. Aren't they all so lovely??



Originally, I was thinking that I would keep the blinds and hang burlap curtains...which would be waaaay cheaper, but I'd still have the plastic blinds!






What should I do?? Go with my first idea and hang curtains, or save my pennies to replace the blinds? HELP! :)

4 comments:

Megan said...

Do you want to have the option to look into your neighbors' apartments? 'Cause if not you could look into those frosted decals; some of the designs are really cute.

Mark and Valerie Brandt said...

I am the first to comment! Hooray! I have made Roman shades they are pretty easy and then you get to chose fabric and whatnot. however, if you like those shades that look like they have a grate-pattern on them, can you paint that pattern onto the ugly plastic roll down shades? Also, you can add accents to the ugly ones (if your landlord is OK with that) by attaching pretty ribbon, lace, fake fur, antlers....whatever, to the bottom. You could even attach it using velcro, then when you move (if that ever happens) you could just unvelcro the accent, peel of the stickery velcro from the ugly plastic shade and Goo-gone it to get the sticky off and you are good to go! For privacy, I would go roll down shades, ALTHOUGH, for the first time in my life I just put up sheer curtains and when money allows I will be purchasing beautiful heavy warm drapes to pull closed over them and I LOVE THE SHEERS! They work great in our bedroom, give it a fanciful feel and still maintain some privacy (although they are sheer you still need something else!). However, since I still need darkness to sleep we still have the ugly plastic roll downs under the sheers....good luck!

Mark and Valerie Brandt said...

Also, shades can be pulled up or down to let in as little or as much light as you like, where curtains normally have to either be all open or all closed....Dang, I wasn't the first...
:)

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