Our house gets wonderful sunlight, especially upstairs in the afternoons when the sun floods the front rooms. We love that light for relaxing, taking photos, and simply enjoying the space. Burger, our cat, loves it even more: napping, grooming, sniffing things, and more napping in those warm patches of sun.
That bright light also exposed a shortcoming: there were no window blinds. We had assumed the bedrooms would come with the same white faux-wood blinds we had in our previous home, so it was a surprise the first night when we realized we had nothing for privacy or to block the early morning sun.
After too many nights of undressing in the dark and waking at dawn, we went out and bought a stack of in-stock faux-wood blinds from the home improvement store. We opted for the slightly pricier “premium” model because the wider slats reduce visual obstruction when open, they promised better light control, and they featured a break-away pull for improved child safety. The upgrade was a small extra expense, but buying blinds for 11 windows still added up to more than $350. It was a bit of sticker shock, but necessary for privacy and comfort—especially in bedrooms and bathrooms where privacy is expected.
We don’t think these blinds are particularly stylish on their own—faux-wood isn’t exactly glamorous—but they are a clear upgrade from vinyl blinds. Once we add curtains, the windows look much nicer. Function won out over form this time.
Installation was straightforward but tedious. Clear instructions made the process easy to follow, but hanging eleven blinds and making adjustments took time. In total the project took about six hours, spread over two days. The payoff is worth it though: privacy and darkness in the bedrooms and bathrooms makes the mornings easier and the house more comfortable.
The installation involved screwing two brackets into the sides of each window frame and then sliding the blind into place. We were fortunate that our windows were standard sizes, so the blinds were available on the shelf. The store offers cutting services if needed, but we didn’t require them. After hanging each blind I trimmed the length to fit by removing bottom slats and shortening the lift strings, then reattaching and securing the bottom slat. That allowed a precise fit without having to wait while each blind was cut at the store.
One issue we hadn’t encountered before was that the side trim pieces included with each blind needed to be shortened to sit flush against our window frames. To address this I used a miter saw to trim each of the 22 pieces so they would attach properly at the corners. I used small blocks of scrap wood to hold the trim safely in place while cutting. The trim snaps together, so shortening the ends didn’t affect how the pieces attached or functioned.
With the trim adjusted and the blinds in place the transformation was immediate. The rooms gained privacy and the bedrooms could be darkened in the mornings. Most rooms still look basic because we haven’t hung curtains everywhere yet, but the difference is already noticeable. We did hang curtains in Clara’s room and in the guest room, which softens the windows and creates a cozier feel.
We plan to share more photos of each room soon. Sherry will take pictures this weekend and write a “one month in” update to show how the house is shaping up. Moving into a new place always feels expensive at first; the small, necessary upgrades add up fast. Even though this is our third house and we know how quickly costs accumulate, it still feels like money is leaking out of our pockets when we leave a store with a big purchase.
P.S. With Google Reader shutting down soon, we switched to a new RSS reader that imports our favorite blogs easily and offers a clean layout. If you’re moving off Google Reader too, there are several options worth trying—pick one that fits your workflow and preferences before the shutdown.