Redecorating?
Redecorating your living room or dining room can be a lot of work. It’s very challenging to redecorate, especially as you need to not only decide what you want to change but also come up with the money to make those desired changes.
I don’t know about you but in my experience one of the first things that I “change” are the walls. Either they’re repainted or wall-papered, or re-paneled. Just changing that one thing can make a tremendous difference to the overall appearance of your room, and often that’s all that’s needed to give your room a ‘new’ look. The color you choose for your walls can change the entire ambiance of a room and as such deciding on what you’re going to do with your walls is almost the most important decision you will make when re-decorating.
Another simple way to revamp your room is to move the furniture around. It’s amazing how simply moving the living room furniture around can give your room a brand-new look. Sometimes you have built-in furniture that can’t be moved around, but in most cases, you can change the position of your couches, coffee tables, and television and give your room a whole new look in doing so.
One aspect of redecorating that is often overlooked till the very end is curtains and blinds. It’s a shame, as that is another item that can dramatically change the look of a room. There are a wide variety of window coverings available on the market these days. Gone are the days when the main option for dressing up your window was fabric-hanging curtains. There are so many alternatives available today that it is sometimes difficult to decide what to use.
Options for Covering Your Windows
Fabric Curtains
I love the way fabric curtains fall to the floor. They are the choice of covering for full-length windows in my opinion. Of course, not everyone feels the same way I do.
If you have a large expanse of windows, say ceiling to floor with double glass windows opening onto the patio, you might want to consider traditional fabric curtains. They are easy to open and keep open during the day. They fold nicely and if made from a decent material, look nice with little effort.
Curtains are also fairly easy to put up and get down.
One of the cons of curtains is the cost of cleaning them. Yes, you can throw them in the washing machine (have you ever done that?) but they are an absolute b**ch to iron afterward. The smaller the curtain, the easier it is to wash and hang. If they aren’t super wrinkled when you take them out of the washing machine or dryer, you can actually hang them straight up even if a tad damp, and they’ll dry out without any wrinkles.
Another con is that they can be quite expensive to buy, depending on the fabric chosen. There are cheaper materials available but, well, they look cheap. They also fade in the sun, don’t hang properly, and just don’t quite cut it, especially if you’re hanging them on a feature, wall-length window.
Roller Blinds
They are available in different colors and patterns, and some of them look quite nice.
I think they’re grand for hanging in a bathroom or a kitchen. They are easy to hang, they stay fairly clean and they look chic.
Blackout roller blinds are great for keeping a room dark too.
For all of that, I still think they look cheap. Maybe it’s my upbringing, but I just can’t bring myself to hang roller blinds on any window that matters!
Venetian Blinds
Actually, I have a bit of a soft spot for Venetian blinds, especially these days. I think there’s been a lot of creativity when it comes to retailing Venetian blinds. I love the varied colors they come in. They are very easy to clean and wind up or shut so no sun or peeking comes through.
While not as cheap as roller blinds, they are still a fairly economical solution for covering windows. They can also cover large windows and there’s no problem with opening and shutting, or rolling up.
I think they are best suited to dining rooms, and perhaps bedrooms depending on your overall bedroom décor. They can also be used in living rooms though one thing about them is that they don’t really have a very warm feeling about them.
Because of their style, they’re also good for popping up to cover that small window that you don’t know what to do with.
Roman Blinds
I am quite partial towards Roman blinds these days. You know, they’re the blinds that fold up like an accordion in pleats gathered at the top. In some ways, they’re similar to Venetian blinds, but there’s a whole lot of difference!
They come in a huge variety of colors, ranging from translucent to opaque. Not only are they available in varied colors but there is also a large range of patterns to choose from. In this way they are similar to fabric curtains–you can choose your color, and design very easily.
But even better, they are made from a variety of materials. Many are made from firm polyester, others from fabric, bamboo, cane, or softwood. That is the one thing that endears me to these blinds, and that is the huge variety of materials and the amazing designs that are available.
Another plus for Roman blinds is that they are fairly cheap. Of course, most of them are not as cheap as roller blinds, for example, but they are comparable to Venetian or roller blinds! If you’re in the midst of renovating, and you’re running out of money, this definitely makes them a viable option. They are also just right for conservatory blinds, easy to install, and to roll up and down!
Plantation Shutters
Plantation Shutters were originally used in old plantation homesteads, which is where their name derives from. In colonial days they were attached to the outside of the windows and were primarily used to keep the hot sun and dust out of the home.
These days the shutters are usually attached to the inside of the windows. Shutters are attached to panels, and these panels are in turn attached to the window casing. The shutters themselves can range, usually, anywhere from two to four inches wide. Modern-day plantation shutters are far removed from colonial-style shutters, but they have still retained their appeal even today.
More expensive shutters are made from selected hardwood. This wood not only looks elegant but it is hardier and less likely to get damaged by everyday wear and tear. Hardwoods, such as cedar, alder, or poplar wood make very nice-looking shutters. Blinds made from these woods can be left untreated, or stained to match the surrounding furniture.
If the price of hardwood plantation shutters is too much for your budget, there are other options. You can choose softer wood, faux wood, or even vinyl.
All Available Online
The wonderful thing is that all of these curtains and blinds are available online! You can measure yourself and then order online. Most retailers will deliver, or they will even come and measure and then deliver if that’s your preference.
If you’re a DIY man, they also supply instructions on how to hang the blinds yourself. Really, it couldn’t be easier. So, if you’re looking for something quick and easy to change, that will make a huge difference in your room, check out the options for window coverings. You might be pleasantly surprised at what a difference changing them can make!
