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JennGM
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| Posted: July 24 2012 at 2:11pm | IP Logged
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We're in the process of painting the main level. Funny how you start a project and it opens Pandora's box -- everything else needs to be updated. This house is tired with its 80s wallpaper and brass chandeliers.
My husband said it's time to replace the window coverings. All the windows have honeycomb shades. I hate them, but they were there, and keep temps regulated and give privacy.
But now thinking of something else...I've always wanted wooden blinds. I have them in my master bedroom. I like being able to still have some privacy and be able to regulate the light, instead of either open or closed with our old blinds.
But what do you have or like? I know cost is going to factor...we have LOTS of windows. My biggest problem is that I have 4 bay windows on the back of the house, including my kitchen. That kind of window is really hard for curtains.
I keep thinking if things are too expensive I could go to Roman blinds, but I'm not crazy about that idea for anything but the bedrooms.
Just wanting to discuss window treatments....please share!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Kathryn
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| Posted: July 25 2012 at 1:10pm | IP Logged
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Interesting and timely topic for me because we have 2" wood blinds throughout our current home and I love them...except when the sun comes peeping thru the slats it about blinds me AND the fact that they seem to be major dust collectors and need frequent cleaning and hard to pull all the way up if you want full light in esp. on cloudy days. So, we're moving next month and the lady has 1" vinyl blinds and old lady lacy drapes on all the windows. It's all GOT to go, IMHO. 
We're moving onto a 1 acre property with lots of trees and where privacy won't be as much of an issue as here in our suburban lot. Soo, I've been pondering getting those shades that you just push up (I guess they're the honeycomb shades?) but like you I'm thinking they're either up OR down...no in between. ?! Was hoping the shades would be easier to clean and less likely to collect so much dust. ? I then thought I could hang sheer drapes so if the shades are up it will still give some filter...esp. on the ones that face the road at night. I didn't want Roman blinds because a lot of our windows are on the front of the house and I think they wouldn't look pretty from the outside like honeycomb shades or 2" blinds.
So, like you...I'm confused! Keep thinking about making a trip to Lowe's since they have such a wide selection.
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Kathryn in TX
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 25 2012 at 2:25pm | IP Logged
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I like the wooden roman shades. I think they look pretty either mounted inside the frame or wider than the frame and hung up in line with a higher mounted curtain rod. This is a nice overview.
In my living room, I have regular roller shades with scalloped edges (they are gray and have a trim on the scallop). They aren't amazing or anything, but the price was right. Anyway, I do think they look cute on the outside of the house with the scallop at the top of the windows. I do like the simplicity of the roller shades: no strings, little dust, etc...
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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Erin
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| Posted: July 25 2012 at 3:15pm | IP Logged
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I pondered wooden but my sil talked me out of it. My bil (her dh) purchased wooden and she said it made the house look very masculine, mind you their house is an average size and windows smallish.
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Erin
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Kathryn
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| Posted: July 25 2012 at 3:20pm | IP Logged
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Erin, I actually only did wood colored blinds in the master, son's bedroom and upstairs gameroom. I did white wood blinds throughout the rest of the house. Wel, those are prob. "faux" wood blinds but same look as the nice 2" thick slats.
Lindsay...AMAZING site! Thanks! I have 3 rooms where there are 2 small windows together and I didn't think about doing one long rod and shade over them. I think I really might do those bamboo shades and then sheers on the end to make it appear like 1 big window. 
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Kathryn in TX
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JennGM
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| Posted: July 25 2012 at 4:18pm | IP Logged
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I'm going to be chatty.  Just warning in advance.
Lindsay, I like that site. I will have to say personal preference, bamboo blinds to me are more outdoor. We have them on our covered porch. My grandmothers had them in their sunroom. I can't bring them indoors. Totally personal preference.
In my townhouse we did roller shades and sheers for privacy. It did look nice. Again, a grandmother thing and MIL, but I like the roller shades with the scalloped edging. So I might go back with that. But I'm not crazy about the sheers. I know what my boys will do with them. And I want privacy, so really the blinds are the best option.
Roman shades -- the back never looks nice, does it? Seems like it needs to have cordless and doublesided, so that from the outside they are pretty. If anyone finds a tutorial, I'm all for it.
The bay windows in my house have a soffit above them. So the ideas of the tall curtains creating drama won't work. Bummer.
I do have dark wood blinds in my bedroom. I was inspired by British Colonial Island Decor and it doesn't look masculine at all. But I was intending to do white/painted blinds or at least very blonde wood on the main level. But again, they are probably very cost prohibitive.
Darn window coverings!!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 25 2012 at 9:03pm | IP Logged
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Have you seen faux Roman shades? There are several different tutorials online. The nice thing would be no weird hardware and such on the back. You could put them on the face of the window, and then hang a cheapy roller shade behind it on the inside to use for privacy/light control. For that matter, you could do the same thing with a real Roman shade and the roller shade could still act as a "liner" to make the outside view more clean and uniformed. You then would have an option of just using the roller shade when you are frequently adjusting, like on west facing windows in the evening. I know I find roller shades less "fiddly" than Roman shades or blinds.
In our old home, we had the faux wooden blinds in white throughout the house. None of our windows really lent themselves to drapes and the moldings were pretty. I thought the faux ones looked fine, though I'm sure the real thing is better. Ikea even sells wooden blinds now if you want a more affordable option.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 25 2012 at 9:07pm | IP Logged
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Thought, what if you did the faux Roman shade thing with your current honey comb shades? You could add some color and pattern and hide the honeycomb shades when the shades are up, but you don't get that funky outside thing you don't like. Then you can save up for the nice wooden blinds you really want.
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Lindsay
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Kathryn
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| Posted: July 25 2012 at 11:25pm | IP Logged
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Still think I like the bamboo thing but instead of sheers maybe actually a little heavier drape ...I mean chocolate brown is SUCH the rage in home decor. Got a Ballard Design and Pottery Barn catalog this week so if I can find some cheap alternatives to their design plans....
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Kathryn in TX
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 26 2012 at 6:27am | IP Logged
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Kathryn wrote:
| Still think I like the bamboo thing but instead of sheers maybe actually a little heavier drape ...I mean chocolate brown is SUCH the rage in home decor. Got a Ballard Design and Pottery Barn catalog this week so if I can find some cheap alternatives to their design plans.... |
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I like it, too.  I think the wood adds warmth to the room. And I don't really care for sheers, either. I would use a linen or heavier drape.
Also, there are tutorials for stenciling on cheap Ikea drapes for getting that Ballard Design look. 
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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JennGM
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| Posted: July 26 2012 at 9:03am | IP Logged
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Thanks for the ideas about Ikea. We're thinking of using them for quite a few things, so checking out window coverings (who knew?) will be very helpful!
Don't laugh at me, but I've found bamboo window blinds have a certain odor -- so that's another reason why I hesitate to bring them indoors. I don't like the smell!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: July 26 2012 at 9:30am | IP Logged
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I love the look of wood blinds, but I HATE cleaning them. I put Roman shades on several of our windows and love them.
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SallyT
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| Posted: July 26 2012 at 10:23am | IP Logged
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Ditto. We had white faux wood blinds in our old house, and I adored the look of them, but keeping them clean was a nightmare. I ditched them from as many windows as I could get away with, leaving the windows uncovered (rear-facing den windows, for example).
I have really missed the *look* of those blinds, though. They would be nice in my current house, which has had cheapie mini-blinds, which again I've mostly ditched and not replaced. We don't have too many privacy issues: lots of trees between us and the neighbors on one side, more space and next-door's house on a lower lot on the other. Our bedroom does look directly into the neighbor's windows, and there I put up a set of very cheap sheers, with some handsome white linen grommet-top curtains from Overstock.com. That way, we have light and privacy where we need it. My younger daughter's room upstairs has the same problem -- looks RIGHT into the neighbor's upstairs bedroom, and we put up inexpensive curtains for her as well.
I would sort of like bamboo roller shades for my downstairs double parlor and dining room, but haven't arrived at that stage in the budget yet. For now the windows are bare (which doesn't look bad), and we just make sure we're dressed, especially at night!
But now I'll have to go smell some bamboo shades, Jen!
Sally
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 26 2012 at 12:30pm | IP Logged
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I just went and smelled my shades , and they don't smell like anything, good or bad, to me.  Maybe they would smell if they were damp, like from being on an outside porch? I find canvas smells when wet but not when dry...
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Lindsay
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SallyT
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Yeah, I am having this beautiful mental image of all of us going to sniff our window treatments . . .
Sally
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 30 2012 at 7:58am | IP Logged
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I just saw these Fabric Covered Roller Shades and thought that it looked really cute in the bay window.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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JennGM
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SallyT wrote:
| Yeah, I am having this beautiful mental image of all of us going to sniff our window treatments . . . |
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Sorry, I know it's just me. Pianos have a special smell, too.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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| Posted: July 30 2012 at 9:06am | IP Logged
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Oh that is really cute! I don't think it's going to work for my windows, though, because I need the privacy and block light. I wish it could, because that is SOOO in the budget.
The previous homeowner had some well-made cornice boards over most of the windows. I know they are old-fashioned and not in current vogue, but to me they are classic, and I'm probably going to recover them. This look with the roller shade looks exactly like the cornice board look!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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CrunchyMom
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I see, so you want blinds so you can have privacy *without* blocking the light? (My roller shades block light well when closed, imo).
I've seen cornices done in modern rooms. I think if you pick a "fresh" fabric, it won't look dated (now, it might in a few years, but then you can recover, lol).
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 30 2012 at 9:32am | IP Logged
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Isn't this pretty with the solid fabric and decorative trim?
So is this
Here is edging with a print.
And I think this geometric print cornice looks classy, too.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Window Coverings
