BLINDS!

We have BLINDS! We’re way overdue for these, neighbors would agree (ha!).

Our great room (it really is just one big room with our kitchen, dining room and living room) is two-story, with a TON of windows and so. much. sunlight. The back of our home faces south, so we get a ton of natural light in this room all day long.

Since we are a corner lot, there is a lot of activity that goes on, on the road next to us. Lots of cars pass by, lots of people walking and people who can see in.

I really wanted a way to allow sunlight in, but provide for some privacy, especially at night.

We’ve had plantation shutters in our last 2 homes and I LOVE them. I love the way they look and the convenience of being able to open and close them. But, I also feel like they keep rooms dark. We really wanted sunlight to shine through, and try something new. I decided I wanted roman shades, and woven roman shades were the top of my list. I love that the woven roman shades add depth and texture to a room, allow us to open them up during the day for lots of sunlight, but we’re able to pull them down easily at night for some privacy.

We went with the Designer Roller Shades from Select Blinds, in the Desert color. You’re able to order free samples, which was so helpful! I ordered the Desert color and Camel. The samples came within 5 days, and it made me much more confident in my choice! Ordering online is super easy, too. Being that my style changes frequently (#sorrynotsorry), we wanted an affordable choice in case….you know…I change my mind! The good news? I LOVE the way these blinds look and think I’ll keep them awhile 🙂

Being that I’m married to my own Chip Gaines, we knew we didn’t need someone to measure and install for us. Steve measured all our windows and I ordered the blinds, then he installed them. Steve said these were literally the easiest blinds to install….ever. He had them all up in our living room/dining room in less than 45 minutes. Steve’s top tips for installing/ordering blinds:

1. Measure in 6 total spots per window. Vertically (left to right), middle, and right and same for horizontal. Find the smallest measurement of vertical and horizontal and use that measurement for your order.
2. Make sure you follow manufacturer measurement guidelines. Some call for you to take some off your measurements to account for a rod, a roller, etc. Our blinds from Select Blinds did not call for any differential in measurements.

I also scored these extra long drapes (118 inches!) from Ikea! And our black curtain rods are from Amazon.

We are still waiting on our new couch, new chair and our final thoughts on the BIG WALL with the fireplace AND our mantel that Steve is going to custom-make, then we will start finishing up this room. We love our new blinds and love how much they’ve added to our home!

XO,

Lindsay