Finally! Our living room window limbo is no more. This weekend we actually got around to picking up some bamboo blinds to bridge the gap between the top of the window and the curtain rod. Gotta love making windows look bigger and taller while introducing some texture in the process.
Here’s the w.b.b. (window before blinds) totally begging for something under that rod:
And the finished product thanks to two wood blinds from Wal-mart (for 25 bucks a pop) and John’s manly muscles (free of course):
We actually have the same exact blinds in the den and above the laundry nook in lieu of pricey cabinet doors. We love that we could tie them into yet another space to keep things consistent and create the illusion height. White Ikea floor length curtains flanking these simple wood blinds is absolutely our favorite combination for big picture windows (and one that we often suggest to everyone who will listen) but what say you lovely readers? Think we did our home’s biggest window proud?
Psst- Wanna know more about finding the right window treatments for your home? Check out this exhaustive answer.
Jennifer says
Sherry,
I came across your site today and have been looking around for a few hours. What a great place for inspiration and tutorials – thank you!!
I could use your advice for my living room wall. I have a brick fireplace and mantle that is a mere 7 inches from my sliding glass door, and our kitchen window is about 30 inches from the sliding door on the same wall. I would love to try the curtians/blinds idea, but do you think the curtains will look too squeezed in on the 7 inch side? Thanks for your help!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jennifer,
We’re no strangers to cheating curtain panels over when you need to! We actually did it in our living room and our bedroom and the effect is always subtle and balanced looking. It’s our way of correcting the flaws of the house! In your situation, we would hang a rod 3″ into the 7″ area that you have between the fireplace and the sliding door and 10″ into the 30″ area that you have on the other side. What that will do is make the sliding door appear as if you cosmetically moved it over. Then just hang the same curtain and blind combo on the window on the same wall (again a bit wide, maybe 10″ extra on each side) so everything feels cohesive and balanced. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
sharon williams says
I have been to every target, walmart, and big lots and they do not have bamboo shades. Do you have other ideas where I might find them?
Thanks for sharing so much.
YoungHouseLove says
Sometimes there are recalls so they’re hard to find but we always suggest amazon.com as another place to look. Oh and Home Depot usually has them too. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Bethany says
Hi guys~ love your site, I check it every day for inspiration. Wondering if you could help me with a window question: we just purchased a vacation cottage that we are redecorating. I plan on using a very light and open paint scheme that includes choices inspired by your blog (wishes) and open flowy white curtains with bamboo blinds on the windows throughout. Recently I discovered two very affordable bamboo roman shade options on target.com, one in a “natural” ( http://www.target.com/Bamboo-Roman-Shade-Spice/dp/B000KUCEI6/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton ) tone and one in an ivory( http://www.target.com/Global-Home-Ivory-Roman-Shade/dp/B0006B9W8Y/ref=sc_ri_1 ). Would you stick with the natural or go for the lighter? I am leaning toward the natural, but thought I would ask for your instincts? Thanks for your inspiration! Bethany
YoungHouseLove says
Natural all the way! It’ll look great. Hope it helps! Happy hanging…
xo,
s
Bethany says
Thanks a million! Christmas Hugs! ~Bethany
Pilar says
Hi Sherry! How many Vivan panels do you use on each side? Do you use two on each side of the living room window (two packages) and one on each side of the den windows (one package per window)? And it looks as if the shades are mounted just a wee bit below the rod – is that correct? Finally, what would you do with a 40″ window that is framed by two heating pipes (each about an inch around)? Shade inside the pipes, and the curtains on brackets that extend out beyond the pipes?
This is my favorite, favorite site on the web. All the best wishes for your growing family in 2010! Pilar
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Pilar,
We used just one panel per side (one package of two total for the whole window). As for the shades, they’re mounted just about the exact same height as the rod (it’s just the angle of the photo that makes them seem a smidge lower). As for the pipes in your space, that’s a tough one. Is there any way to obscure them with the curtains so they don’t start outside of them? That would be our suggestion. This whole system looks best when the curtains touch the blinds on the outer edges (so if you didn’t have to break them up with pipes in between that would be great). If not just play around to see what looks best- we’ve never dealt with that issue so just have fun and see where you end up. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Debra says
Hello everyone, I am trying to figure out how high to hang my curtains that are flanked on either side of my fireplace. My problem is I have a picture hanging above my mantle and I’m not sure how high the curtains should be in comparison to the picture hanging between the windows above the mantle. I was trying to make the windows seem taller, but to me it looks off balance because they are hanging as high as the top 1/3 of my picture. Should they hang at the level that is in the middle of my picture? I’m very confused.
YoungHouseLove says
We like all art at eye level and all curtains mounted just a few inches below the ceiling… so definitely go higher than your fireplace art! High curtains throughout a room still feel balanced with eye level art as long as they’re each consistently hung that way for a nice layered and intentional look that isn’t all in one awkward line around the room. Check out catalogs like Pottery Barn and magazines like House Beautiful to see how great high curtains and eye level art can look. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Joanna says
Hello, I just got linked to your blog from gardenweb.com and I can’t wait to read more. I have a small house too and my living room has the same short window above my sofa as yours. Because the room is small and narrow I was thinking of going with 2″ wood blinds because I was told curtains “take up space in the room.” But I love the softness of the Vivan Panels with the textured blinds.
But I wanted to have sheers because I like a little privacy while maintaining a view and light filtering. The Vivan panels would probably obstruct the view. Do you have any suggestions?
I like your sofa. Is it down filled? Where did you get it?
Thank you.
Joanna
YoungHouseLove says
Curtains add softness, ambiance and visual height! They bring so much more to a small room than they take away (ceilings look taller and rooms look more airy!). We would definitely suggest flanking your wood blinds with the Vivan panels hung high and wide (they do a great job allowing light to shine in while blocking any unappealing views). As for the sofa, it was purchased from a local Rowe furniture retailer and is actually not filled with down (we opted for the poly fill since it tends to keep it’s shape better in the long haul). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Monica says
Hi Sherry,
You have such gorgeous timber window frames in your house and I love the way you’ve painted them all white to look like picture windows. I like the idea of using the bamboo blinds and white long curtains but my windows are aluminium so I don’t think it will have quite the same effect. Keen to get your thoughts.
Love your site by the way!
Monica.
YoungHouseLove says
You know, we still would have hung bamboo blinds and long breezy white curtains even if our home had metal-framed windows. They would still add height and ambiance, and you can paint those metal frames white to help them blend right in like wood molding. You could also paint them a brown-bronze color to mimic oil-rubbed bronze and hang your curtains with an oil-rubbed bronze curtain rod to tie it all together. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Monica says
Thanks so much for replying so quickly Sherry. That makes sense, I do love the white frames though and was also thinking white plantation shutters could be an option. If we went with those would you put anything (long breezy curtains etc) over the top of them?
YoungHouseLove says
We definitely love the look of breezy curtains flanking windows with crisp white plantation shutters but it’s totally personal preference. You can go for it if you want to soften the boxy shape of the window and add height (hanging the curtains a few inches under the ceiling will make the room feel a foot taller) but you can also opt to leave the window curtainless if you want the emphasis to be on those gorgeous shutters. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Joanne says
Hello,
Just found your site and love it!
We re-arranged our bedroom furniture for more space utilization, but the bed is now on a wall with an off-centered window. The wall is about 11 feet wide. The window is 18″ from the wall on one side and 6′ from the other wall. The headboard covers about half of the bottom portion of the window.
Would there be a way to make it look like a big window behind the bed when the window is so far off to the side?
We have two other windows side by side, on another wall and I would like to use the Vivan curtains and either wooden blinds or the bamboo blinds on those windows. Thank you so much for your help!
YoungHouseLove says
Totally! Just cheat the curtains so the window looks centered by hanging a few different Vivan panels on the longer expanse of wall so the window appears to end 18″ from each side of the wall (like the one side already does). You’ll also want to hang a few extra panels on the other side so it looks balanced (so you’ll lose a bit of the window) but your window is huge anyway and the bed will look centered so it’s totally worth it! Good luck!
xo,
s
joanne says
Thanks for your response, but I have a follow-up question.
The window, including the frame, is about 40″ wide and the total wall area is 11′ wide.
Are you suggesting that I use different color Vivan panels behind the bed and white Vivan panels on the ends? The window is to the far left when looking at the wall.
Thank you for any suggestions!
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, all the same color curtains, so they feel lush and thick on both sides and blend together as one panel (you just won’t be able to use one panel to bridge that gap an cheat things over that far, so tossing a few panels up on each side of all the same color will look luxe and cohesive so they can easily cheat things over while no one else is the wiser. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Melissa says
ahh, I have the EXACT same problem as joanne! i’ve been racking my brain on how to make it work with our window being so far to the left and the bed being centered. this totally helps!
p.s. love your blog, we’ve used quite a few of y’alls ideas in our houses! (like the hanging lanterns on the front porch! we snagged ours for $1 each at thrift stores!)
Jeff C says
Hi – We are looking to do the exact same treatment in our sunroom. How many blinds did you use for your wide window – where is the seam? It looks like one continuos blind from the picture.
Thanks!
Jeff
YoungHouseLove says
The seam’s right in the middle but you can’t see it since we hung them flush right next to each other and the texture/pattern in the blinds makes it virtually undetectable. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Denaye says
Hi, just found your site looking for a way to deal with my window dilemma and I have been looking through all the pages for hours now! We just bought a condo and will be renovating the entire thing so I have gotten tonnes of ideas already. As for my window problem, In the living area there is a sliding glass door with a window to the left of it (only about half a foot apart). There are built in valances (we will eventually be tearing out but need window coverings asap) and there is a electric baseboard heater at the bottom that goes almost the whole way under both the window and the slider. So I was thinking that the window treatment you have in your living room would look good except for I can’t have the window panels to the ground because of the heater? It’s very hard to explain, maybe I could send you a picture.
YoungHouseLove says
We can totally picture it, and we would have suggessed one long rod above both the window and the sliders with three panels (one for the side of the window, one to go between the slider and the window and one for the other side of the slider) however your baseboard heaters can make floor length curtains a bit of a fire hazzard. You might want to look around for special heat resistant curtain panels that are made to be safe with baseboard heat, otherwise we would suggest just hanging bamboo blinds or some sort of cream, white or tan roman shade above both the window and the slider at the same height for some polish and softness. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kim says
I have a similar window in my living room. It is approximately 101″ wide. I like the idea of using two blinds next to each other, but what do I do if the sizes don’t work out exactly to the 101″.
By the way – I love your website. I belong to a mom’s group and am going to tell everyone about it. Great tips and advice! Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kim,
Ours don’t work out to be the exact width of our window but the beauty is that it doesn’t matter! If you’re flanking them with curtains no one is the wiser if each side hangs over a few inches since the panel will be in front of the extra blind “hangover”, and even if you’re not using curtains we like all of our blinds to be outside mounted a few inches (so just go for whatever measurement is closest but a bit bigger than your window). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kim says
Thanks so much for your quick response. I was just reading other comments and noticed that you are able to hide the cord because you leave the blinds up all day/night. My window is in the front of the house, therefore, I will need to close them at night time. Do you have any solution? What do you think – would it be too much of a pain to keep hiding it on a daily basis? Thanks again.
YoungHouseLove says
I think you could totally keep the cords down for regular use and tuck them up when company is coming over- that way they’re super functional and easy to use. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Denaye says
Thanks for such a quick response! Great idea, I never thought about “heat resistant panels”. I am definately going to look for that.
Denaye says
Hi again,
Ok I have another window dilemma. (I am the one with the baseboard heaters at the bottom of my windows)*see a couple posts above. So our sliding glass door leads to our balcony which is enclosed with windows. My husband just informed me he would like window coverings on these windows as well as the building next to us is not too far and when they are on their balconies they can see right into our living room. So he thinks that he wants something out their so that we can have the sliding glass door window coverings open for the majority of the time. I would like something that will let in the light still but am definately not a fan of the plastic “vanetian” blinds, which is what was their before we bought the condo. So any suggestions that would go with the bamboo and white panels on the inside slider adn window, since you will see it all at the same time. I was thinking a white sheer panel but I’m not sure I want material out their. Maybe some more roman shades?
YoungHouseLove says
Those terrible vertical blinds are actually a great solution because they can be pulled open and can “hide” behind the curtain panels on each side of the sliders when you’re entertaining and letting the light in but they provide great privacy for a slider when they’re drawn. We just love that they can hide behind curtains so it’s usually what we recommend for privacy- especially because it sounds like you already have them. If not you can always go with thicker lined curtain panels that you draw for privacy but again you might have a fire hazard issue with the baseboard heaters. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kim says
Another quick question. There is about an inch ledge in front of the windows. If I put the blinds above the window will there be too much of a gap between the wall and the window? I feel like I have to mount them inside the window (but I can’t find the exact size). Let me know what you think. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Not at all! We have a window ledge and we outside mounted our blinds a few inches beyond our windows. Just bring one home that’s a few inches wide on each side and hang it up! Of course you can always return it, but it’ll feel nice and balanced with a few inches of overhang, especially if you hang curtain panels on each side. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
Hey There!!
I love the window combination! I am stumped on what style of IKEA curtains that you used. If you would please let me know, then I can run out and get them for my bedroom.:-)
Also, do you charge a fee for your room makeovers with your room boards?
Your blog has inspired me to change the colors of my house!! I love reading your blog and look forward to your daily posts.
Thanks,
Stephanie
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Stephanie,
Just click the Design Advice tab under our header for more info on our services. And as for our curtains, they’re Vivan panels by Ikea. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rachel says
Hi Sherry! I just love reading your blog:) Yall have the cutest house! I just recently did the same thing to my windows in the living room and love it. The only problem is that the bamboo blinds are not the best for privacy…I know they make privacy liners but I was wondering if you knew of a cheaper way to do it? Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
We love hiding white roller shades behind bamboo blinds which offer a ton of privacy and can be inside mounted on the top of your window so they’re never in sight behind your bamboo blinds unless you have them pulled down and in use for privacy (and even then you can hide them by lowering the bamboo blinds as well). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erin C. says
Hi Sherry and John,
You used outside mounts for the bamboo blinds? I’ve never hung curtains before.. just wondering if you used one long rod with both of the blinds strung on, or if there’s another sort of mount in the middle where the blinds meet? I hope this makes sense! Your window looks great, and we’re trying to model our wide, dining room window after yours. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin C,
Blinds actually don’t hang on curtain rods, the curtains that flank the blinds do, but the blinds are hung directly on the wall. Therefore you can hang your curtain rods at the height that you want and then take the rod and the curtains down and hang your blinds on the wall right behind the rod so they appear to be hung at the same height. Oh and blinds hang from points on either side of the top part (on each edge if that makes sense) so they are secured to the wall in multiple places to keep them looking level and to help two of them look like they’re all one blind. If you pick up bamboo blinds like ours you’ll see just what we mean. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erin C. says
lol- I am such a novice! Thanks so much for the quick, helpful response. :)
YoungHouseLove says
No worries at all. And good luck!
xo,
s
Gretchen says
Hi Sherry and John! Do you tire of answering the blinds/Vivan panels queries? I hope not; I’m about to ask mine, and offer a shout-out for a current bamboo blind deal to be had. ;)
I stumbled onto YHL a couple months ago and am now a die-hard regular and have been sharing your bloggy wealth with family and friends. If your stats are up, it’s all me! Just kidding. (Sort of.)
Anyway, we’re moving OUT of our first home — which we ADORE and did so much DIY work to (when we made the offer on the 1927 Dutch Colonial 10 years ago, there was another family living there — a family of raccoons. The house had been vacant 10 years.) Still, we loved its charm, original subway tile bathroom, tile foyer floor, mailslot, fireplace, and more, and decided to bring her back to life. Sadly, it’s time to move on as our little girl is ready for kindergarten, and we can no longer JUST focus on the great old house — we need to think school system, too.
So … we’re on the move. Literally, in 8 weeks. Not long after getting addicted (admission is the first step) to YHL, I knew I wanted to change our “look” in this new house and go with your bamboo blind/Vivan panel breezy approach. (You youngsters rock!) Also, this new house has a bit more open floor plan (we’ve been knocking down walls and opening things up for a fresher approach in a house that’s also from the 1920s, but smaller than we’ve had). I’ve never decorated a space with a living room, dining room and kitchen that are all visible from each other, so bamboo/Vivan makes PERFECT sense since it’s clean and consistent. It’s about flow, right?
While they’re not super expensive, I wanted to address 20-some windows this way so I’ve been watching for sales and coupons to get the best deal. The Christmas Tree Shop has bamboo with seagrass roman shades/blinds — in various brown hue options — for $16.99 each, no matter the size. Plus, I had a 20-percent-off-the-total coupon, so that’s $13.50-ish per blind. Cha-ching!
The downside? They only offer up to 36″ wide. Since budget is the driving force here — I went for it despite the fact I couldn’t do the width overhang on the sides like you folks do b/c I would need larger sizes. Bummer. But! I still can hang them high to accent the 9 foot ceilings (discovered after we found 4 other varied ceilings stacked on top of one another).
So yesterday I bought out two different CTS stores (in two states, thank you very much — NJ and NY with people staring at my overflowing cart) in the dark brown hue of the bamboo roman blind (definitely darker than yours, like a cocoa, but I’m hoping the contrast will still be awesome given our furniture, lightish colors on the walls and the Vivan panels in all the “public” spaces).
Whew. I think I drank too much coffee this evening. So, 1) Thanks for the continuing inspiration! 2) Wanted to share the CST deal and 3) here … finally … are my questions.
(Yeesh — have you gone into labor yet, Sherry? This is longer than I thought it would be. But how can you blame me? You folks have me all fired up!)
I know Vivan has the hem tape, but I can’t seem to find in your posts whether YOU actually use it — Are you fan of pooling them on the floor, have you not needed to “hem” them based on your measurements or do you, in fact, “hem” them — and if so, at what length? Pooling or just barely to the floor or what? I know it’s personal preference, but what’s yours?
And, seriously, is it a deal-breaker that I “can’t” go wider with the blinds due to the size the store offers (and my need for the awesome deal)? Any other hanging tips in this instance?
And finally, I swear — I’m in a bit of a color-conundrum (having to do the entire house at once is unnerving) as I have the furniture (warm chocolate couch with a tiny bit of striping in off light greenish (think Behr’s Contemplation 700E-3), chair in the same greenish hue with brown accent detailing, Pier 1 wicker/rattan-ish natural chair, the dining room is a dark wood farmhouse table style from World Market (thanks craigslist!) and I have two neutral tan drum shades to hang over the 7 ft table (thanks overstock for the Restoration Hardware look at a bargain).
Flooring in the foyer and kitchen is multi-colored slate (not gray!) — deep warm colors, golds, reds, browns, etc. But it’s all sort of visible no matter where you stand. How on earth does one tie it all in with lighter paint shades like you folks do? (Note — the tan we love and have now in our old home living room and up the steps into the hallway upstairs) is BM’s Alexandria Beige, (dark and deep and no pink tones). We love it, but that’s not light and breezy. Right?!?
Using just one color in all these rooms that you can see at the same time seems boring. And what color carries from the foyer up the steps to the upstair hallway that connects the bedrooms? Do I go with the “Contemplation green” on walls — but in all the rooms? Stick with tans instead where I’m safer and understand better? HELP!
I’ve never felt at such a loss to decorate. I think it’s because I’m trying to do the lighter, fresher feel you have going on (I love it!) and it’s so different for me. Can you help at all with a color-nudge in the right direction? If I say pretty-please? If I send your soon-to-arrive beanette some awesome happy hair clippies from my etsy shop chock-full of accessories for little girls and their rooms? Will you youngsters take pity on me?
;) Whew. (Breathing.)
Signed,
Thrilled by the bamboo blind deal I found, unnerved by the color conundrum I’m whirling about in and overcaffeinated too late in the evening.
— AKA Gretchen
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Gretchen,
That’s an amazing bamboo blind deal- congrats! As for the hem tape, we do use it, but not Ikea’s (it’s webbed so we spend a few bucks at Michael’s for the iron on hem tape that we love – it’s called Heat N Bond). First wash all your curtains and dry them so you know how much they’ll shrink up (quite a bit usually- follow the washing and drying instructions). Then hang them with the rod as high as possible (of course you want to make sure they touch the ground). If you’re lucky they’ll graze the ground (pooling a bit) and you can make a small 1/2″ hem so they still graze the ground a bit (ours are not hugely pooled but they’re not hemmed right above the floor either so we have a bit of breezy airiness to them. And as for your color conundrum, we would go with the Contemplation Green on the walls in all the rooms since it has some color and won’t be boring. Or you could go with a neutral like Glidden’s Water Chestnut and make one long accent wall with the Contemplation Green. Either way you can’t go wrong so just follow your gut and enjoy your new home!
xo,
s
Jude says
Hi Sherry and John
We have just discovered your website, and I LOVE IT! You are so talented and I am looking forward to sitting down with a cup of tea and going through it all slowly and hoping that some of your talent seeps through to me! I have one very cheeky question which I hope you won’t mind sharing with me – where did you get the rug from in this room? I love it and have been looking for one for our living room and think that one might be a perfect choice.
Thanks!
Jude
YoungHouseLove says
Hi Jude,
It’s the honeycomb rug by Chris Madden for JC Penney. They might not sell it anymore but you can always check out ebay!
xo,
s
Stef says
I just bought some bamboo blinds from Home Depot, and when I opened them I discovered that they come with screws but not anchors. The directions say to drill pilot holes and then screw the brackets right in, but I think they intend an outside mount into the window frame. I will be outside mounting my bamboo blinds on the wall above my windows, as you did. My 1950s brick ranch has plaster walls, so I thought yours might as well. Did you use anchors when you hung your bamboo blinds, or did you just screw them directly into the wall? Thanks for the help – you can tell my husband and I are not so handy.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, definitely use anchors for your plaster walls! We did and it was super simple (just bring the screws that came with your blinds to the hardware store and find anchors to match). Good luck!
xo,
s
karisa says
looking for suggestions – i have a half circle window above our tub in the master and i really am not a fan of the way it looks and i loathe those fan window treatments, but that is all i seem to come up with when i search for a solution. i knew you guys would maybe have a creative, unique idea! help!
YoungHouseLove says
We usually leave them untouched (we love the light streaming in and agree that those fan treatments can be a bit formal). If you want privacy or for some reason want to cover that window to cut down on the light-factor you can always add frosting film (available at Home Depot) which always looks clean and updated. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Colbi says
Hey guys….I just want to say how in love with your site I am! I just bought my first home, and on a limited budget, I am trying to find great ideas that don’t break my small bank!! hehe!! I love all of your rooms and have already decided that I am stealing your bedroom IKEA closets idea but I am dying to know where you guys found your rug for your living room?? All of your accesories are so great and if you could drop a couple names of where you got them I would be even more thankful than I already am to be able to sneak peek all your great, beautiful, resourceful ideas!! Thanks guys!! :0)
C
Erin says
Sherry,
Our front window is very similar to yours (maybe a tad bigger). We went to 3 different blind stores and everyone said because of the size, verticals were the only thing that would work. We definitely need the privacy at night and everyone we talked to said that if we had one big blind, it would be too much weight and they’d break after not too long from pulling them up and down. Since our front window has no panes, they said 2 of anything wouldn’t look good. Long story short, we ended up ordering verticals. I HATE verticals and swore I’d never have them. I need to make these verticals work. I really want to put up panels like you have, but how do you hide the hideous vertical valance? It sticks out so far .. I’m at a loss. Help me make my verticals look pretty. We got white faux wood w/ crown valances in the rest of the house! :)
Thanks soooo much!!
Erin
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
Our only idea would be to use the curtain panels to tuck the verticals behind when they’re not in use and although the vertical valance sticks out a lot, perhaps you can mount bamboo blinds like we did in our front window to cover that part (mounting them on a 2 x 4 or something else that will set them out from the wall above the valance, allowing them to cover it, might work). Good luck!
xo,
s
Jan says
Hi Sherry & John,
Live in an apartment with (electric heat) baseboard in both living room and bedroom. What length do I hang curtains; two inches above baseboard or on or about the window ledge?
New to your site ….. lovin it!
Thanks so much,
Jan
YoungHouseLove says
We would do roman shades, bamboo blinds, and/or breezy curtains that hang a few inches below the window ledge (just to avoid a fire hazard). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Chrissie Ochocki says
Hello! I am a newbie fan of yours, and have been totally inspired by you two. Thank you for all the information you provide for people like me who can’t get enough help! I am definitely going for the white vivian curtain and bamboo blinds on my living room window.
I love the Vivian curtains because they are the right price (I’m on an extremely tight budget) and they have the length I’m going for. Other curtains I have checked out are ten times that price in a longer length.
Here’s my problem: I tried ordering the Vivian curtains on ikea’s website; however, they say that this product is not for sale on their website. I live in Denver and we don’t have an ikea (yet)…yeah one is coming FINALLY!!! I don’t think I can wait for the Denver one to open (Fall of 2011). Do you have any suggestions on how to obtain these curtains since I can’t buy them online and we don’t have a store here yet?
This could be something I just have to accept, but on the off-chance you could help me find those affordable & beloved curtains, I would be so grateful!
Thank you!
Chrissie
YoungHouseLove says
Yes- check out eBay! They sell tons of Ikea items (especially small shipable ones). You could also put a “looking for” ad up on Craigslist so anyone in a city with one could get them and ship them to you (you could toss in $10 for their efforts or something). Good luck!
xo,
s
Chrissie Ochocki says
Thank you so much for responding so quickly. I looooooove your site, by the way, and have a hard time leaving it!
I have one more quick question for you (thank you for giving your readers such great advice)! I found these curtains on Ebay, but they are 98.5 inches long. I have 8 foot ceilings. Do you think after washing these curtains that they will be long enough to hang almost to the ceiling and pool a bit on the floor? Or, do you think I should hold out for the longer panels?
Thank you so much! You guys are awesome!!!
Chrissie
YoungHouseLove says
They’ll probably be just fine! We say go for it!
xo,
s
Chrissie Ochocki says
Wow! You’re fast! Thank you so much! I heart you guys!
Chrissie
Tara G. says
We are doing this project right now and have a quick question. Our window are LOW compared to our ceilings. There is 29″ between the top of the window and the bottom of the crown molding.
Is there such a thing as too much bamboo blinds? Should we hang the rod about a foot below the ceiling? Our ceilings are 9.25 feet tall.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Sure, why don’t you hang the rod about 10- 12″ from the ceiling so the bamboo blinds don’t feel top heavy and everything feels proportionate. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mary H. says
Hello! I recently stumbled across your page and first off, I am absolutely in love! I am starting my junior year in college and would love to recreate this look in my apartment. However, buying bamboo blinds are pretty much out of the question. I was thinking I would use a bamboo material and curtain clip rings to hang on the curtain rod. The only material i have found close to this is placemats at Target! :/ Do you have any suggestions on how I could bind the placemats together? I would LOVE some guidance! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe some fishing wire or heavy duty thread could be used to “sew” them together? Good luck!
xo,
s
rosa says
this idea blows my mind! i have 9′ ceilings and am ecstatic to try it! one question: do the bamboo blinds extend 18″ beyond the window as well? or do you make those the same width as the window? thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
Those are flexible since they’re covered by curtains, so whatever size blinds you find will work (ours extend about 5″ on each side). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Anu says
Hi,
love your blog by the way !
have a question regd white 2″ blinds which I have purchased to cover ‘inside’ my 34×64 window. but am still reconsidering whether to put curtains on rods – nearer the ceiling only or do both the blinds & the curtains to have both privacy and color in the room ? since the room is not big(10.5 x 11.5) want to keep the natural light as much as possible.
Should I buy taller blinds to make the window look bigger ??
Also does one get taller blinds- not roman shades (Any sources?) to cover a set of sliding glass doors 70×80 size ?
What are some of the ideas you might have to cover a sidelight 13″Wx 80″H ? don’t want to use the sticky coverings one gets at home improv stores.
Thanks !!
YoungHouseLove says
We have small rooms and we love the function of blinds plus curtains so the high and wide approach with both would be our recommendation. And as for sources, JC Penney, Target, Ikea, Lowe’s and Home Depot are great places to start. For sidelights, we like the frosted look (from film) but since you want an alternative you could always hang curtains or even use blinds.
xo,
s
Anu says
Thanks !
How does one affix the bigger blinds to outside of the window since there is no ceiling (underside of the top of the window)-so to speak- to fix it on ? the distance between the window trim & the ceiling base are 12″. have 8 ft ceilings on the bedroom level – upper level of our home.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Anu,
They’re called “outside mount” blinds and nearly every company creates them now (they can either be “inside mounted” to the top of the window trim or outside mounted straight to the wall). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
erika says
Hi! I have a picture window very similar to yours (except the side panels have 4 vertical squares/individual panes. Anyways, I didn’t find the blinds you purchased (2yrs ago) at Walmart’s website…but I did find “bali wood Grain” vinyl blinds at Target, I liked these b/c I love dark wood and we also have a darker stained floor and a chocolate milk color on our walls…when scrolling thru comments, I noticed that you said your blind looked seamless b/c the texture of the blind helped hide the seam…I don’t think these slatted blinds will have the same effect-do you? and if not do you know of something similar (with more texture like yours) thats affordable? Target also has a cocoa color jute shade, but Im afraid they might look a little too cheap/see thru. thanks for your response/imput
YoungHouseLove says
We would give them a whirl! They might just work since they’re still dark and have a wood grain. And you can always return them if they don’t. Good luck!
xo,
s
Toya says
Hi, I am renting and have two dilemmas. The first is our living. It is a small space with 2 large windows (one of which is a sliding glass door). We were given a BEAUTIFUL rust colored sofa and love seat and black and rust TV stand. We would love to use the rust as an accent but I’m so scared that using too much black will be over-powering and just down right depressing. Any tips on colors for the windows and accessories? Problem number 2 is that our kitchen is completely refurbished with modern Ikea cabinets and stainless steel appliances. We have a window that is about 52″ wide and goes from ceiling to floor. How can we give the window nice but subtle treatment to tie in the rust orange that we are using in our pots and accessories? The window lines right up beside the refrigerator so nothing bulky would work.
PS. You give awesome advice and I am using some of your techniques in our bedrooms. Keep up the great work.
YoungHouseLove says
Have a curtain fashion show! Bring home a few choices from Bed Bath & Beyond or Ikea and hang them up to see what looks best with your furniture and color scheme- then carefully repackage whatever you don’t prefer and return them! Usually trusting your eye and trying a few things is the best way to find what you love! Same with accessories of course. As for the window in the kitchen, a soft sheer on each side of it wouldn’t take up much space. And you could find sheers in rust to tie that color in (even gold or tan would be gorgeous with rust). Good luck!
xo,
s
Megan says
HI!
I am in need of a solution ASAP! I just LOVE your blog! It’s incredible. I want to ‘cheat’ the window as you suggest, but in order to do that, I need a 15ft curtain rod….obviously, those are hard to come by, and I was hoping I could get away with 2 rods from ikea to save some dollars and put them right next to each other, however I don’t know how I would cover up where the 2 come together? This is for our morning room, and there are 3 windows on the wall & I’m trying to give the illusion of one grand window vs. 3 small windows hence wanting the one long rod look vs. 3 small rods in-between each window. Please help, you provide such fabulous advice! HELP!
YoungHouseLove says
Check out this post where we did something similar. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Megan says
Thanks SO much! That really helped to see! I wish I could send you a picture of my room…is there a way? I’m having so much trouble with one side of the room in particular(where the slider is) b/c there is literally just 3 inches from the slider frame to the edge of the wall. I don’t know what to do!? I could extend beyond the slider on the other side the 18inches, not problem, but I don’t know what in the world to do on the other side? Can I like email you or something? HA! It’s probs not that easy, huh!? :o)
YoungHouseLove says
Why don’t you post it on our Facebook page so others can weigh in with ideas and suggestions along with us? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lori Wright says
I have a ginormous window in my kitchen with an arched window on top. Right now it has faux wood blinds on it but I never open them so our kitchen always seems uber dark. Should I remove them and try a different covering? (The window looks out to the front yard so I do need s privacy option.) I thought of hanging rod at the top of the arch and doing long curtains and framing it so the arched window does look arched…perhaps doing the bamboo blinds up top…? We have a pitched roof so the ceilings are super high…
Help!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, what about using frosting film (it’s not permanent so it can be removed down the line) on the arched window so there’s not a privacy issue but light can stream in up there. Then you can use the regular old blinds and curtains combo (or no blinds and just hang curtains on the bottom window that you can draw open for light and close for privacy. Good luck!
xo,
s
DrewandMay says
Hi Sherry,
We are looking for the same color bamboo blinds that you used in your home. We have checked all the sites you guys suggested but we are unable to find it anywhere. Do you currently where we would find a color similar to your bamboo blinds?
Drew and May~
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, maybe Lowe’s? Or Costco? Or maybe an online site like amazon.com? Good luck!
xo,
s
Drew and May says
Hi Sherry,
Thank you so much for your suggestions about where to find the bamboo blinds. We found our perfect blinds and will be putting them up as soon as they get here.
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
xo,
s
carey says
Hi,
I am wondering if the bamboo blinds in the picture are matchstick. Are they the roll up blinds, do they have a valance?
Maryanne says
love the look of the panels with the texture of the blinds here is my problem I have a wall that has two 62 inch windows and a door on the same wall
I wanted to treat the whole thing as one window and have panels and blinds like you did however where do you find the curtain rod in wrought iron? or wrought iron look for say 225-250 inches long????
YoungHouseLove says
You may need to buy a rod extender and rod from JC Penney or try Ikea for two rods that you can hang right next to each other as one.
xo,
s
Audrey says
Enjoying your blog today. Congratulations on your success. I have a question about hanging (after I make) my silk drapes. I have 9′ ceilings & the main window has beautiful crown about 3″ from the ceiling. If I hang the rods 12″ beyond the edge of the window, I will be in drywall BUT, the center support will be attached to the moulding (below the crown). Should I cut a block of MDF, paint it to match the wall, screw it into the wall & attach the side supports? I cannot come up with another idea & I think I can hide the block with the drapes. What do you think? Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I love that idea! Good luck!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Just found your blog and love it! Wondering if you might help me hang curtains, too :). I have 9 foot ceilings. On one wall, we have a sliding glass door that is 7 feet tall. Next to the door is a window that is 8 feet tall. The window has a bamboo roman shade mounted inside the frame. How do I hang curtains to frame the sliding door while minimizing the height difference? Thanks so much! We’re desperate for a little advice over her
Sar
YoungHouseLove says
I would try to hang the curtain rod for the sliding glass door and the window both at eight feet tall. That way they feel balanced. It means you’ll have some space over the sliding glass door for a bamboo roman shade, that you could outside mount at the same height (8 ft) if you’d like- so they all appear to be the same height. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ieva Vinduer says
Looks great. Was it useful? Do they protect from sun, etc.?
YoungHouseLove says
Mostly they were just for making a room feel polished, adding height, and reducing echo (textiles warm up a room so it doesn’t feel or sound hollow). We loved the softness they added and the blinds on the windows were for light control. Hope it helps!
xo,
s