Window Treatments
Wow, who knew window treatments would be such a huge undertaking. This has been one of the more time consuming and costly projects of our home decorating. I initially had a local company give me an estimate to add blinds in the bedrooms and drapes in the dining and living rooms, but after seeing the total cost I decided I would brave the DIY route.
For the bedrooms I decided on honeycomb blinds that open from both the top and bottom. Our windows are large, and they have a shallow recess, so I needed to order custom sizes that would mount on the outside of the windows. I measured and measured and measured again. I agonized over fractions of inches to ensure it would be the right fit. I decided to order just one initial set to ensure I liked them before ordering more.
Next was the installation, which was also a huge undertaking — how to use a drill, how to find the studs, how to ensure the brackets are evenly spaced and aligned straight. I watched YouTube videos to learn how to use a drill and how to install blinds. I had to overcome my fear that I was going to screw up (which I did).
The living and dining rooms curtains were a whole other beast of a project. We have very large windows in these rooms as well, so I ordered custom sized drapes and hardware that unfortunately ended up not working how I was expecting. Because the rod is so long and needed additional support brackets, the rings that came along with it will not move freely along the entirety of the window. So, lesson learned, and I need to find another solution that will work properly. So much money and time spent to make these things look right!
In the end, I was able to figure out a system, and although it was painstaking and time consuming, I’ve been able to do it myself and save myself thousands of dollars while still getting the quality look I wanted. When I compared the cost, I saved myself 3x the money! There are still some tweaks to make, and I of course was second guessing my color choices, but for now it feels good to have this large project almost completed. One of the many home projects to be done!
