Home Makeover Diva

Home Design Makeover Ideas

Hard To Reach Window Treatment Solutions

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Several of our readers have expressed frustration and anxiety about how to deal with hard to reach window treatments once Spring comes and the sun is out again.  Many of who, mentioned feeling like they are living in a cave because they pull the shades down for the sunny months and only open them in the winter.  Others are tired of hauling a step ladder behind them from window to window.  All of them asking “Isn’t there a better way?”  Yes there are!  In fact there are three different options for those hard to reach windows when you custom order your window treatments.

1) – Remote Control Window Treatments – Remotes are great in those hard to reach areas where you don’t feel like risking life and limb just to let some light in.  Remote control window blinds are the most expensive option and come with several different options.  You can either get a remote or a wall mounted switch.  You can also choose a battery pack that sits in the head-rail and is invisible or an AC/DC adapter that plugs in the wall. The video below, shows off an alternative power setup and installation that might work for you as well.

2) – Cordless Window Treatments with Optional 6′- 9′ Pole – This option is a little more economical than the remote window treatment solution, but you are still paying extra for the cordless mechanism though.  Cordless window treatments are available on almost all styles of custom ordered blinds and shades, including cellular shades, Roman Shades, Roller Shades, Aluminum Blinds, Pleated Shades and CordlessWood Blinds.  The handles to push the window treatment up and down have a small hole that the hook on the pole fits into making it easier to line up and push or pull the window treatment open.  The hook on the end of the pole is similar to the ones they use at clothing stores to get the hangers down from up high.

Hard To Reach Window Treatment Solutions

3) – Request Longer Cords and Wands – When you custom order your window treatments, most manufacturers will ask if you need to have custom length cords and wands.  Simply measure how long each would need to be to comfortably reach and voilà, problem solved.  If it’s a cord and you can’t reach the top to measure, guess over. You can always cut it down to what you need later.

To decide what option works best for you, consider your function and your budget.  Also make sure to ask plenty of questions before committing to any one window treatment option, because some window treatments may not provide the functionality that you’re used to.  But above all else, stop living in a cave or dragging a step ladder through out your house  — we’re not in the dark ages anymore!

Best Place to Buy Window Blinds on a Budget

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Finding the right type of window blinds for your home without spending a lot of money can be challenging. The real secret is locating a window covering that is functional and cost effective. To do this, you’ll need to learn to shop differently than you might have in the past. Be open to online deals and most importantly, ask questions.

What are you looking for in a new window blind? There are important factors you must consider before buying new blinds.

Cost, value and placement for your window blinds

Our gut instinct when shopping for window coverings is to get the best deal possible. We try to balance this out with our decor, yet we often “settle” on window coverings due to budget constraints.

It’s an easy trap to fall into, so please consider the following advice:

  1. How often do you want to replace your blinds? Buying low end window coverings now can save a few dollars, but is it worth it long term? Buy new blinds once, get as many years out of them as possible.
  2. Put cheaper blinds in areas that make the most sense. Consider installing cheaper blinds in rooms that see less activity. Blinds that aren’t opened and closed as as often see less wear and tear over time. In higher traffic living spaces, consider a quality blind that has greater resilience.

Bargain shopping for blinds

Wood Blinds

Most people do their window blind shopping locally. On the surface, this makes sense. You can touch, test and examine potential blind choices in person. Unfortunately, this luxury can come at a cost. There are also challenges with online shopping. Prices can be better, but you might forget pricing from one day to the next. Worse, you forgot where you found a good blind sale.

To get the most out of your blind shopping (locally or online), incorporate the following tips:

  1. Keep a working notebook with you at all times. Use a pen and paper to track down potential blind choices you’re looking at. Write down the date, store, price of the blinds in your notebook. Also, write down what your like about the specific blind you’re considering.
  2. Broaden your search to include the Internet. Most people find the only advantage to shopping locally is the showroom to look at blinds. There are exceptions of course. Sometimes you can gain access to an industry veteran who has years of experience. But more often than not, they know brand names and little more.

Best places to shop for budget friendly blinds online

To be all inclusive in your search for window blinds, leave no stone unturned. Here are some of the best places to find budget friendly blinds:

  1. The Home Depot. This company has stores just about everywhere. They also have an online store where you can buy blinds and pick them up locally without shipping costs. The same exact thing would also apply to Lowe’s, so be sure to include them in your quest for cheap window coverings.
  2. Overstock’s blind and shade department. They have ongoing sales running along side of their already discounted pricing scheme. I’ve seen blinds going for clearance prices here more times than I can count.
  3. Bed Bath & Beyond includes Blinds. It’s worth noting you’re not going to find much in the way of window coverings at your local store. However, searching Bed Bath & Beyond’s website for “window blinds” yields promising results. Search results can be sorted by color, type and size.
  4. Factory Direct Blinds. Fantastic deals here, especially if you pay attention to their “budget friendly” section. Window blind types available range from 25% off their regular price or more. This site has an outstanding selection of blinds available.

Final thoughts to remember before buying your blinds

Bamboo Blinds

No matter where or how you buy your window blinds, remember to always ask the following:

  1. Shipping, is there a deal to where you can get free shipping? If the answer isn’t readily available, ask. Locally, ask a sales rep. Online, email or chat with customer service to find out if this is an area you can save some money on.
  2. Can you get a discount if you include more than one blind? Also ask if buying over a certain dollar amount in blinds allows for a discounted rate on your total bill. The worst anyone can say is no.
  3. What is the return policy if you have buyer’s remorse? This last tip is an important one. Damaged goods, colors looked different in a showroom or in a web browser – these things do happen. Find out how easy it is to return purchased blinds should you need to.

Cheap Cellular Shades

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Today Kathy writes:

Can you find cheap cellular shades? I saw your article on hunter douglas but I don’t want to spend that much. I’m purchasing them for a vacation home and don’t want to spend that much money on somewhere we only spend a couple of months out of the year. What do you suggest?

Kathy, I don’t blame you for not wanting to spend as much money in your vacation home. If you’re just looking for cheap cellular shades there are many options out there. First of all, you can dramatically reduce the price by purchasing something off the shelf instead of something special ordered. This can be done by shopping online to more locally at home improvement stores. With just a little research I’m sure you’ll find something that is right for your vacation home! Here are a few places you could go to check out prices and available selections.

1) Lowes – Lowes Improvement stores have a couple different styles in stock that are ready to go. Most stores carry at least two brands; Levolor and allen + roth. At the store near my house, they carry Levolor Cellulars that can be cut down to size, happen to be cordless and offer the blackout option. The color is a neutral off white called “sand” and I remember the price being pretty reasonable considering they’re cordless and blackout options included.  The allen + roth cellulars were also cordless but they didn’t offer the blackout option. That said, they did come in a nice tan/brown color that was very reasonably priced at under $50 for a 47″ wide by 58″ high cellular shade.

2) Super Centers – Also check out local super centers. I know that places like Target, Fred Meyer and even Walmart are starting to carry select colors and sizes in stock and online. I was surprised to find that top down/ bottom up cellular shades were available at Target here recently. The color is neutral and the price is $39.99 for a 23″ W x 64″ H shade. Sizes are limited but depending on your window size, you may be able to make it work out.Cheap Cellular Shades

3) On the Web – Don’t forget to look online. There are a ton of virtual storefronts offering cheap cellular shades. Just grab a list of your sizes and start your search from there. If you know what size you are looking for, it’s easier to compare prices from site to site. There are places like Blinds Galore which is a great site that has a lot of choices. Perhaps instead you can look at discount sites and department stores such as JCPenny or Sears. You’ll find a plethora of choices once you start searching.

No matter where you look, whether it be locally or online, I’m confident you’ll be able to find some cheap cellular shades that fit the bill for your vacation home. Just grab your window sizes and start searching!

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe(diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!

Provenance Woven Wood Vertical Drapery

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Today I saw a new type of window treatment from Hunter Douglas that was so different from what I expected, I just have to share it with everyone here! It’s called Provenance Woven Wood Vertical Drapery. That’s right, I said woven wood and vertical drapery in the same sentence. It looks like woven wood but it has the waves one expects from drapery. And because it’s woven wood it is very textural. I know it sounds impossible and maybe even a little strange, but it is definitely something you have to see to believe.  Below I have listed some of the pros and cons of the woven wood shades so you can get an idea of whether they are right for you and your space.

Pros of a woven wood vertical drapery:

Coordinating is a breeze – One big plus for Provenance Woven Wood Vertical Drapery by Hunter Douglas is that it coordinates with their woven wood horizontal line. This is especially great if you like the look of woven wood but have a sliding glass door or set of french doors in the same room. Now you can coordinate between the two without sacrificing function. This is something that can prove otherwise difficult, considering how large the stack height on a regular horizontal woven wood shade would be for a window as tall as a sliding glass door.

Provenance Woven Wood Vertical DraperyPerfect for big windows – With a max width of 194 inches and a height up to 96 inches, vertical drapery can be a perfect fit for larger windows.

Breathe easy – The provenance collection is Greenguard indoor air quality certified. Which means that it emits little to no VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Nature made imperfections – As with all products made of natural materials each shade will look slightly different. Which means they will have a unique look to them and natural materials offer a great texture and feel to any room.

Hunter Douglas’s Lifetime Warranty – Regardless of the type of window treatment you purchase from Hunter Douglas, you can expect the same great lifetime warranty. While this warranty is similar to other window treatment companies, this one is covering any manufacturers defects for the amount of time you own the shade. This is something they offer above and beyond the competition is a 7 year warranty on all operational cords.  The industry standard is only 3 years.

Cons of a woven wood vertical drapery:

Get out your wallet – Provenance woven wood vertical drapery is not cheap. Nor are any of the styles of window treatments from Hunter Douglas.

Not for home theaters or bedrooms – This drapery doesn’t come in a true opaque material option. It comes close, and will offer a room darkening effect. But it will not offer a blackout shade. The Provenance line may be better suited for areas where protection from the sun is desired, while keeping the view open and airy.

Nature made imperfections – As with all products made of natural materials, each shade will look slightly different. This means that you have to expect that the color will vary from shade to shade, as well as the thickness of the material. If you’re looking for an exact match to the sample, this will not be the case with this woven wood vertical drapery. As you can tell, since I also listed this con as a pro, in my view this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But it is something to be aware of, especially if your design plan for you room does not allow for any shade variations.

As you can see there are both good points and bad points to consider when looking at Provence Woven Wood Vertical Drapery by Hunter Douglas. While they are a great new product, they may not be for every taste or every budget. But they are definitely worth considering for anyone who loves woven wood shades and natural materials. I recommend including this option in any of your upcoming window treatment shopping trips.

Budget Sun Blocking Shades

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Today Marissa writes:

Dear Diva, the heat is finally getting to me. My house is so hot I can’t stand to stay home during the day. I’m miserable! I don’t have a lot of extra money to spend, so can you suggest some budget sun blocking shades?

Marissa, I applaud you for making it this long into the summer before cracking down and seeking out sun blocking shade options. However, I’m sure you’ll wish you had acted sooner when you see how budget friendly your options really are!

One of the best options for sun blocking shades are old fashioned roller shades. These shades are still like the ones your grandmother or grade school used and they are still just as effective at blocking the sun.  Since we are seeking out the budget friendly version you’ll want to look for in stock rather than the custom version. You’ll find the best prices either online or in home improvement stores. At the budget friendly price, expect to find these shades available in either white or cream. And if you have a large window, you may need to double up with two or more shades because they are only available up to 72″ wide. Generally speaking, you can expect to pay $50 or less depending on the amount of sun you are expecting to block. On the plus side, these types of shades are also usually cordless so they are a great choice if you have kids or pets in your home. However the spring roller mechanism is not the most hearty so you will want to treat them like fine china if you expect them to last longer than a year.

Budget Sun Blocking Shades

Another option for sun blocking shades are the ones you install on the outside of your home. You can find these as inexpensive as $15 at home improvement and big box stores in a standard size of 6 feet. This variety often will come in a pvc/vinyl composite in white or tan, and will block some of the sun before it hits your windows. For a much more effective way to block sun you will might want to check out Coolaroo shades. While they are more expensive than the previously mentioned outdoor shades, they will also block considerably more of the sun’s heat from coming in your window. Plus they are better at preserving your view.  These shades will cost up to a $100 but will last much longer as well.

The last option to mention is more temporary. But if you don’t intend on using these shades for months on end, consider going with a temporary pleated shaded. While these shades are better suited as temporary blinds they will help to cut down on the some of the heat you are experiencing right now. The blackout kind will provide the most amount of heat reduction. And will cost less than $10 depending on the window size and shape.  These blinds are usually made out of paper or vinyl and stick to the window sill using a double stick tape. You won’t have a lot of control as far as when you want to let light in, but you will be providing another layer of protection to block out some of the heat.

Depending on which option you choose, you could be spending as little as $10 per window and will be providing almost instant relief from the sun.  With choices as expensive as these you’ll be wondering why you waited so long to invest in budget sun blocking shades!

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe (diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!

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