Very quickly after moving in, we worked on getting some window coverings to replace the paper ones and the ones we made out of torn sheets.
The challenge was that we weren’t able to find any off-the-shelf blinds that fit our unusually tall windows. As a result we had to go the custom route. I went to Home Depot and looked through a bunch of catalogs, checked out all the samples, and got some ideas. But ultimately I ended up calling Smith & Noble.
They sent an in-home designer to bring samples, help us understand and narrow down our choices, and take measurements for every window.
It saved me soooo much stress about not getting the measurements right and really helped to have an extra person to bounce design ideas off of.
Just to give you an idea of the number of factors we had to consider, Smith & Noble offers:
- Shades
- Blinds
- Curtains and drapery
- Shutters
- Valences and cornices
- Combinations…
And to further break it down, we ended up with two types of shades, but even within the shades category, they offer:
- Honeycomb shades
- Natural woven shades
- Fabric Roman shades
- Roller shades
- Solar shades
- Pleated shades
- Sheer shadings
- …
And then within each of these, there are tons of options to customize the material, dimensions, mount style (inside or outside), controls (cordless, motorized, etc.), valences, trim color, pulls, and on and on. So like I said, the in-home designer was so worth the cost. The cost, by the way, was FREE.
We ended up going with a Wendy Bellissimo Classic Roller Shade for the window on our front door.
And Luxe Linen Grand Cell Honeycomb Shades for all of our windows.
You can see that they both let a little light in, but also offer complete privacy. So there you have it. The process was wonderful. I can’t say it was cheap, but we’re happy with the outcome and the quality must be good because our evil cat hasn’t managed to destroy them, despite her efforts.
The one tip I can offer is that Smith & Noble is kinda like Bed Bath & Beyond – you should never, ever pay full price. Just sign up for their newsletter and google coupon codes and you’re bound to find a deal. I’d offer you a coupon code myself, but Smith & Noble doesn’t know who I am and didn’t sponsor this post.
I like the simplicity of just the blinds, but we could potentially add curtains at some point too, what do you think?
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