I have double Cellular blinds (Alta from Budget Blinds) in my home office and love them except I dislike the long cords that keep tangling. I also wish I had gone with Hunter Douglas to get one big light filter single cell Duet blind on my two windows with retractaible cords. For my bedroom, I bought the Architella Duet Hunter Douglas Cellular blinds with the retractable cords in a 3/4" size. I love the bigger pleat size, I like the soft look, I love the insulating properties, and I love the top down/bottom up feature with no cords tangling and all cords staying the same length. I am just not crazy about the Linen color at night since it gets too brown for the look I wanted in my bedroom and I wish I went with the Daisy White.

"...Its not just the money to buy new cabinets, its also all the time it'd take to install everything and all the time it'd take to figure out the layout and stuff like that. If I updated the kitchen, it would be to decrease the time it takes to rent the place. But, any time I saved in doing so would be more than lost by all the time it takes to remodel a kitchen with new cabinetry and layout...." It would only increase the time for the first renter, not subsequent. If you wait 2 or 3 months to update it and get a higher rent, won't that offset the loss? Renting for an additional 2 or 3 months at a lower rent may net you less in the long run. And then you'll be faced with the same decision as now. . Regarding the door that replaced the trash compactor - it's not that it's an IKEA door, it's that it doesn't match the rest of the doors and is full-height (like the others should be), so it sticks out like a sore thumb. In addition, it does not appear to have been installed correctly (it looks like it doesn't close completely - but that could just be the picture.)

Unfortunately there are not really options that offer the versatility of vertical blinds, without that not-so-great look. I prefer curtains over any type of shade since they can be opened and closed in a second. A "solar shade" could also be a good option, as when they are closed, they still allow a tough of light to enter the room, and don't 100% block the view. Hope that helps!

Any suggestions for decorating would also be appreciated as I start on the project. My husband says “it’s just a beach pad always full of sand” but I still want it to look nice!