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Home Decorating

Can You Recommend Blackout Shades (or other) For This Guestroom?

8 years ago

DS & Fam recently visited and found the wood blinds I had in the guestroom weren't sufficient in blocking out morning light. We did a quick fix for the visit by adding a room darkening roller shade but I am eager to remove those & replace with something nicer.

I kept the white wood shades when we repainted because I like being able to have the diffused light they offer 90% of the time when guests aren't sleeping there. Also, I didn't want anything layered or fussy.

The quilt & shams are an unusual shade of gold leaning towards chartreuse. The bedside tables are painted muted gold with dark wicker baskets that match the walnut bed frame & dresser. The wicker pieces are the sage green that match the pattern on the quilt. The room is painted BM White Chocolate.

Any advice on where & what to get for window coverings that will keep the light out when needed but still work with this room? The pic is taken with morning light. Room faces East. No privacy issues here - 2nd floor facing an acre of our woods.

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Comments (9)

happilady
8 years ago
I would hang simple non fussy lined drapes that can be pulled closed over the windows. I think they would look fine.

A suggestion for anyone with a guest room- spend the night in it. It can help find any problems. Realize that guests usually won't tell you. I spent the night in my guest room and discovered a noisy fan(which seemed fine until I tried to sleep under it) and bad bedside lighting that made it hard to read by.
joaniepoanie
8 years ago
Blackout drapes that can be pulled closed over the existing blinds or blackout cellular shades which you would have to leave at least partially up to get light in there during the day.
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Funny you should ask this, as I was just thinking yesterday about how dismally I failed at this. I tried doing this myself maybe a year or so ago using some directions I found online. Unfortunately, it didn't work out so well. I used a really thick woven paper sort of material (actually, it was a woven paper window shade that I cut apart). I removed the cords from the woven wood shade, cut slits in woven paper backing where the rings were on the woven wood blind, then used Super 77 spray adhesive to spray the whole back of the window shade and adhere the woven paper backing. It worked great for a while, but over time with raising and lowering the blind, the backing worked loose and started falling down. I took the whole shade down once already and reglued it, but a couple months later, it started coming loose again. It probably would have worked better had I sewed it, but I have next-to-no sewing ability and thought the spray adhesive would work better. Live and learn, I guess. Luckily, the shades (both the woven wood and woven paper) ones were Target cheapies so I won't feel bad replacing them with something else. I'm actually looking at some woven cane paper roller shades from Country Curtains that I think will work perfectly - I just ordered swatches yesterday and am waiting for them to arrive.
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The problem is what kind of wiring? Make sure it's a flexible design, for the future, if the blinds need replacing, and the current mfgr changes.
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Annie Deighnaugh
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I'd keep the room darkening roller shades and then add a valance and some side panels. When the shades are up, you won't even know they're there, but are wonderfully functional for your purpose.

Otherwise you could get black out drapery panels and hang them so they can be closed when necessary...otherwise they can be pushed aside and you can just use the blinds like you have been.

Another solution is eyeshades like they give you on the airlines...then you can use any window treatment you like.
busybee3
8 years ago
agree about the adding panels to pull over the windows when people are sleeping...

I also love blackout honeycomb shades... if you're careful with the sizing (I find the measurement guidelines that most companies give you is usually too generous) you can have them made fairly tight to the edges so most of the light is blocked...
alexdelia4
8 years ago
I would strongly recommend the Bali custom blinds for your rooms. They can be found at any Home Depot. They are extremely nice, and they even take measurements for you at no cost.
cat_mom
8 years ago
Room darkening micro pleat shades (ours are Hunter Douglas) can be installed behind your decorative shades. You can raise them during the day, and lower them at night (we wrap the excess cords around the supplied plastic cleats which are mounted on our window trim).
amck2
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Thank you for all suggestions thus far.

We replaced the w/w with hardwood last summer & repainted the walls & trim. I was avoiding drapes or curtains in part so I wouldn't have fabric that would collect dust. The room felt so fresh and was so much easier to clean once the carpet was removed. I wanted to keep with that pared down look & feel.

But I'm getting the feeling that I have to go with drapes that can be pulled together when needed if I want to also keep the blinds. I'm not in love with the blinds, but they allow light into the room on hot summer days and freezing winter ones. Otherwise, it's a couple of big windows bare to the elements with shades drawn or shades pulled down and a dark room for a good part of the year.

Sheers would offer that diffused light during the day, but I definitely don't want to layer those and blackout drapes.

I chose bedcovers & furnishings for this room to keep it gender neutral and wanted the same for window coverings.

If you're struck with any other ideas, please let me know. Thanks -
voila
8 years ago
Take a look at JC Penney drapes. Blackout/thermal drapes and on sale. Here is a simple cotton that may go well with your quilt.

http://www.jcpenney.com/jcpenney-home-jenner-cotton-grommet-top-thermal-curtain-panel/prod.jump?ppId=1a1f2f4&catId=cat100260235&deptId=dept20022800026&Nao=24&pN=2&_dyncharset=UTF-8&colorizedImg=DP0404201417130635M.tif

Reviews appear favorable.
grapefruit1_ar
8 years ago
I would remove the current shades and do grommet top panels. They are available in blackout versions. You can then let in the natural light and have the views.

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