I use those 4' orange electic fence stakes from home depot (about $1 a piece)for lots of things in the yard & gardens. Pound it in the ground and then slide the PVC pipe over it and into the soil a bit. Set out several of these with holes drilled in the PVC pipe and string wire through them to make a fairly sturdy, portable & cheap trellis. I use these stakes to build easy fencing. I use plastic cable ties to secure wire or plastic mesh fencing to them. Because I dislike the orange and it stands out like a sore thumb, I paint my stakes black. Pound 2 rows of these stakes in the ground about 4' apart and slide each end of a flexible PVC pipe over them, making an arch. Cover this with garden cloth or plastic to protect plants. I "sew" the fabric to the pvc with fishing line. If you are using plastic, cut some flaps in it, to keep it from blowing away in a big wind. I use them to brace non secured retaining walls. At my old house I built a raised bed using them to hold the lumber together. I drilled holes in the timbers and slid them over the stakes, then I lined the interior side with heavy plastic.

Most welcome. I love, love, love my wood slat blinds. Be prepared to spend a bundle, though! Esp. Hunter Douglas - very expensive, but they're well made. I didn't go with HD because of the cost, and I'm kind of regretting it. One bit of advice: know the white you have on your would trim, i.e.: Benjamin Moore White Dove, whatever it is. Go to a hardware store that sells that paint, get a chip of the color, and take it w/u to the blind store so you can match the white as best as possible. They do come in dramatically different whites, and presumably you'll want the blinds to match the wood trim and window grids as best as possible, if you go with the wood blinds. The way the film goes on is you spray the window with a water/detergent blend (you can make it yourself or you can buy the bottles of it that 3M and Gila make for it, but all it is is water and I think a blob of dish detergent. I looked it up online and made my own). Then you peel a little bit of the backing away, with the backing facing the window, press a starting point of the film to the window, then with a squeegee, start smoothly pressing the film to the window slowly as you slowly peel the backing downward, in tandem with squeegeeing the film to the window as you go. If it creases, no big deal. Just pull it back off the window past the crease point and continue on. It's not very hard. just takes patience. The kind you'll want, though, the mirrored backing (since it's the clearest from inside looking out) is also the most difficult to work with. Naturally! And do NOT do it on a breezy or windy day!

Another source to look is jcp.com. I noticed they have 3 blackout drapes (one in regular home WT section and 2 in clearance) in the longer length at low prices--if the colors work for you (always the challenge). If you can't find the grommet style that might be easier to pull open/shut on a daily basis, you might consider ring clips since they slide easily. If the hem looks too challenging to alter on rod pocket styles, you can cut off the top and rehem that quite easily. IMHO they'll look best if you have them full length, rather than end at the window sill. It seems like that would really detract from the effect of the window. Even your inspiration pic, while really cute, seems to just miss the mark a bit on the curtains. They're ok I guess, but full-length would have been better--IMHO. You may have to get extra panels to give the fullness you want across the window when they're closed unless you go with custom widths. Good luck with your project! Here is a link that might be useful: Clearance jcp.com blackout curtains

oh man,,,no shades for that door. it's a beautiful door. (are you doing a UV clear coat to protect it? It doesn't look like anything was applied to the exterior. please look in to Penofin oil, the Marine one. that mahogany is gorgeous but you have to protect it or it will turn a horrid gray shade over time this is Ipe, but your mahogany will react similar. It will deepen and look even better after applying this oil it will protect it from any sun/or water and UV rays. it's easy to use and only needs a touch up every few years. if you don't do anything else to that door, do this product! if you MUST have privacy, then call in a glass guy and have them install some type of glass to the panels. A rain glass would look great. or, maybe they can apply a reflective film that is not noticeable from the inside