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Beautiful New Woven Shades In My Breakfast Room & Living Room

After three years of living in a fishbowl, I finally have shades to provide privacy on my front windows! The good people at Blindsgalore partnered with me to provide these beautiful woven shades for my breakfast room and living room windows.

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - living room - whole room

Now I’m even more anxious to get all of my draperies finished and hung so that my windows will be completely finished!

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - breakfast room from kitchen

I had narrowed down my selection to four colors/patterns…

refinished red oak hardwood floors - woven shade options

And I finally decided to go with the Blindsgalore Nature Woven Shades in the bottom right color and pattern above called Hana Tranquil.

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - closeup

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - living room - window to left of fireplace - shade closed

I ordered mine lined with blackout lining.

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - living room - window to left of fireplace - back of shade lined with blackout lining

I line all of my window treatments (shades, draperies, valances, etc.) with blackout lining because I don’t like the sun streaming through the window treatment and distorting the color, but most people probably wouldn’t use blackout lining on shades for a breakfast room or living room unless the living room also served as a media room. But I just really, really like blackout lining. 🙂 They do offer other types of linings that don’t block out quite so much of the light, but will still give you that lined, white, cohesive look from the exterior of your home.

I also added the top down/bottom up feature to my order. I’ve never had this kind of shade before, but so many of you recommended it, so I went for it!

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - living room - top down feature

My main hesitation with the top down/bottom up feature has been that on the ones I’ve seen in stores, the top doesn’t pull up tight enough to the top rail, and light peeks through. But these are made in a way that I’ve never seen on other shades, with two valances at the top of each shade — one on the front and one on the back. That design, along with the lining, keeps any and all light from peeking through the top. It’s a very nice design.

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - breakfast room

As a side note, I swear to you that I don’t pose my cat for pictures. 😀 Ever since I refinished that table, it has had a canvas drop cloth over it so that I can paint my cabinet doors. (It’s been windy and/or rainy here, so no painting outside.) Peeve had taken over that table, made herself a little nest on that canvas dropcloth, and only left for necessities.

Peeve on the canvas dropcloth

She was none too happy with me when I took the dropcloth away this morning to get pictures. 😀 She was staging a protest on top of the table this morning.

Anyway, I’m so pleased with the shades. Woven wood shades are my absolute favorite, so I don’t know why I even entertained any other options last year. I should have gone straight for the woven shades and never looked back.

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - living room - front wall
But at least I’m on the right track now. 🙂

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - living room - window to right of fireplace

The installation was quite easy. I did all of these myself, and each one took about ten minutes from start to finish, not including the time I spent adjusting the lengths of the cords. Honestly, though, I do have one complaint about their products, and it has to do with the mounting hardware. The mounting brackets look like this, and I just screwed one bracket into each side of the top window jamb for each window…

hardware for installing woven shades from Blindsgalore

And then those threaded posts go through the slots in the top wood rail of the shade, and the shade is held in place by wingnuts screwed onto those threaded posts.

hardware for installing woven shades from Blindsgalore - wingnut

Very simple.

My main issue is that I had a heck of a time getting each wingnut started on the threaded post. You know how you can generally turn it counterclockwise just a bit until you feel it become seated on the threads, and then you can turn it clockwise to tighten? Well, these just weren’t that simple. I had trouble with about 12 of the 16 wingnuts. I think it’s because the wingnuts are designed to fit snugly on the ends of the posts so that the shades stay securely mounted and don’t wiggle loose during use. But that tight fit just made it a little challenging for me to actually screw them onto the posts. I also wish they would change the shape of the wingnuts. The wings on them are small and come to a point, which hurt my fingers when trying to tighten them. I wish they would use wingnuts with larger and rounder wings on them for easier tightening.

But quite honestly, those are small issues, and probably wouldn’t have been issues at all if I had another person helping me install them. But y’all know I like to do anything and everything myself if at all possible. 🙂 And the quality and beauty of these shades more than make up for a little bit of wingnut inconvenience.

They also have cordless and motorized shades, but I went for the corded. I really like corded because in the off chance that something goes wrong (i.e., the cord hardware breaks, or I accidentally cut one of the cords — yes, I’ve done that before), the corded shades are easy to repair. The others, not so much. But that’s just a person preference, and of course, motorized shades are becoming increasingly popular because they’re so convenient.

And since many of you said you enjoy pictures showing how my rooms flow together, I thought I’d leave you with one more. But this picture also shows the state of disarray my kitchen is currently in — missing cabinet doors, messed up trim, uncaulked and unpainted trim, and even some dishes in the sink. 😀 Oh well. This isn’t curated magazine life. This is real life, y’all.

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - living room and breakfast room from kitchen

No, I can’t leave y’all with that. I’ll leave you with this. It’s still unfinished (as is everything in my house), but it’s not in such disarray. And aahhhhh…such pretty woven shades.

new woven shades from Blindsgalore - breakfast room from kitchen

Anyway, a HUGE thank you to Blindsgalore for rescuing me from my fishbowl life. It might take me a while to get used to all of this newfound privacy at night! 😀

*Blindsgalore provided the woven shades for my windows at no cost. All opinions are my own.

 

 

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64 Comments

  1. They’re beautiful, they add a lot of warmth to compliment the blues and greens!

    On a totally different note, I absolutely love the oversized sunburst over the fireplace. I think it looks perfect and intentional.

    1. I agree! I never would’ve thought to hang something that doesn’t fit between the trim but I’m seeing it done a lot lately with large pieces and it’s grown on me! Loving the whole design, just gorgeous!

  2. They are beautiful. Too bad Home Depot discontinued their more affordable version but I can tell that these are more functional and durable and good looking.

  3. well…. hello Blindsgalore… pleasure to make your acquaintance. 😀 I just priced out some windows. They are doable.

  4. Marvelous! It gives us an idea where your renovations are heading and I am excited to see the drapes pull it all together. Great job!

  5. Looks awesome!! So happy for you and your pretty spaces coming together! I was going to ask that too, if you could get one for your door. How are you liking it?

  6. Your breakfast room looks fabulous with the new chairs, table and blinds! I am so impressed. The blinds really help finish the rooms – when you get everything else done it will be marvelous. I agree with Sherre about the size of the sunburst – if it was smaller it wouldn’t look as good. So glad things are moving along nicely – rabbit holes aside.

  7. I am so thrilled to see these pictures and if and I say “if” and when my house in Fl ever sells..please pray it does, this is next on my list of must have’s. Beautiful choice Kristi!

  8. Kristi, it’s so good to see such good progress! The woven shades are just right. I’ve been a fan of them for a long time, especially with long panels at the sides. I’ve also done banded shades, and even faux shades where I just needed to fill in the empty space at the top of a window with panels. I would have used them in my current house, but I have a wood ceiling and wood floors and thought it would be a little too much.
    Your blog is always the first one I check in the morning, and I always enjoy it. Thank you!

  9. I too have a fish bowl window in my kitchen at the front of my house and those top down\bottom up blinds are the answer. Good to see your window treatments coming together.

  10. I really like the look and how it pulls together some disparate details such as the coloured parts on your curtain rails in the living room – all of a sudden they make sense 🙂
    on a different note: I really like to have a picture of your kitchen side of the island because I for one would strongly recommend that you keep the white appliances and sink and try them with your new blue kitchen. I’m sure it’ll look gorgeous and much nicer than stainless steel. I had to bring that up even though you’ve already decided against this rabbit hole, it just came to my mind when I saw that view of the kitchen 🙂

  11. Kristi, I think this is the first time that I have seen your new re-done breakfast room with furniture in it, too. Well I have to say that the natural table looks purr-fect with the painted and upholstered chairs, but little kitty Peeve on top just steals the show! Who wants a sterile house with no pets? Not me!

  12. Very nice! Those three windows in the breakfast room are so pretty! So clean and open. Love it!

    When you get to finishing out a space I’d love to see a post which addresses the little details that one takes for granted. How do you finish out your base boards (quarter round?), what type of switch plate covers do you like (I hate the typical plastic ones but there aren’t a lot of affordable options which are not TOO decorative/ornate), door stops…that type of boring stuff.

    Also, does your caulking on wood work typically crack? We recently finished our bathroom remodel and did door casings very similiar to yours…and we caulked the seams before we painted, just like my girl Kristi told me too. 🙂 It’s only been a few months but some of the seams have cracked so now I need to caulk them again because it looks horrible. The caulk dried the recommended amount of time (per the label) before we painted, but I’m wondering if we ought to have waited longer? Or is this just a typical part of painted projects?

    1. My caulk doesn’t typically crack. Do you have a lot of movement in your foundation? Like a pier and beam foundation with lots of variations in climate, i.e. really warm and dry for couple of weeks, followed by lots of rain? Because if your foundation is moving, even if slightly, there’s not really a lot you can do about the caulk except just re-caulk every now and then. Lowe’s also sells a caulk that fills gaps up to 1-inch (I think), but it says that’s it stays very elastic and never cracks. That might also be an option. If it stays elastic, it will help minimize the cracking.
       
      Now that’s not to say that I NEVER get cracks in my caulk. I do notice hairline cracks every now and then, but they’re generally not noticeable unless you’re up close. For example, I noticed a hairline crack in the caulk at the top of one of my windows yesterday, but I never would have seen it had I not been really up close installing the shades. From just a few feet away, it wasn’t noticeable at all.
       
      So my only suggestion would be to try another brand of caulk. See if you can find the one at Lowe’s with the funny name (I wish I could remember it!!) that says it’s for gaps up to 1″ or so, and stays elastic. That might be the key for you.

  13. Really beautiful and serene. I love it. You inspired me to get wovens. Blind people were here yesterday. One of the patterns I selected was very similar to what you are using. I cannot wait for them to arrive!

    1. Haha! The funny thing is that my neighbor told me he drives slowly past my house so he can look in my windows and see what progress I’m making on the house. 😀 I hope he doesn’t think my new shades were in response to his telling me that! These shades really have been on my list of things to get done for months now. But I guess he’ll just have to come to the door from now on to see my progress. 😀

  14. Kristy, do you still love your acrylic curtain rods? I’ve ventured away from my blues and greens in my master and put Hale Navy on the walls. (Even ventured away from not going with something if it seems it’s what everyone else is doing, but I am so loving the Hale Navy, so I guess I understand why it got so popular!) I think the acrylic with brass will be pretty with that dark blue, but wanted to be sure your version isn’t getting dull or scratched? I remember you didn’t order ready-made, are you still happy about that? I tried to find your post on them but can’t find the search box on my mobile.

    1. I really do love them. I like how light and barely-there they look, while adding a bit of shine and glimmer. But before you order them, just be really sure you read through my post about them (I found it!), because i can’t recommend them if you’re wanting functional draperies. For stationary draperies, they’re perfect. And the ones I have are every bit as nice as any I’ve seen that you buy as a package deal from a store, and I think mine were a bit cheaper. Or if I’ve seen cheaper sold as actual drapery rods, they’re thinner, which I think would be a problem. Anyway, here’s that post:
       
      https://www.addicted2decorating.com/diy-black-white-horizontal-stripe-draperies-lined-pinch-pleated-finished.html

      1. Thank you so much! I thought there was some detail that made me need to reread that post. I had planned just having panels at each end of the wall of windows when the paint was a lighter blue. Now that the room is so much darker, I’m thinking being able to close white drapes at night will help keep it from being too dark, not to mention the drama of a whole wall of fabric! So I’ll think some more on the acrylic.

  15. The blinds are beautiful, as are the breakfast room and the living room. But those pictures with Peeve 🙂 They are the best! She is absolutely lovely!!!

    Our cat passed away two weeks ago, we miss him terribly 🙁

      1. Kristi, thank you very much! I dreaded this moment too. Sladushko would be 10 years old this summer but he had a serious heart condition, so I guess he lived as long as possible, and he had a very good life.

        What I can say is – enjoy every moment with Peeve 🙂 Spoil her 🙂 Let her have the table 🙂

  16. Everything looks lovely. Peeve seems to be showing how well she goes with the new window coverings! Thanks for sharing your process with us.

  17. Did you hear the angels singing when you completed the shades? Everything looks good. Geez, I need to stop reading your blog because I want what you have. Darn it! Onto the next project… I’m living vicariously through you.

  18. Wow. These are beautiful beautiful rooms. The flow in these pics helps my confusion a great deal. All of your work is showing off so very well! By far my most important post to read.

  19. Wowsie! Just wowsie! I live with cats, the struggle is real 😉 😻😻😻😻😻
    Your rooms feel airy and fresh. 👏🏻

  20. Is there a rule about how to chose the height of the chandelier over the table?

    BTW, LOVE the chairs and the look of the wood of the blinds. I am a real curtain fan so I am anxious to see the curtains hung. I always feel they bring any room up a notch. thank you for allowing this peek into your home interior design. I am in awe of you. Your blog is the only one that I keep and check ever listing.

    1. The rule of thumb is to hang the chandelier 30-34 inches from the top of the table if you have 8-foot ceilings. You add three inches for each additional foot of ceiling height. I think I hung mine a bit high in the breakfast room because I’ll be hanging a tv on the wall to the left of the windows, and when standing at the sink, I didn’t want a chandelier obstructing my view. 🙂 So those numbers are just suggestions, but you can adjust them as needed for practical purposes or to fit your own specific room needs.

  21. Gosh, those look great! I like that they have the blackout fabric on the back. It will help them last longer as well as block out light.

    Personally, I wouldn’t use any draperies in the breakfast room. I’d leave the windows just like they are – light and bright and open to the outdoors. Again, that’s just me

  22. Dear Kristi,
    Your new shades are PERFECT!! They look beautiful. And what fun to see dear little Peeve in the pictures you post. It is a gift for those of us who have lost our precious beloved kitties…Seeing Peeve warms my heart with a big smile….

  23. I’m confused….the pictures show the shades at the TOP of the window but then you said you opted for the bottom up….do they somehow store at the top but still give the option of going from the bottom up? My brain is fried from working in the yard all day.

    I LOVE your blog…..you keep it real and it helps to follow your thinking in design choices. Your post on the rabbit trail is the story of my life! Keep on doing what you do and I will keep coming back for more.

    1. The shades in most of the pictures are shown in the “bottom up” position, which is the standard position when opened. However, in the seventh picture down in the post, you’ll see the “top down” feature, where the top of the shade (the shade, not the valance) opens by sliding down towards the floor so that the bottom of the window is still covered, but the top of the window is uncovered. This allows for more privacy than the “bottom up” position, while still allowing light to shine in. Hope that helps! 🙂

  24. Love your blinds, and Peeve as your centerpiece! You are so lucky that they gave you the blinds at no cost – great advertising for them. ( Maybe I could start a blog? Nah, it would not generate enough followers to get freebies! 😉 )
    I want to get some woven woods for my windows, just need to save up. But my issue is that our windows require flush mounts (outside) because of the type of windows we have. I so wish I had the space for inside mounts like you have. I always then have to bring the drapery out further from the wall. :-/

  25. Absolutely a beautiful flowing home. Happy that your Blind Supplier donated your blinds. You are great advertisement for all your products. Peeve is simply a beautiful fur baby. Keep up the great work.👏

  26. Your Peeve looks like our Lucy and heaven help you if you leave ANYTHING on the floor – she makes it her own especially shoes and slippers. Strangest cat I have ever have. Your home is beautiful and you are doing a wonderful job.

  27. Oh my gosh, the woven blinds look just gorgeous and really add a finish touch. So happy for you and Matt, the rooms are coming together so nicely.

  28. The house is looking so wonderful. I’m sure you must have explained the acrylic curtain rods. They are gorgeous. Where are they from?

    Congrats on all your hard work. Matt is a very lucky guy.

  29. Absolutely love the blinds. I think I agree with someone else on here, no curtains in the breakfast room 😉 I think the blinds are wonderful by themselves.
    Your Peeve looks like my Katey. Love furry critters.

  30. Hi Kristi… it is all starting to come together. Looks awesome!!

    I am wondering if you are going to put the same shade on your front door to match the windows?

    1. No, I don’t want to drill holes in my door for the hardware. I’ll have to come up with another idea for privacy on the front door.

  31. OK, in the photo that shows how the rooms flow together, I LOVE that the trim and the blinds all match. There is a nice cohesiveness about it that is pleasing to the eye! And that breakfast room. WOW, even in the unfinished stage, it is such a transformation from what it used to be!! You are, by far, my favorite blogger. Your posts are so inspirational and reality all at the same time. 🙂

  32. I know I’m a bit late to this party, but was researching the blog for info on blinds today. Can you share any photos of how your home looks from the outside when the blinds are both open and closed? Thanks