Small Progress & Window Treatment Options
Do you ever have those days when you don’t have anything planned or required of you that will divide your attention from your tasks at hand? You wake up that day and you think to yourself, “This is going to be such a productive day! I’m going to get so much done today!” And then at the end of the day, you’re wondering, “What the heck happened? How did I get so little accomplished today?“
Yeah. That was my day yesterday. I had what I thought was going to be a full, uninterrupted work day. I just knew I was going to get so much done on the closet yesterday, and then at the end of the day, I stood in that room, laughing at the absurdities of the day, and thinking to myself, “Seriously?! This is it? This is all I have to show for this day?“
I knew it was going to be a rough one when Matt was already awake at 6:00am when I got up. I generally wake up at 6:00 and start my day very quietly, sneak off to my desk, and have about an hour of complete quiet and solitude before I wake him up at 7:00. But yesterday morning, he was already awake, and he was having a horrible morning. Ugh. Not a great start to a Monday. So I had to spend a great deal more time than usual tending to him yesterday. (If you’re new around here, Matt is my husband, and he has M.S. He has good days, bad days, and a few very bad days scattered in. Yesterday was a very bad day.)
So I didn’t get started working until much later than usual. I was so excited about trying out the faux marble countertops for the washer and dryer cabinets, so that’s what I intended to spend my day doing. I wasted time going to Home Depot, purchasing the plywood and supplies needed, and then realized that I had gotten way ahead of myself. I really needed to install the trim on the wallpapered walls before forging ahead with the countertops. In my excitement about the countertops, I had forgotten that I have to kneel and stand on those countertops to install the crown molding in those areas.
So I put the countertop plan on hold and started cutting the crown molding. I got the long piece of crown molding cut for the long wall, tried to install it, and realized very quickly that there was no way to get that piece of crown molding (137 inches long) past the cabinets on the side walls. I tried everything I could think of, and every angle imaginable, to get that long piece of molding past the cabinets, and nothing worked. So I ended up having to cut that long, beautiful, full piece of crown molding into two pieces. I was so bummed to have to put a cut in that crown molding but there was no other way.
But I’ve been using my miter saw to cut a whole lot of metal items lately (like the metal closet rods), and the blade on my miter saw was shot. Cutting wood molding with that blade was about the equivalent of trying to hack away at it with a chain saw and get perfect cuts. So before putting that cut into my perfect piece of molding, I had to change the blade. And of course, I couldn’t get the screws off of the saw. Of course it couldn’t just be an easy change. Yesterday wasn’t the day for easy. It was like those screws were welded on. It took me about 45 minutes to do a task that should have taken about 5 minutes. But I finally got it done.
Then I went to nail the crown molding into place, and my air compressor stopped working. I’ve known for a couple of weeks that it was probably on its last leg. It had started making a metallic rattling sound when I turned it on, but I thought it could at least get me through this closet project. But it decided yesterday, as I was up on the ladder, holding the long piece of crown molding in place with one hand and my nail gun in the other hand, that that was the moment it was done.
So I had to make yet another trip to Home Depot to pick up this new little pancake Porter Cable air compressor. The timing wasn’t ideal, but I have to admit, I love any excuse to buy new tools. 😀 Just look how pretty and shiny it is! That won’t last long, though. 😀
I love this little pancake air compressor, and if you’re looking for one that’s small and portable, but powerful enough to do just about any job a DIYer would want to do, I highly recommend this one. That old one lasted me for many, many years, and got me through every project I’ve done on this house so far, from framing out windows and doorways to building furniture and everything in between.
So once I was back with my new air compressor, I was finally able to get the trim installed. I got the top (pieced) crown molding up, the window trim re-installed, and the baseboard in place.
I don’t know if you can see where I had to piece together the crown molding. It’s about 16 inches to the left of the corner.
When piecing trim together, I always cut at a 45-degree angle instead of cutting the two pieces with a straight cut. I think that 45-degree angle helps to hide the joint much better. And of course, I still need to do some wood filling and sanding on that joint. I think it’ll pretty much disappear when it’s finished, but it still frustrates me that I had to do that in the first place.
By the time I got all of those pieces cut and installed, it was already after 8:00. And I don’t like using my power tools outside after 8:00pm. So that’s it. I had to call it a day. I got all of the nail holes wood filled so that I can get them sanded today. I still need to cut and install the crown molding for the side walls and the ends of the cabinets. Then I’ll have to do a bit of caulking, and then I can paint.
All of the trim on that wall will be painted the same color as the cabinets. This will be the only room in the house that doesn’t have white trim, but I think the blue will be much better. Seeing that white (primed) trim on that wall just looks out of place.
Anyway, I share all of that with you not to complain about my day, but mostly to bring a bit of the reality of the world of DIY. Some days are so productive. Others are a comedy of error from beginning to end. And last night, all I could do was stand back, look at my tiny bit of progress, laugh at the absurdities of the day, and hope for a better day today. So far, so good. Matt woke up feeling great this morning, so we’re off to a much better start!
On another topic, last night when I stood back to admire my tiny bit of progress 😀 , I got to thinking about that window.
I had originally planned to put the window shade back up, and I still might do that. I obviously need privacy since this is a closet, and I’ll be getting dressed in here. That window faces the street, and I don’t really want to be putting on a show for my neighbors and passersby each day. So my original plan was to put the shade back up, lower it so that the top portion of the window is covered by the shade, and then put privacy window film on the lower part. That way, some natural light can still come into the room.
But the shade I have is dark, and it really doesn’t go in the room anymore. Or does it? Here’s a reminder of the color…
I spent a lot of money on that shade (it’s lined with blackout lining and sized to fit the window perfectly), so I really don’t want to purchase another lined shade for the window. I had considered trying to bleach it with wood bleach. That might be an interesting experiment. I really don’t think it needs to match the floor, but I would like it to be a bit lighter than it is now.
But also, when I stood back and looked at that wall last night with the trim, I thought it might be nice to leave it off completely and use window film on the whole window. So I’m not sure. Y’all can tell me what you think. Should I use the shade? Try to bleach it? Leave it off completely? I guess I could go ahead and add the window film to the bottom half, try bleaching the shade, put it back up, and see how that looks. If the bleach doesn’t work out, I can go ahead and leave it off and add the window film to the top.
I don’t know why but having the window film just on the bottom portion of the window and the shade on top feels safe to me. As in, I don’t worry about people being able to see in. But having no shade on the window at all, and using the window film on the entire window makes me feel less confident that people can’t see in. I know that makes no sense whatsoever. 😀 If it’ll work on the bottom half, it’ll work on the top half as well. But there’s just something about having a window with no shade on it at all — a window that faces the street — that makes me feel more vulnerable. But I also think it would look really pretty to leave the shade off of the window completely and just let the blue trim and wallpaper be front-and-center. What are your thoughts on the matter?
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Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Yes to the shade; it looks pretty. Nice to have the option to close, too. No need to bleach, IMHO, but you are the visionary here!
I agree 💯
Agree!
Agreed! I wouldn’t feel comfortable either, no matter how irrational it may be.
My sentiments as well.
Do they make fabric to match your wallpaper or is there a way to use your wallpaper to make a shade?
I was thinking the same thing!
Did you mean the crown, baseboard and window trim would all be painted blue? That’s what I would do. After you paint, could you find someone who could hold your blind up so you can stand back and look at it? I think it will look nice in it’s current shade of brown. Somehow the shade on top and film on the glass below seems like it will make the window looked chopped up.
Yes, all of the trim will be painted in the blue. This room won’t have any white trim in it at all.
Have you thought about a bottom up shade?? So have the shade on the bottom and the window film on the top…It might let in more light.
That a what I was thinking. Too half clear and bottom half shaded.
This is where my thoughts go, except no window film. I never like how that looks.
This one is a bottom up shade. I guess I could use that function when I want to change clothes, but I don’t like leaving it in that position because I don’t like how it looks from the front of the house. 😀 And this window is front-and-center on the front of the house since this is the section of the house that sticks out even with the front of the front porch.
Will bleaching this shade require the other shades facing the front of the house to be bleached so they all look the same, from outside?
Or would that only bother me?
Consider starting with window film on the entire window. It would look better from the exterior anyway, not to be half and half. Start with that, and after the closet is finished, try it out, night and day. Put Matt into the closet after dark, turn on the lights, and go outside and look at the window from the street. The privacy film is not like a mirrored window. It does not show through after dark. Test it out and you will see what you need and like. Also, I think you’d enjoy having the full amount of natural light in there during the day, especially when you are doing laundry at that end of the closet. Test it out!
The closet is a dream! I think the darker shade brings warmth to the cool colors in the closet – I would choose that all day long. I also turned a sitting room into a closet and it already had plantation blinds and I wondered about changing to a film on the windows as well but honestly I think I would find it distracting. You want light when you want it and privacy when you close it. And you already paid for it!
Just a FYI to let you be aware. My girlfriend has a closet with a regular size window. We both went into it to look for something and when she pulled out one of her table clothes that she had hanging in there we noticed that there was a white stripe the whole way down the fold on the part of the cloth that faced the room. We looked it over and there was no way to correct it and she had to throw it away. She immediately closed her shades and was so upset that she didn’t want to look at anything else she had hanging in there, afraid that everything would be ruined.
I had a similar problem when I used to have a large window in my closet. I lost several sweatshirts that had oddly-shaped faded patches due to the way they had been folded and then exposed to the sun on one side. You can try sun-protective window film, but that cuts down on the light that comes in (obviously) and may not give you the sunny look you’re after.
My neighbor has window film on her bathroom windows. You can see her silhouette when she showers and it’s quite revealing.
This was my concern as well. I read a comment about making the window a focal point, which made me think about the chandelier and the window being a backdrop to that. Maybe consider that. Would a darker shade make the chandelier standout better? My vote would be to skip the film and use a shade that opens from the top if you want light, but I think the dark shade would be fine.
Oh my goodness! My neighbors and passersby might get a show, whether they want it or not. 😀 I’ll keep that in mind.
I’d get everything in there, put window film on the bottom half and half the shade as it is now. You may find that it adds a nice dimension to the room. Add that some tone of wood somewhere else. Another tray or basket? Not all the woods have to match. I also wonder if wood bleach will harm the strings and weaken the integrity of the blind.
Glad to hear that Matt’s misery didn’t continue into today.
Oh, you’re right. I hadn’t thought about wood bleach weakening the strings. I better not try it.
Kristi, I’m seeing a lot of adorable cafe curtains lately. They cover the bottom of the window for privacy but let in light above and soften the window. I’m thinking of one for my huge bathroom window.
I love me a cafe-striped roman shade any day – especially with a floral! Perhaps you could bleach it, then spray some dark vertical stripes on the shade?! That window is a focal point seen from the hallway each time you pass by – bring a little smile to yourself with a touch of pattern play…😉
Oh, that’s an interesting idea! And you KNOW I love me some stripes! 😀
Consider tape or paint to make stripes on your existing shade…
You have to decide what you like the most. I am in favor of covering the window with the shade. I had a closet with a huge window that I covered with the protective film to filter the UV rays, but through the years I had ALOT of fading of my clothes. Things were ruined because I depended on good quality windows and UV blocking film. The window installer told me upon installation that I wouldn’t have fading problems. WRONG!
I lost a beautiful cobalt blue coat that way. The sun can be very damaging.
Same situation! I am also in favor of the light blocking shade.
I love the window shade as is.
The contrasting wood colors make it interesting, give texture and depth. When bleaching have often encountered some element of the piece that is synthetic (a thread) or is a blend and doesn’t bleach consistently.
There was a time when I didn’t care for different wood colors/types but now I find it makes the room more interesting, rather timeless. Recently redid flooring in a lighter oak that had small streaks of brown grain, left the original brown crown moulding & trim. I was a bit timid about it all but we love it. Nearby kitchen has maple cabinetry stained ash white with the same flooring. It all plays well together. Ended up where it even made existing brown wood furniture fresher & all we did is change some hardware. Happy about that as it is solid oak, very well made, pretty classic lines & design.
The other colors, wallpaper, art, soft goods update the hardscape, enliven the room and tie it all together.
Window film in 2 parts. Ensure enough for whole window. Part 1 film on bottom half. Take a picture inside and outside (room lights off and on in middle of day). Then decide to do top as part 2. You have a specific want for symmetry and the film decision could turn into new shades for the whole house. I’d see how it shows from the street and go from there with caution.
As far as the window shade goes…I don’t know if you considered the outside appearance not just inside. Do you like symmetry and continuity on the outside view? All your other windows have the dark shades and I imagine it looks good from the outside, then you would have one window that stands out from the others? Personally I want the appearance on the outside to match as well. I would still do the film but I’d want the shade visible as well. I don’t think it takes away from the view on the inside at all. The shades you use are beautiful but to me also a necessity. Bleaching it would also make it stand out from the others when looking at the house from the outside…
This one has white blackout lining on the back, so it’s the same as the living room shades. But the ones in the bedroom, and studio aren’t lined. So from the front of the house, you see dark shades in the studio, lined shades in the breakfast room, living room, and closet, and then another dark shade in the bedroom. I don’t mind the studio shades being different, but I would like for all of them on the main part of the house to match, so I might need to replace the one (or line the one) on the front window of the bedroom.
I bet lining the unlined one might not be that difficult of a DYI project. (I’d love to see how it’s done, too!)
We bought some similar shades years ago and there was option liners. They are super simple to add to the shades. A few tiny tack nails at the top and baby zip ties on the back cording.
Don’t worry about grand plans, and end up with just a few things done, it is the way of things. Very happy that Matt is feeling better. I have Lupus and I know the ups and downs of good and bad days. I wouldn’t advise the bleaching route of the shade, but you could paint it the lovely blue of the room, or a darker or lighter shade if you like. You have color saturated this room, and a blue shade with texture will add an immense amount of interest against that gorgeous wallpaper. Yes, to the window film, I am a big fan of here on the farm. It really lets in the light and not the ability for folks outside to see what’s going on inside, I love, love, love it. Perhaps some trim on painted shade also, to give it some real difference from the rest of them.
Cheers to you and Matt!
Oh, I hadn’t even considered painting it a shade of blue! That’s a very intriguing idea. Maybe more like a color wash instead of a solid color? I’ll have to give it some thought. I may even have an extra shade around here somewhere that I could do some tests on.
Not sure if those widow films don’t show through at night??? I looked for them once, and some reflect outside in the daylight, but when the inside light is on they are a bit see through. In my bathroom I use the up and down shade…lots of light coming in from the top always, and just close the bottom a bit for privacy…and can always meet in the middle during the day.
Either way I think you should put film on the whole window or it might look funny.
Aren’t these the shades that have “top down”? Wouldn’t that let you have light without exposing the interior of the room–or do you not care for that look? I never knew they made “top-down” shades till I started following you. Now I have them in my bedrooms and love having the light and outside views without having to see my neighbors’ (and vice versa). I think they might look nice painted, either white or the blue, if the window trim is going to be blue. Too much? 😉
Honestly, I don’t think the film will give you as much privacy as I would like. You can still see shadows through it, but if that doesn’t bother you, go ahead and try it out. You could also maybe paint the shade, (same color as the shelving) but that won’t help with letting daylight in. If it were me, I would make curtains that I could open and close, or do a roll up shade. I also don’t mind the shade as it is now.
Maybe shutters? Since you’re petite, you might be able to have shutters that shielded you from view without going all the way to the top of the window. It’s looking great!
No having heard from you in a day or two worried me. I knew something was going on with Matt. I was so excited to have your blog pop up this morning. Hoping everyone is fine by now.
What about painting the shade with the same blue as everything else? That seems like a fairly easy task. Easier than bleaching it. I think that would look great in the middle of the wallpapered wall. I’m like you. I’d was some kind of shade, just to make in look like the other windows from the outside. Also on blistering hot Texas days, to block out some of the sun.
The closet is beautiful. Keep up the good work. Go hug Matt and tell him you are grateful for him.
Hang it as is, film on the bottom and live with it till the end. Then reevaluate. Would you need to remove the lining before bleaching?.
You could put the film on, at night turn on the lights, go outside and see if you can see through it. That might help with that decision.
I think the darker shade will look nice. You have it surrounded by dark wallpaper.
I say leave the shade off and try just privacy film. If you don’t like it after a few weeks of using the closet then you can add the shade on. But maybe you’ll like it and won’t have any mounting hardware holes to patch!
I think you could have so much fun with a new roman shade. I am picturing a bright pink with two white vertical stripe trim pieces.
Something like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307406500/lined-custom-faux-fake-flat-roman-shade?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_ps-a-home_and_living&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjw0LDBBhCnARIsAMpYlApvnSxbR2N_WFSqbqhC42pNAJqB6tnk-KelueudaTMlHQr-75FCfzYaAhZdEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_21506855513_167985819319_716809514320_aud-2080357863802:pla-303628061699_c__1307406500_137646565&utm_custom2=21506855513&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21506855513&gbraid=0AAAAADtcfRKWX_a2G_GhNs9Xfcg2jexmz&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0LDBBhCnARIsAMpYlApvnSxbR2N_WFSqbqhC42pNAJqB6tnk-KelueudaTMlHQr-75FCfzYaAhZdEALw_wcB
I’m not a fan of the brown with the new colors in there. It feels too heavy. These shades come in various colors and width and are so simple to install (I think the White or Ivory would be pretty in your closet): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QS4SX44?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_5&th=1
I would need the shade back on, I need my windows covered at night. Not because anyone can see into my house, but I don’t like my room (or me) reflected at night when the blinds or curtains aren’t closed. I’ve startled myself thinking someone was outside, when it was only my reflection!
I think the shade you have in there looks great with the blue. I would keep it and maybe put the frosted window film.
Have you seen the one way imitation privacy blind? It is a window film you adhere and From inside you can see out as if nothing is on the window, but from the street it looks like a window blind. They also have UV protection.
I would spay paint it, to match. Still, for a closet you could use frosted film to make sure you have the most light.
Instead of bleaching the shade (which could be destructive),
why don’t you try whitewashing it? A very weak white (or blue!) paint just dry brushed over the shade would lighten the color without compromising the blackout lining.
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You won’t have to worry about people outside seeing a silhouette through your privacy film if you don’t have bright lights on. Just remember to get dressed/undressed with dim lighting.
We had a lovely older neighbor, with a shower window of frosted glass-block, so 2 layers of frosted glass. He would walk early each morning before sunup, shower, and go to his daily Mass. How do I know? Because I would pass him on my early walk as he headed home, and when I arrived home, I would see his silhouette in the dimly lit shower window as he showered. I could tell the direction he faced, where he was washing at the moment, and whether he standing straight or bent over. It was uncomfortable to say the least. When he passed, I went to his estate sale, mostly to check out that shower setup. There was no bright light, just an old dingy yellow light in the shower ceiling with a small amount of overflow light from the bathroom, also older, dated, and dim. There is, honestly, no privacy film I would trust to prevent silhouetting. With any light. Ever. I would keep a shade, painted or not, just in case.
Since your closet it color drenched and Jupiter 10 doesn’t sell companion fabric, I’d consider finding some fabric in the blue paint color and doing a curtain or shade. Maybe it’s on the Spoonflower color sample you have.
Option 2, remove the lining on the shade, paint the remainder and put the lining back.
Option 3, I just checked and Blindsgalore has a 50% off sitewide sale through 5/26. Pick something lighter.
Also, pick up some Kroil penetrating oil for stubborn bolts and screws. It works much better than WD40.
I was amused at your commentary about your plans for the day. Seems the older I get the days seem plentiful with plenty of snags, hiccups, and snafus! Thankfully, I still have a little of push-thru spirit left in me. I love everything you’ve achieved and adore all the colors.
I thought of maybe dry brushing the window shade with color instead of bleaching it. Just a thought!
Window film comes in various levels of opacity, even the frosted stuff. There are ones that block all the outlines and still let light in, but you won’t find it at the big box stores or amazon, you’ll need to purchase from a place that sells professional grade window film. It installs the same, just is better quality. Last time I looked it was a bit more, but not horribly so, and is a case of you get what you pay for.