I gave my son’s room a mini update not long ago. I added a mid-century dresser, moved his keyboard in, and switched the furniture around, but it still wasn’t completely finished. Today, I’m sharing my go-to source for affordable custom blinds, and talking about the impact the right window treatments can have in interior design.
There were a few niggly issues in this room that needed addressing. The rug was too small, the bedside cabinet had seen better days, and the curtains could have been improved.
When I initially “finished” this room, I kept the curtains that came with the house. The yellow gingham fit with the rest of the room, and I was hesitant to spend money on custom window treatments for a rental, so they stayed.
There were a few issues, though. The 3/4 length drapery is a bit of an interior design faux-pas. Additionally, the sun had bleached the edges, and they were too narrow to close all the way.
With midsummer nights here in London only dark from 10pm till 4am, the children were waking up early, and we were having endless debates about why they had to go to bed in the “afternoon.” Last year, we used these temporary black out blinds to solve the light problem. They worked, but they took time to stick up every night and take down every morning, and they were visually messy.
So, when the affordable custom blinds I bought from for Eleanor’s room didn’t work out with the wallpaper I installed, I decided to move them in here instead.
Affordable Custom Blinds
Most custom blinds are expensive (£350-£450, at least), but fortunately I have an affordable go-to source: Blinds2Go. These custom-made Roman blinds with a blackout lining cost £120, shipped.
Installation is an easy DIY. It took twenty minutes to hang them. The fabric is attached to the rail with velcro, so they’re easy to remove for cleaning.
Although I replaced yellow curtains with white blinds, there is still plenty of happy colour in this boy’s room. And with nothing blocking the light, it’s brighter now.
Blinds2Go’s roman blinds are easy to adjust if you don’t get them completely centered when installing. The rail clips (rather than screws) onto the brackets so you can slide them over to adjust if needed.
When closed, they block the light far more efficiently than curtains did, and the whole room feels calmer and more polished. The right window treatments can make or break a room design, and they’re a worthwhile investment even in a rented property. I wish I’d bitten the bullet and done this a year ago.
Boy’s Room Mood Board
Now that blinds are up, I want to finish the rest of the room. I created a mood board, although only three things are changing – the blinds, the bedside table and the rug.
Sources
- DIY Upholstered Bed
- Roman Blinds in Pure Linen Stripe – Blinds2Go
- Bedside Table – Swoon Editions
- Light Box – Litecraft
- Parsons Bookcase – Home Decorators
- DIY Poster Frame / Poster – Posterlounge
- Midcentury Tallboy – eBay
- Moroccan-Style Rug – Anthropologie
- Pegboard – Block / DIY Button Monogram
The rug has arrived since I took these pics, and I’m picking the bedside table up tomorrow.
