# Curtains???



## grandpa2390 (Jul 9, 2011)

This is my house:










I turned the blinds inside out because they have yellowed with age and I cannot turn them white again. I believe they are faux wood. I don't know if I can repaint them or anything. but while looking at replacements, I began to consider whether I should just get curtains.

But I don't know anything about decorating. The window is 10 feet wide. (standard ceiling height, not high ceilings). It requires two blinds that are about 59 inches wide. Home Depot sells them for like 66 dollars apiece. 

I thought curtains might look nicer, cost less, be easier to care for (though I may be wrong), but I am not sure what kind of curtains to get.

any suggestions would be appreciated 

I'm talking about the big window in the middle.

Any ideas for that big window on the right would be helpful as well  It has those blinds on it now that hang from ceiling to floor. but the don't hang straight


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

You can not buy any decent quality curtain and hardware for the same amount of money. I would replace the blinds. It appears there are 4 windows why only 2 blinds? The faux woods are heavy and 4 correctly measured blinds would be a lot easier to deal with.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Custom made drapes never went out of style, they just got to expensive.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

yeah, custom lined drapes would cost alot more than the blinds. However, Walmart does sell a blackout curtain I think. The price would possible be comparable. Its not gonna be the same weight and thickness of lined drapes but it would cover. You would prob need 4-6 panels depending on the width of the curtain panel. You are looking for something that says "thermal" "blackout""insulating""lined", etc. Anything that will tell you there is an additional backing on it. Here is an example of sorts, but I would go with the best quality you can afford. Maybe check at Target too. 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/72-1-PAN...IN-DRAPES-BRONZE-GROMMETS-84-LENGTH/131652772

Then you will also need a nice sized drapery rod to hold them. and 10 ft is gonna be a little harder to find but they do have them in 120", but I would go with one a little wider as your curtains are suppose to hang a little on either side of the window. I generally go 6-8" past the edge of my window trim and fasten the rod there. 
You could also do curtains the same way on that other window with the vertical blinds.
Just be sure whatever you do has that extra pc of fabric on the back as a single thickness curtains will be sheer and with the full sun you have, it wont last long before its bleached out.(faded)

Another option for affording nicer quality drapes, versus cheap curtains, is to keep checking on craigslist or thrift stores. Thats how I get mine. Its cheaper than making them even. (I did upholstery work including custom drapes for years). Drapes come in much wider widths than curtains so you wouldnt need as many panels. Here is an example of something on craigslist that you could work with but its not the prettiest....

https://knoxville.craigslist.org/hsh/d/custom-made-draperies/6352604552.html


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

A friend had a beautiful master bedroom that they never used. let the guests use it. To save the furniture from fading they had black out curtains installed. They held the heat in the window area and the seals between the glass in all the windows melted.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Personally, I like the real wood shutters. They are so easy to use.
I like the wood color but couldn't find a good example.


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## grandpa2390 (Jul 9, 2011)

Colbyt said:


> You can not buy any decent quality curtain and hardware for the same amount of money. I would replace the blinds. It appears there are 4 windows why only 2 blinds? The faux woods are heavy and 4 correctly measured blinds would be a lot easier to deal with.


I guess since you can't buy just one? I don't know. The window is not that big. just 10 feet. 2.5 per window. I'm basing it off of what was there when I moved in. would 4 blinds look good?

it would cost about the same. would it look better or the same and just be easier to handle?
I guess like this plus one
http://static.sites.yp.com/var/m_b/b1/b1c/11151767/1165171-2inchBlind1.jpg


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

Nealtw said:


> A friend had a beautiful master bedroom that they never used. let the guests use it. To save the furniture from fading they had black out curtains installed. They held the heat in the window area and the seals between the glass in all the windows melted.


im guessing the only way this could happen was if they rarely opened them. Most people open them every day, or I do anyways. i dont keep my windows closed all day.
Anyways, the kind you would get at Walmart or any big box store is not gonna be heavy duty enough to do anything like that. It would take those really thick lined custom made kind, and once again, left closed all the time........

Drapes/curtains do add a warmth to a room that blinds cannot do. And blinds get dusty. I actually do both on my windows bc they each have their own appeal. Blinds are fine for warm weather, but do not seal out cold air like drapes do when its below freezing outside. So I use blinds in the summer and drapes in the winter


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

leenabug said:


> im guessing the only way this could happen was if they rarely opened them. Most people open them every day, or I do anyways. i dont keep my windows closed all day.
> Anyways, the kind you would get at Walmart or any big box store is not gonna be heavy duty enough to do anything like that. It would take those really thick lined custom made kind, and once again, left closed all the time........
> 
> Drapes/curtains do add a warmth to a room that blinds cannot do. And blinds get dusty. I actually do both on my windows bc they each have their own appeal. Blinds are fine for warm weather, but do not seal out cold air like drapes do when its below freezing outside. So I use blinds in the summer and drapes in the winter


Yeah, they were black and constantly closed. No one used the room and the AC was on all summer.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

grandpa2390 said:


> I guess since you can't buy just one? I don't know. The window is not that big. just 10 feet. 2.5 per window. I'm basing it off of what was there when I moved in. would 4 blinds look good?
> 
> it would cost about the same. would it look better or the same and just be easier to handle?
> I guess like this plus one
> http://static.sites.yp.com/var/m_b/b1/b1c/11151767/1165171-2inchBlind1.jpg


In my home where I have ganged windows I have one blind per window not one blind per opening. Anytime a faux 2" blind gets wider than 36" they get too heavy to handle comfortably.

The image you linked to may be a custom 3 on one headrail or three separate blinds with one continuous valance. The continuous valance look can be achieved by careful cutting and installation of the three separate one.

Both Lowes and Homedepot sell some decent quality cut downs in store. They also sell custom and some garbage that is a waste of money. What specific blind are you considering?

Regarding a post above, quality traversing drapery rods are available in stock sizes up to 300", just not at the box stores. Both Kirsch and Graber make good rods and cheap retail rods. You get the quality you pay for.


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## designergal (Nov 12, 2017)

Another option for that wide of a window is to go with Vertical blinds instead of the faux wood. Then you can just do 1 blind, and they are relatively inexpensive.


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## dukes88 (Jan 10, 2018)

Horizontal blinds that can be opened from the top and bottom may work.


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