Budget Friendly Style: Roll-Up Window Blinds

I like to decorate with style, but most of the time “stylish” equals “cha-ching… cha-ching”. Instead of looking at that as an obstacle to decorating, I have found that keeping an open mind can lead to budget-friendly style where you least expect it.

When I was browsing TrueValue.com recently, I came across these white blinds. When I read that they were made from PVC to use on outdoor porches, I almost dismissed being able to use them since I was looking for interior shades.

However, I decided to keep an open mind and thought “what if?” Soon, I was taking a second look on how I could use these blinds inside my house since I really liked the look – simple, light filtering and white. With some more thought I found the perfect place to use them.

They are perfect for the two windows in the bedroom I am making over into a fitness room. Since I am trying to stay within a very small budget, what really sold me on using the blinds was the awesome price tag of $13.99! You can’t beat that along with the fast and easy installation.

The roll-up blinds are durable and completely washable. They come complete with a quick release cord safety feature, an automatic cord lock which allows height adjustment, installation hardware for hanging and an e-z-trac adjustable headrail.

I installed them outside the windows along the top molding. The molding is a bit wider than average window trim and the hooks that came with the blinds were not long enough. I bought longer hooks and placed them in line with the hanging hook on the blinds. I had them up in 15 minutes. EZ!

I like that the light-filtering quality of the shades doesn’t darken the room, as I want to keep a light and airy feel to the space. I just have one change to make: The hooks make hanging the shades super easy, but they are visible. I am going to dab some white paint on each hook with a small paint brush to paint them white so they become invisible.

To raise or lower the blinds I just need to pull the cord. The blinds are perfect for a fitness room. Not too fussy, just right.

By thinking out of the box when it comes to decorating, I have found a very affordable way to cover the windows in this room in style.

Have you used anything in an unconventional way in your home?