Banishing the temporary
I wrote the other week about the problem with temporary items that come in to our homes: namely, that they become permanent.
While I try to avoid this situation, I have been known to succumb. The biggest temporary-item problem in my current house? The white vinyl roller shades in the upstairs bedrooms. When we bought the house, I thought the window treatments were staying, so I was surprised to find myself with bare windows upstairs. In order to get my kids to sleep on time in a different timezone and in the midst of summer, I ran to Home Depot, paid $30 a piece, and came home with White. Vinyl. Roller shades.
In the girls room, I did what I could, block printing them into something quite cute, actually. In the guet room I simply ignored them. What I really wanted? Bamboo blinds. I love them. I have pretty much always had them in every home ever. And I knew that at the size I needed they were custom, and therefore expensive.
Or were they?
I recently discovered, thanks to Bryn Alexandra's blog, that overstock.com stocks bamboo blinds in virtually every size imaginable, and in many color to boot. I used my birthday money from my mother-in-law and had a pair on their way in no time.
(To remember the "before," go here)
So much better.
(Do you like that my 6-year old has already entered her "goth" phase? And that her hair sticks up like she never washes it?)
I chose to put the same type in both of the bedrooms for continuity, and chose a light tone similar to the wood trim to keep the blinds from becoming a new element. While I was trying with all my might to ignore the old shades, I am so happy that I was able to banish the temporary solution for the permanent fix.
Until they break, that is. I will admit, you get what you pay for.
While I try to avoid this situation, I have been known to succumb. The biggest temporary-item problem in my current house? The white vinyl roller shades in the upstairs bedrooms. When we bought the house, I thought the window treatments were staying, so I was surprised to find myself with bare windows upstairs. In order to get my kids to sleep on time in a different timezone and in the midst of summer, I ran to Home Depot, paid $30 a piece, and came home with White. Vinyl. Roller shades.
In the girls room, I did what I could, block printing them into something quite cute, actually. In the guet room I simply ignored them. What I really wanted? Bamboo blinds. I love them. I have pretty much always had them in every home ever. And I knew that at the size I needed they were custom, and therefore expensive.
Or were they?
I recently discovered, thanks to Bryn Alexandra's blog, that overstock.com stocks bamboo blinds in virtually every size imaginable, and in many color to boot. I used my birthday money from my mother-in-law and had a pair on their way in no time.
So much better.
(Do you like that my 6-year old has already entered her "goth" phase? And that her hair sticks up like she never washes it?)
I chose to put the same type in both of the bedrooms for continuity, and chose a light tone similar to the wood trim to keep the blinds from becoming a new element. While I was trying with all my might to ignore the old shades, I am so happy that I was able to banish the temporary solution for the permanent fix.
Until they break, that is. I will admit, you get what you pay for.