How to choose blinds vs shades

I recently bought a new house. A fairly big house actually. I mean, why not? Home prices have plummeted, and I got into a house that would’ve been way over my head a few years back. I quickly discovered that although the house was a deal, all of the other expenses involved in making it livable, including window blinds and window shades, were not necessarily the same kind of bargain.

A big house, my big house, means a lot of windows. I have forty-four windows to be exact, and all of them requiring their own window covering solution. Different rooms, different looks, different feels, and all in a variety of sizes. I needed window blinds, and I needed window shades, and I needed them fast. Moving boxes flattened and taped weren’t going to cut it.

I went to the internet, and found solutions for every room. The window shades and window blinds that worked for me, might work for you, so I want to pass on some of the knowledge that I gained.

My home office is wood paneled, so that was the easiest room to address. Even I knew that real wood blinds were the answer. What I didn’t know was that 100% real basswood blinds were the best choice for me. They were the best choice because I have large windows in my home office, and basswood wood blinds are the lightest weight real wood blinds, making then especially good for large windows. 2″ basswood real wood blinds were the perfect solution. These custom wood blinds would be made in one day!

My living room, like most living rooms, doesn’t get a lot of use. The wall of windows faces west, making sun control an important issue. Honeycomb shades in the double cell variety made perfect sense to me. They are light filtering shades, so if I forget to raise them in the morning, the room still gets light. I also have the added benefit of the double cell construction for insulation, meaning that these window shades help me keep those energy costs down. Buying these honeycomb window shades even made me feel a little eco-friendly.

The kitchen window coverings were a challenge. The kitchen faces the backyard, which is private, but it gets a lot of sun, meaning I needed some protection from the harsh UV rays. I found these really cool sheer weave solar shades that block up to 95% of harmful UV rays, which allow light in, and a view out!

The den, or family room, was another challenging window covering dilemma. To window shade, or to window blind, that was the question. I wanted sun control and view control. I opted against window shades because window shades are either up, or they’re down. I went with the real wood basswood wood blinds, and I did so for a number of reasons. Real wood blinds are horizontal blinds that tilt, making sun and glare control very easy, and the designer basswood wood blinds that I found come in three slat sizes. I went with the 1″ basswood wood blinds for the French doors, and perfectly matched the color with the rich looking2 ½” basswood wood blinds for the main windows.

The guest rooms and the guest bathrooms don’t get a lot of use, but that doesn’t mean that they deserve any less in the way of fashion than any other room. My goal was to find fashionable window coverings that cost less than the window shades and wood window blinds that I put in the main living areas. Aluminum mini blinds did the trick in one of the bathrooms. The mini blinds I chose are actually 2″ aluminum blinds, making them far more fashionable than the old 1″ mini blinds that I remember from my elementary school days. These mini blinds are 8 gauge aluminum, making them very sturdy, and the enamel paint is baked on, meaning that they will retain their rich color for a very long time.

Faux wood blinds rounded out the rest of the guest rooms. Faux wood blinds really do look like real wood blinds. Faux wood blinds are more economical, yet still have an array of upgradeable options, making them look as much like custom blinds as real wood blinds. Faux wood blinds are heavier than wood blinds, so for extra-large window settings, you might want to consider putting multiple blinds on one headrail.

Window coverings for the master bedroom had to be functional, fashionable, and room darkening. Roman shades were the answer for me. Roman shades are fabric window shades that can have added privacy liners, and are made with enough material that the window shade actually cascades as it is raised and lowered.

Well I hope that I am able to help a little with your window covering decision making process. There are plenty of window shade and window blind choices, and the ones I made for my house are working out great.

About the Author

Jay has been writing for over 10 years about home decor and interior design. Through his discovery he writes mostly about blinds, shades, bedding, and rugs.

Would navy blue tights/leggings look good with cream sweater dress?

I have a form fitting sweater mini dress in cream, it has cap sleeves and a mock turtle neck it grazes the middle of my thigh; I also have mid calf high brown faux leather slouchy boots with a stack heel, round toe and straps of the same color and material. I also have a cute wide belt in mettalic silver, brown, and gold the (belt is kind of weaved together) that I am going to wear with it slung low on my hips. I was thinking that navy blue tights or leggings might look good with this, but I’m not sure. If not blue, what would you suggest?
I have the belt because it hides my slowly growing love handles lol… I went from being pin straight to having curves..in the wrong places lol

yes!!!