Saturday, August 8, 2009

Vertical Blinds Hack, Part 1

For some reason, apartment designers in Los Angeles have a love affair with wall-to-wall carpet (yuck!) and vertical blinds (yuck!). Most apartments I have rented have both. I can't do much about the carpets, but I went on a mission to figure out some way to hack the hated vertical blinds.


Why do I hate vertical blinds? They are bland. They are sharp. They always get twisted up, so you have to straighten them all every time you want to open them. They are harsh in the manner they block light. They don't really guarantee privacy, especially when the cats are sitting in them, as cats do. Ugh! I hate them!

I had a conversation with my manager one day about getting rid of the vertical blinds. He basically told me that I was wrong, that curtains were inferior to vertical blinds, and I must keep them.

But I love curtains. So, compromise.


For these curtains in my bedroom, I very carefully removed each of the evil vertical blind slats, and stored them under my bed. I then sewed these curtains around the vertical blind hardware.

Apart from having the strangest curtain rod ever, they open and close just like regular cafe curtains. I love them!


The tabs are closed by big buttons, so I can take them down to wash them occasionally. You can see here how the curtains are, indeed, hung around the vertical blind hardware.


Making the buttonholes was incredible fun. I highly recommend a one step button-holer over a four step button-holer. You can seriously, like, read a book while it goes to work.


So easy, and such perfect buttonholes.


The fabric for these curtains is by Premier Prints, and it is intended for nurseries, but I really like it in my bedroom, which I've done in sea glass colors.


If you are like me, and also hate vertical blinds, but are also cursed with them, here's one way to deal with them. I will post my second way soon.

7 comments:

marinelle said...

Great idea!!! I've been searching for innovative ways to get around those hideous blinds.

Unknown said...

Hey really a nice post and great idea. Thank you for the information. Vertical blinds are offered at very cheap and affordable rates, where every kind of people can buy it. 247 blinds offers these kind of blinds at affordable rates with different choice.

for more info:
http://www.247blinds.co.uk/vertical_blinds.asp

Herb Koguchi said...

Very thrifty! It made your room brighter and lovelier. My wife also loves sewing curtains and other stuff. She just made a curtain for our room, and it looks really sweet! I wish I learned how to sew too. Then maybe I could help her with making curtains for our windows.

Sarah said...

Do you think that it would still work if I buttoned the curtain up in between the individual blinds? My lease absolutely forbids taking the blinds down but I could at least try covering them up. Especially now that I am preparing a nursery.

craftg33k said...

Hmm, that's a bummer. You would have to use longer thinner straps, but it might! You could also just try hanging a larger curtain rod over them.

Oldham Woodblinds said...


This article narrates about the blinds and explains how it can make your look refreshing and relaxing. Furthermore, it also recommends readers to get it installed from Oldham wood Blinds.

vertical blinds oldham

Shutters said...

Found your blog. I appreciate your article. It’s important to get quality vertical blinds houston for windows. So thanks for sharing all that important information.