Maintenance - Making Blinds More Attractive: Three Ways to Do It

Blinds are great for creating privacy and security in a room without having to take up a lot of space on the wall.  Most blinds fit right into the window frame and completely cover the length of the window, allowing you to decorate around the window and otherwise find ways to enhance the appearance of the window without the blinds getting in the way.

However, many people are now starting to make their blinds the showpiece of the window itself.  Whereas before the focus seemed to be on hiding their blinds, homeowners are now buying blinds that are attractive and high quality, and using the blinds themselves to accent the window.  This is a great way to make a room look better without having to buy more paint or decorative items, and it can be justified since blinds are an essential part of any room.

Here are three neat ways to make your blinds more attractive:

1. Stain your wooden blinds
   If your blinds are made from wooden slats you have the distinct advantage of being able to stain them.  This will completely change the color of the blinds and will bring out the woods natural beauty.  The process itself can be quite intensive, so make sure that you don’t jump into it unprepared.
   
   You will have to take off each blade and component, making sure that you know how to put them back on once you’ve finished staining.  Then, once everything’s been removed you’re going to want to sand off any current paint or stain, and then apply a few coats of stain in a smooth, even stroke.  Once the stain has dried you may want to cover it with a clear lacquer (to protect the wood), reassemble the blind, and rehang it.  With any luck it turned out great!
   
   
2. Spray-paint is wonderful
   Spray-paint has a bad rap, but in reality it can be used with great success on items such as curtain rods or blinds!  If your blinds are made from a wooden or metal material the spray-paint will adhere without any problems.  The best part is that it will only take two cans at most to spray-paint an average set of blinds, so it’s really inexpensive and quite fun to do!
   
   Spray-paint comes in just about every color under the sun (including glossy silvers and golds), so it will be easy for you to find a color that matches your décor.  Have fun, and don’t forget to do it outside!
   
   
3. Shroud them
   This is a simple modification that looks great, but it isn’t suitable if you have cats (they will rip the shroud to pieces before you can say “tuna fish”).  Buy material that is thin and matches the color of your blinds.  What you’re going to do is remove the slats (or blades) of the blinds and cover them with this material.  Fabric staples will work to adhere them to the slats, or you an use a strong glue.
   
   I’ve done this in the past and I’ve found that adhering the material to the blade at the back edge of the blade (that faces out the window) works best as you won’t be able to see the seams, giving it a really clean and professional look inside.