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Room is toooooo bright...
  • Charlotte_SometimesCharlotte_Sometimes
    Posts: 1,756Member
    Annoying problem.  My bedroom is very bright and sunny. Four windows in a 10 x 12 room and 10 foot ceilings to boot.  I have vinyl miniblinds up plus drapes that are lined  (light blue).... and it doesn't matter.  It is super bright in here regardless.

    I'm wondering what will work.  I would really like wood mini blinds but I don't know if they are going to do any better with regard to the brighness.   There are two factors:  first, I have to keep it looking nice from the outside since I live in an apartment and our building is in a historic district.

    Second, I don't want dark curtains... my room is light blue and white.  So whatever I have to look at from inside the house, I need to be light. 

    Any ideas?  Especially more economical ones?  Thanks!
    "But a lesson must be lived
    In order to be learned"

    Ani DiFranco, Manhole
  • canadamom
    Posts: 867Member
    I have a sleep mask that I wear when I find it too bright to sleep.  I work shift and often go to bed at 7pm during the summer months when it is light until 11pm.  Cost - $10

    I also bought black out roller blinds for the bedroom windows.  I ordered them at home depot, they are white on both sides.  They really block out about 80-90% of the light, but they cost $140 per window.

    My DS has a "wooden" horizantal blind in his room that does a fairly decent job of blocking the light - but it came with the house so I have no idea where they bought it or how much it cost.  The blind is plastic and not real wood and it is a darker wood color.

    Hope that helps - check out the Sears catalogue they might have something for apartment dwellers that might not be so permanent as custom blinds.
  • momofdbbmomofdbb
    Posts: 9,075Member
    I was going to suggest the sleep mask too. Lol. When my mom bought the house it came with " blackout curtains " does that give you a clue on the age of the house. Lol. Now here in America we didn't have as strict blackout rules as they did in England. But we still had some. I wasn't around then though. I have had dreams about being in a house in England during a blackout. It was odd. I dreamed I was a baby that got dropped during a raid.
    Sorry for the sidestep there.

    Masks or the horizontal blinds I think.
    " Wibbly wobbly timey wimey ......." The Doctor
    " I'm a leafe on the wind..watch how I soar ." Wash :((
    " Oh the wall had it comming.' Sherlock Holmes
    yea I am geek !!
  • Charlotte_SometimesCharlotte_Sometimes
    Posts: 1,756Member
    Ok, for those who have used a sleep mask, did it take some time to get used to?  I think I would freak out with something on my face.  Maybe not though, I don't know.


    @momofdbb   maybe a past life dream? who knows.  I am totally open to things like that though. :)
    "But a lesson must be lived
    In order to be learned"

    Ani DiFranco, Manhole
  • StarsStars
    Posts: 1,054Member
    Black out drapes.  I work nights and these are just awesome.  
    apsycho

  • meandmy243meandmy243
    Posts: 6,333Member
    I bought blackout curtians for my parents a few yrs back.. They were white just super thick... They work well too...
    mom of wild children
    going to the chapel 7/5/2014
  • AloneOverseasAloneOverseas
    Posts: 2,240Member
    Yup, I bought black out curtain fabric and made my own curtain liners for the boys bedroom. Already came with the top bit for hanging, I just had to cut and trim sides and bottom. Easy. Didn't bother attaching to the regular curtains, either. But you can if you want.
    I love purple; I love cats. Imagine if cats were purple ...
  • Charlotte_SometimesCharlotte_Sometimes
    Posts: 1,756Member
    @AloneOverseas  is it white? I am big on DIY. I was planning on making curtains from sheets and doing stencils on them because I found some tutorials and they are adorable and cheap, but then I figured they wouldn't work for my too much light problem.  This might work if I lined them with that black out fabric..?
    "But a lesson must be lived
    In order to be learned"

    Ani DiFranco, Manhole
  • AloneOverseasAloneOverseas
    Posts: 2,240Member
    Yup, it is very dense white fabric. Does an awesome job keeping out the light.
    I love purple; I love cats. Imagine if cats were purple ...
  • unforgivenunforgiven
    Posts: 12,700Confessional Manager
    I was also going to suggest black out curtains. 

    confessional-manager

    "What looks like torture is a time to rejoice
    What sounds like thunder is a comforting voice
    When what is beautiful looks broken and crushed
    And I say I don't know you
    But you say it's finished"
  • LesboMomLesboMom
    Posts: 2,844Confessional Manager
    Making your own is super simple. Those black out shades are really nice, too. They just pull down like blinds. Eclipse makes black out shades in fun colors. Check out their kids line. We just got Munchkin some lime green ones to match her room for 15 bucks a panel. She gets all the morning sun and that comes up at 530 around here.

    confessional-manager

    Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. -- Helen Keller
  • unforgivenunforgiven
    Posts: 12,700Confessional Manager
    Those are the drapes I use: Eclipse. I love them. Couldn't think of the name!  

    confessional-manager

    "What looks like torture is a time to rejoice
    What sounds like thunder is a comforting voice
    When what is beautiful looks broken and crushed
    And I say I don't know you
    But you say it's finished"
  • Peace
    Posts: 2,083Member
    I've heard the blackout shades or curtains are great too.
    You might want to wait on one of the windows. A friend said they almost worked too well for them.
    She & dh had trouble waking up, it was like a cave, so they ended up leaving one window with the shade always up.
    They were kind of pricey, so it may pay to play around with just how many you need to cover.
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,177Member
    Black out liners for the drapes, also, painting the room a darker color will help absorb some of the light.

    Also, they have honeycomb blinds with a black out coating.  I debated them, but really didn't like the look.  The other thing is to coat the windows with the UV reduction coating and sunscreens on the outside...Here in AZ, we know every trick!  Plantation shutters are also very popular here.
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • Charlotte_SometimesCharlotte_Sometimes
    Posts: 1,756Member
    LesboMom said:

    Making your own is super simple. Those black out shades are really nice, too. They just pull down like blinds. Eclipse makes black out shades in fun colors. Check out their kids line. We just got Munchkin some lime green ones to match her room for 15 bucks a panel. She gets all the morning sun and that comes up at 530 around here.



    Where did you get them?  I feel dumb but I have Googled that brand and can only find curtains....
    "But a lesson must be lived
    In order to be learned"

    Ani DiFranco, Manhole
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,177Member
    where are the Eclipse ones?

    @Charlotte_Sometimes...I got some at Amazon, but they're a little limited in the sizes.  If you have a JoAnns or Calico Corners, you can buy the blackout fabric

    Bite me, cupcake!
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,177Member
    Also, Hunter-Douglas makes them, in a fairly wide range of prices.
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • Charlotte_SometimesCharlotte_Sometimes
    Posts: 1,756Member
    Okay @BellaBefana thanks.  And thanks, everyone.  So, dumb question but if I went with the blackout shades or curtains will they work even if I go with a light color?  Seems counter-intuitive to me. ;)  I would love shutters but too pricey.  Some of my neighbors have them in the apt. building and I am totally jealous, they looks so nice!
    "But a lesson must be lived
    In order to be learned"

    Ani DiFranco, Manhole
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,177Member
    Yes.  They're just heavy white fabric...almost like puddle pads are made from, but you can get them in darker colors too.  They just line the draperies.
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • LaurelLaurel
    Posts: 110Member
    I have blackout curtains for DDs room since she pops out of bed as soon as the sun comes up. I think I bought them at Bed Bath and Beyond. They are white on both sides and really thick. When I open them in the mornings, I just push them to the side and the decorative sheers that are there look really nice. I want those blinds for our room too, they work so well.
    Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids. ~Sam Levenson
    You know the only people who are always sure about the proper way to raise children? Those who've never had any. ~Bill Cosby
  • canadamom
    Posts: 867Member
    @Charlotte_Sometimes - I bought a satiny feeling sleep mask and it didn't take long to become accustomed to it.  I still use it in the summer even with the blinds because some light still seeps in through the edges.  My room faces west so I get all the bright afternoon sunshine.  

    I also find that if you don't open a blind in the night when you get up to pee, you'll sleep all hours as your body won't wake up until it senses "light" - unless you set an alarm.  Its great to keep kids asleep until you are also awake but no so much if I want to be moving before 10am.  I find its hard to "wake up" well if I leave the blinds shut and just set the alarm - I'm groggy and have a much harder time getting moving.
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