Need Blinds! Advice Please

We have finally reached the point in our Reno that the windows are ready for blinds! Hooray!:
This will be the first time I have bought blinds, as all my other homes already had them installed.
I am not looking to get anything really fancy or expensive. My house is a small 2 bdrm 2 bath 800 sq ft simple home that will one day be used as a rental. But I plan on living in and enjoying it for at least 5 years, so I want something nicer than the cheap-o aluminum.
I'm not sure what type to get, and was hoping you all might like to weigh in and give me some advice, reviews, suggestions, etc.

Cordless blinds are great in my opinion; take a peak at bed, bath & beyond if their in your area to see some. You can also Google Search cordless blinds.

Really depends on how you've decorated. Roman shades and bamboo are both very nice options and popular right now and have many color options. If your trying to keep it cheap, the bamboo might be your best option.......Ecofriendly too!
Try posting some photos for more specific advice.
Congrats on finishing your reno......I know how good that feels!

We installed cellular shades in our house. A bit more pricey than the standard mini blinds, but not unreasonable, and they have a really clean look. They're just as easy to install.
The "basic" ones come in standard light filtering, or you can get light blocking ones. I put those in our bedroom and they really keep the room nice and dark.

I just love my "top down/bottom up" cordless cellular shades by Levlor.
Keep an eye out for a sale on them at JC Penny

We bought a townhouse (quad home) that had some interesting blinds in it. I finally found out where they came from (justblinds dot com) and went to the site.

We were able to get a set of good horizontal mini aluminum blinds custom made to size and specifications for an oversized (about 8' long) sliding door. They were a major quality brand, but it was very economical and fast once I determined what type of mount i wanted and the dimensions. - Took about a week from order to delivery. We ended up with a custom surface mount (intended) to cover the molding that was split for each side, but still on one solid aluminum track. We also were able to get individual vertical and tilt controls for each side separately located where we wanted them. The instructions and hardware was good and installation went easily. I happened to check on the same brand blinds and configuration at Home Depot and the price and delivery times were at least twice the on-line order I received. - When is the last time a retailer called to check to see if everything was satisfactory?

I recently needed an interior fabric vertical blind (long width and lower height) to control general air flow on a seasonal basis. The fabric samples and selections were good. I ordered them (about 8' long and 6' high for a ceiling mount). They came quickly (including a couple of extra matching vertical panels for future damage) and I had that assembly up in a bout 30 minutes after going through the instructions. The extra replacement panels came in handy because my 2 long haired black cats walk through and leave hair that is difficult to remove from the coarse texture tan fabric I selected from the samples I got. - Never had to drive anywhere since everything was delivered to the door, which is a hidden savings and convenience.

If I were to start through the process of planning , selecting any type of new blinds, I will start with JustBlinds and go from there.

If you have basic tools and miscellaneous hardware, it is not that difficult and you never have to wait for someone else to come on their schedule.

Dick

Hi there Courageous1,

This is Mr. Jay with the Home Depot. Congrats on getting so far in your home, hopefully everything else went smoothly for you.

First off, I always make sure with any of my customers that they don’t have specific association requirements for their blinds. Usually this means that they require white, or a neutral color to the outside. Would you know about that, or be able to check into it?

If you’re not required, then the sky is the limit for you. Since you’re going to plan on using it as a rental property, I would suggest Cellular Shades as well. Reason being is that they provide you a great range of colors to choose from, as well as different privacy options. Also, some of the newer designs they’re working on have great R-values to let possible renters know about. I would look into ones from both Bali and Levolor, which we sell in our stores. Like DebbieG suggested, post pictures if possible so we can get a sense for the rooms were talking about.

If you need more info on them, or to pick my brain about colors and what not, just let me know.

- Mr. Jay

Hi Courageous1

I agree with others that cellular shades are a good choice.

I like them for many reasons but they do have there drawbacks. There are either open or closed, creating a ....
.....limited abitity to control light or privacy.

And for that reason I would suggest faux wood blinds.
They're available in colors and textures that fit most decors and they're affordable.

Here's a link on how to save money on faux wood blinds