A while ago we started decorating our younger two boys’ shared bedroom. We had swapped their grey metal bunk bed for a more stylish and roomier triple wooden bunk bed in a white finish. We added some wallpaper (more about that soon) and fresh new bedding, then the next thing to sort out was a new window dressing.
But first I really needed to rid the wall around the window of an awful shade of red that was there previously.
The boys like red, but it was such a garish shade we knew from the start it wasn’t working. It looked especially horrible next to the beech wardrobes. Oh well, they say you learn from your mistakes! So it was back to white around the window, whilst the windowsill and radiator were both given a couple of coats of Dulux paint for wood and metal. It looked so much fresher!
I normally stick to grey or navy with blinds in the boys’ rooms, but I fancied bringing in a bit of colour here. I did consider yellow – it could have worked, but perhaps been a little too much as it’s quite a large blind that we need.
Direct Blinds had kindly offered to work with us on this aspect of the room and offered me a choice of their blinds. I like a roller blind for its clean, unfussy lines and functionality and always opt for a blackout roller blind to keep it nice and dark when the kids are sleeping.
There was a really good choice of colours in the range and I could have chosen several lovely shades, but I was drawn to Blue Coral which is a deep teal or turquoise.
This had been my mood board when designing the boys’ new look room and the geometric wallpaper has some light turquoise in the design, which is at the opposite end of the room so I hoped it would complement that and pick out the turquoise nicely:
The boys’ previous blind had sat outside the window recess, so this time I wanted to pop in inside the recess as I think it looks neater and functions better in terms of light control. So I measured the width of the recess in three different places, as you will often find some variation. The smallest measurement you get is your recess size, so make sure you provide that when ordering your blind. (The Direct Blinds website has got a handy guide to measuring, which is really helpful if you’re not sure what you’re doing.)
I sent my order in and requested a silver chain on the right hand side to adjust the blind with. The blind arrived super quick (they’re not known as the next day blind company for nothing) and the quality was excellent. I’ve bought blinds off the shelf before and been a bit disappointed with the quality, but I have to say the feel of the fabric and depth of colour really impressed me.
My husband put the blind up and found it easy to do. (There are instructions in the pack.) I’m glad we went with this colour, it definitely complements the room and adds a smart finishing touch. The level of darkness when you put the blind down is excellent, it would be ideal for a younger child’s room too when they are still having a daytime nap.
