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The bedroom in my rental unit has your standard white filtering blinds. My apartment is right outside of the pool so at night between the moonlight and the floodlights my bedroom looks like daylight. Right now I'm averaging about 3 hrs/night sleep so I feel that darkening the room would go along way to enhance my sleep.
There are two 36x72 windows (they go to the floor) with no trim so the current blinds are internally mounted. I tried "room darkening" blinds and they were even worse--glaring harsh light between the slats. As it's a rental, I'm limited in color choices and window coverings. I do have room darkening curtains hung over the windows but that still lets in light. I thought of putting roller shades over the blinds but I really hate them. If I raised and lowered them everyday they would soon look like trash. I thought of Roman shades but that looks like it would be a bit of an expense.
I don't want to spend a fortune on custom window treatments so any creative ideas would really help. The only other alternative is to use a sleep mask, so if that's the case I could use some recommendations on a good one.
I assume your blackout curtains are still letting light in around the edges? They're installed on the interior of the window frame?
If you're more concerned about function than aesthetics you might consider putting your blackout curtains on the wall using 3m command hooks to either mount a lightweight rod, or to mount the curtains directly if they have grommets or something similar.
Room darkening drapes and blackout drapes are two different types of window treatments. Blackout drapes/curtains truly do block light from coming in but room darkening drapes/curtains don't always do the job. Also, there are rod choices that bend (curve) at the connecting point to the wall. You can wrap the curtains around this curve to keep light from coming in at the sides.
Most true blackout drapes have a white backing or liner.
One problem you might run into trying to use Command type hooks is the weight of finished draperies. Whatever you hang over the windows, choose something larger than the window opening (if the window is 4' across, buy something at least 5' across so there's overlap). You want enough yardage to cover a area bigger than the window itself so light can't sneak around the edges. An inexpensive fabric to use in addition to the blinds could be very dark colored bedsheets or simply buy bulk yardage in a dark fabric. Not exactly classy, but even black plastic sheeting could work in a pinch. Very lightweight and easy to work with. Those options won't be as heavy as finished drapes and if you are even slightly handy you could sew loops or rings on the fabric edges/corners and hang it from Command hangers set on the wall. Use hangers that lie as flush to the wall as possible. The farther the hooks protrude from the wall the more light will sneak in. Install the hangers slightly above the top of the window opening and wider apart than the sides.
Boy do I detest Roman shades. One of my previous houses had them everywhere. A total nuisance, inefficient, a pain to keep adjusted. They always seem to hang crooked or uneven. Couldn't wait to get rid of them.
I've had problems finding TRUE blackout drapes that aren't actually a dark fabric. I live in AK. Our summer days can be 19-20 hours long. Broad daylight for most of those hours. Hard to get enough sleep. I bought some supposedly "blackout" drapes for the bedroom in a lighter colored fabric that suited the room. They did have the coated backing. They did NOT darken the room all that much.
Last edited by Parnassia; 03-02-2021 at 03:58 PM..
My apartment is right outside of the pool so at night between the moonlight and the floodlights my bedroom looks like daylight.
My friend's apartment is in a similar location. We hung throws, blankets, and large towels from the tops of the blinds with clothes pins, which cut out all of the harsh lighting, and made the rooms much more pleasant at night.
As mentioned by another poster, there are drapes that claim to be blackout that really aren't. I had that happen to me recently. Since many stores have been closed I had to order blackout drapes online without being able to feel and see them. Sure enough, when they arrived, they were not truly blackouts so I had to return them.
Just didn't want to put nails in the walls. I used tension rods inside the window frames for 3 rooms, and something that went in the trim for the living room.
These curtains are quite inexpensive, and they absolutely block out light. The bedroom (navy color) is pitch dark at night. Two other bedrooms are as well, but I do pull one side back in each room for cats to have bird and squirrel views.
The tension rods come in a mess of sizes and diameters so you'll find some to fit inside your window area. The curtains I linked to have a pocket you just slide the rod through and squeeze them up.
Nothing has fallen down in several months. I believe I got 4 rooms in my house done for roughly $250.00. And they look really nice.
Just didn't want to put nails in the walls. I used tension rods inside the window frames for 3 rooms, and something that went in the trim for the living room.
These curtains are quite inexpensive, and they absolutely block out light. The bedroom (navy color) is pitch dark at night. Two other bedrooms are as well, but I do pull one side back in each room for cats to have bird and squirrel views.
The tension rods come in a mess of sizes and diameters so you'll find some to fit inside your window area. The curtains I linked to have a pocket you just slide the rod through and squeeze them up.
Nothing has fallen down in several months. I believe I got 4 rooms in my house done for roughly $250.00. And they look really nice.
Hope this helps!
I ordered a pair on Amazon and they were from NICETOWN also. Although they were truly blackouts, the hems were only about three quarters of an inch and I just couldn't get past that I had to send them back. On the Amazon link you provided there are some photos from reviewers and in one of the pictures it looks like the hems are about four inches so maybe I was just unlucky with the ones I purchased.
Just didn't want to put nails in the walls. I used tension rods inside the window frames for 3 rooms, and something that went in the trim for the living room.
These curtains are quite inexpensive, and they absolutely block out light. The bedroom (navy color) is pitch dark at night. Two other bedrooms are as well, but I do pull one side back in each room for cats to have bird and squirrel views.
The tension rods come in a mess of sizes and diameters so you'll find some to fit inside your window area. The curtains I linked to have a pocket you just slide the rod through and squeeze them up.
Nothing has fallen down in several months. I believe I got 4 rooms in my house done for roughly $250.00. And they look really nice.
Hope this helps!
Unfortunately, the color I want doesn't come in the size I need, but I'll check out other Amazon options.
I'm also thinking of changing up the curtain hardware so I could hang blackout curtains behind my existing curtains.
It also would be helpful if I actually CLOSED the curtains--I used to have sheer panels in between my existing curtains. I now have a kitty who likes to look out the windows so I pushed the curtains to the side and I'm raising/lowering the blinds everyday. I removed the sheer panels but realized I hadn't closed the curtains at night. Last night was much better with the curtains closed even though light still filters through. I'm sure adding navy blackout curtains behind the existing ones will suffice.
Thanks to all who have responded.
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I had to send them back. On the Amazon link you provided there are some photos from reviewers and in one of the pictures it looks like the hems are about four inches so maybe I was just unlucky with the ones I purchased.
