vilakins: Vila with stars superimposed (Default)
Nico ([personal profile] vilakins) wrote2008-11-28 06:41 pm
Entry tags:

Silver lining

I wasn't that happy with the glossy blinds that we got instead of the matt ones we ordered, because they look paler and cooler than the slightly cream off-white walls when closed at night. However, going by how the one in the dining area looks, where the lighting is warmer (we still have incandescents in there), I think the others will look better if we change the cold-looking energy-saver bulbs to those warmer new ones that give out light closer to incandescents.

So I can live with them! We decided to do so when they gave us a $400 discount, which was an offer we couldn't refuse. That almost pays for new blinds for the bedroom, so I ordered those today. :-)

And even though two windows still lack blinds, the evening sun which would now be making the room an oven and rendering my screen hard to read is being filtered out without me having to lower the old Roman blinds and make the room dark. I love Venetians.

[identity profile] thetisonline.livejournal.com 2008-11-28 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
So glad it is an easy solution that doesn't mean compromise!

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-11-28 10:18 am (UTC)(link)
It's strange how different they look under the different lights. I'll buy some of the new warm-coloured ones that even look like proper light bulbs tomorrow. :-)

[identity profile] zoefruitcake.livejournal.com 2008-11-28 11:51 am (UTC)(link)
Great discount :0) I love Venetians too, I miss having them. I've got roman at my mother's house, and where I'm buying has vertical in 2 rooms and venetian in two, but none in the bedroom. I'd like wooden ones in there

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-11-28 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
I really fancied wooden ones with a white wash, but when they're pulled up they make quite a thick stack which would hang right down over the ranch doors and make people duck going in and out. I have ordinary Venetians elsewhere, so continuing the theme is a good idea. The ones in the bedrooms were cheapies we put up when we moved in and they have to be replaced.

Verticals are nice too, very smart, but I find horizontals do a better of of keeping direct sunlight out (or directing it in in winter).

I can't wait to see pics of your place when you have it the way you want it. :-)

[identity profile] san-valentine.livejournal.com 2008-11-28 12:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"the evening sun which would now be making the room an oven and rendering my screen hard to read "
Oh yes, summer. I remember summer. Mind you, not that we had much of one this year.

*shivers*

I'd rather like to get a blind for the velux skylight in the games room, and preferably for the living room skylight too. Cheapest I've seen so far for a plain, pull down blind is around £60, which frankly seems extortionate. Currently I have a rough-cut piece of lightweight white fabric pinned to the frame of the gamesroom window, to cut out glare so I can read my monitor most of the time. At least I managed to find white drawing pins to fix it with.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-11-28 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
I know you can get RC blinds for skylights, but they're pretty expensive. It's a pity that you have to block the light all the time. That was the trouble with the Roman blinds in here: in summer they were down most of the time, blocking light and view of the garden and trees.

I know you had a bad summer. :-( We've had shocking ones like that too, and it was so depressing.

[identity profile] vjezkova.livejournal.com 2008-11-28 03:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Iam glad everything is all right now. Hmm, it is really interesting how the light influences things. You are righ with those energy-savers, we had to change all of them on the groundfloor because we didn´t notice the bulbs were "white". Too white, absolutely unbearable, and now we have yellow warm.
What a nice discount! Good!

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-11-29 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
I bought two "warm whites" today to see how they go. We used to joke that this room looked alien, with the blue-white light coming through the door.

[identity profile] crycraven.livejournal.com 2008-11-28 03:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow, you have an artist's eye for detail. I'm happy you found a way round the mistake. And revel in your summer sun...it's all leaf-mulchy dark-at-four coldness here. But the Christmas lights look pretty, so it's not all bad.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-11-29 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
The days are long here, so I don't get to see Christmas lights. But I can do without the fake snow and shmaltzy carols about snow at this time of year.

Today is a scorcher and it's lovely having the ranch sliders open so we get air through the blinds but not sun.

We just put in two "warm white" bulbs in the living area and will see tonight whether that makes the blinds more like the walls.

[identity profile] crycraven.livejournal.com 2008-11-29 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
Fingers crossed for the lights.

Fake snow, yuck. I wish we had proper snow again. I keep being told about some creepy mannikins mannakins mannekins *google/OED online* Ah!

...mannequins in the shopping centre - apparently they are very much like Autons and the angels in the Titanic one will trot down there with my camera soon.

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-11-29 05:05 am (UTC)(link)
LOL! There's always a Christmas disaster.

Fake snow is just SO MUCH WORSE IN SUMMER. What are they bloody thinking?

[identity profile] pet-lunatic.livejournal.com 2008-11-28 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Nice discount! We just got blinds in our office. Improved things no end. Better than curtains!

[identity profile] vilakins.livejournal.com 2008-11-29 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
Venetians are wonderful, and to me have a nice clean modern look. They're excellent in offices, but so many don't have anything at all so people got blinded by morning or afternoon sun. I've been through that. :-P