Massive mistake re window blinds

[MiniCooperLover]

We had horrible yellow wood blinds from IKEA up for 18 years in the front of our house. Have gone on a bit of a decorating spree. Beautiful dark green walls in the hallway so it was all going well. DH wanted grey carpet and I wanted hessian as it's warmer looking. In the end went for pale silver/greys and it's horribly cold looking with the white woodwork and before the carpet went down we'd ordered new wooden blinds for the front of the house. Wanted shutters but they were twice the price and we had 5 big windows to do. So we went for off white in large slats fitted into the recess.

Big mistake ... the whole thing together is so cold and stark looking and office(y). Am so disappointed but need to make best of it but don't know how 😞.

Voile or muslin style panel over the top.

Agree, wall colour in the living room too light.

I think the issue is hinge went for blue toned greys which are cold and then the white blinds as well. I agree it doesn’t Look homely or warm.

I think add some curtains as folks said and sort of half cover them, it will soften it. I’d do a nice fabric like velvet. I’d look at a deep teal colour.

I agree. The blinds are fine the walls are fine they just don’t work together. Cheaper to repaint than redo the blinds!

You need curtains, leaving only the blinds will make the room look/feel cold

All the windows are missing curtains. Indows with blinds just looks incomplete to me, and will make all the rooms cold

The green is superb but the blinds - hell no. Put curtains up. I'd have gone for hessian too lovely.

I'd repaint it to a warmer wall colour and have plants in pots on the floor. I'd also maybe replace or rearrange the pictures on the walls to have bolder/warmer colours.

Honestly don’t worry, this is fixable.

Grey is no longer fashionable (although obviously lots of us still have it in our homes) and will always look cold in winter when our inclination is to turn to layers, texture and warmth. Your grey in particular is fairly cool in tone. If you’re really wedded to grey I’d change it to something that is more “Greige” with warmth. Something like F&B skimming stone is warm in tone to give you an idea. It still reads as grey though (although you can bring out the warmth more depending on what you put with it). I’d personally then think about wallpaper since this is very on trend and is also a very homely feature which will take away from the office feel.

The colour will really make a massive difference. Change this (and by the way also paint that radiator since it looks dirty next to the off white blinds) and then add the softening features that make a room homely. You need floor length curtains. They don’t have to be massively expensive, check out Dunelm. Even if budget only allows you to buy narrow width ones that are effectively fake curtains that don’t draw together it will make a difference. Blinds are supposed to be paired with curtains on most types of window. That’s why it looks like an office.

if you show the rest of the room we can help tie it all together. You don’t need to change the blinds (although don’t be tempted to buy blinds like that again!)

What is the Green paint you used op? It's just what I'm after for our lounge!

The green is lovely and warm. If you can get a green right you can do colour. Green is the hardest colour to get right imo

How about something like this to soften the look. This is just a voile panel from Dunelm held in a light weight rod.

On a positive note, your floor is gorgeous!

That panel is too short. It should go to the floor.

Get some curtains and ditch the blinds

I like the blinds, the green shade of paint and LOVE your floor. Makes me realise my place needs a complete overhaul, not that that’s happening except bathroom and en-suite when plumber gets time to fit it in. Sorry OT opinion…

I would add sheers with a chunky rail in the first instance. You could also consider putting an architrave around the windows to give some depth and interest.

I like it but thanks for your input

Its not the blinds it the lack of soft furnishings. You don't have curtains or other soft furnishings in an office usually that's why you are being reminded of an office.

Luckily the sitting room is due to be painted soon, we were holding off as we are still trying to find sofas we like so wanted them to dictate colour. We have a lovely warm wooden Karndean parquet and the patio doors at the other end of the room have lovely dark blue full length velvet curtains so we'll make sure the paint colour has warm tones and putting a similar set of curtains on the outside of these blinds will hopefully help. I don't mind the cold of the blinds in the kitchen/dining bit. The room that's dark grey is a playroom/TV room so they're ok in there. The blinds in the hallway was a mistake but I'll keep them for now until I can justify changing to something else.

So now ... warm tones for the sitting room .. which route to go down?

Seems improved to be honest. I know venetian blinds could have some light coming through between the slates but they look good.

Just to update, I got used to the blinds downstairs. The room is being painted in F&B Pigeon next week and we've ordered curtains too to sit alongside the blinds to soften the look. Hallway has improved on me over time too 👍

I have the same blinds but have the tape rather than cord threaded through, I think it makes it look more like shutters. I'd have loved shutters but too £££.
Would your supplier change to tape if that would soften them a bit?

I love your parquet flooring btw

Yes, coming on to say this. Dress them with some long curtains in a warmer colour.