As humans, we know that FREE=AWESOME! But, we also hate waiting longer than absolutely necessary to finish a project. The question is, how do you find that balance between finishing a project quickly vs finishing it right? Well, when it comes to window treatments, sampling is the secret to success.
Whether you’re painting the living room or ordering new shades, sampling is a key step in the process. It lets you test the waters and find that perfect fit without wasting excessive amounts of time or money, not to mention filling your head with endless possibilities of how the colors and textures in real life compare to those on your computer screen (or those handy paint samples from the hardware store).
Selecting Your Samples
So, what should you look for when picking out samples of blinds and shades? This quick guide should help 🙂
- Focus on a single category
- Narrow down your color options
- Keep lighting in mind
- Order up to 15 available samples
- Pick your favorite!
Focus on a Single Category
First, why not narrow down your options by settling on which type of blind or shade you’re most interested in. For this, your selection could depend on which room you’re upgrading. Kitchen – try some minis or faux woods. Living room – how about room darkening rollers or romans? Bedroom – blackout honeycombs are a great choice.
Narrow Down Your Color Options
Second, keep your current or future color scheme in mind when finalizing color options. If you’re painting a wall navy blue, perhaps the window covering on that wall should be a more neutral tone. If your walls are a more neutral off-white, picking a blind or shade with a more vibrant color or pattern could be a fun way to accent your windows.
Keep Lighting in Mind
The third thing to consider when picking out window covering samples is lighting. Is your room already dark/light? What time of day does the sun attack your windows with the ferocity of a million-watt lightbulb? Are there street lights you need to block out at night? If darkness is a goal for your new room design, definitely consider room darkening fabrics and products with optional blackout liners.
Order Up to 15 Available Samples
What else is there to say? Pick out the colors and styles you think would work best in your room and order some samples! And if 15 isn’t enough, just wait 24 hours and order 15 more! You never know, they might even all show up in the same package (mine did). And no, you do not have to pay for shipping – the free samples are entirely free.
Pick Your Favorite!
Once your samples come in, the only thing left to do is contrast, compare, pick your fave and order. Ok, so there might be a step in there that concerns taking measurements (see this page for help). But, since you took the time to order samples before deciding on your window covering, you can be confident that you truly are choosing the best blind or shade for your room.
