At long last, nearly a year after I began, I have finally finished installing window coverings in our place. The last set of windows in our kitchen nook stumped me for several months. They were a great source of filtered sunlight with our temp shades, and occupied two sides of a corner junction.
Initially I had planned for the same woven wood shades as our entry area, but I was worried they were too opaque and would darken the room unless we had them fully open (and then it would be too warm). Enter Blinds.com and their Movable Liner option on their premium woven wood line – this was a game changer!
When hunting around the internet for reviews, I was surprised to only find this one (coincidentally local) hosted on Blinds.com. However, none of the photos show what it looks like when both layers are raised up. So, I hope this review and my accompanying photos are helpful to those in the same boat.
Ordering Samples
Though the website says samples are unavailable, I called the Blinds.com customer service line and was able to speak with a representative to order several. I pointed out that I was interested in Zuma Flaxen, but unfortunately they were out of samples. Instead, I gave the representative parameters – light, natural shade color; not too beachy / boho / rustic – and he was able to send me about 12 different samples.
Colors & Materials
And thank goodness I ordered samples. The color I ended up choosing, Clarke Natural, looks nothing like its drab online photo. It was nearly a perfect shade match to Jute Natural from Selectblinds, and had more of a woven fabric feel vs. pieces of wood.
Additionally, the representative had warned me that opting for the movable liner can result in quite a bit of bulk. So I immediately ruled out any of the thicker materials – which left Clarke Natural, Caribbean Straw, Kula Sandy Beach and Brisbane Jute as contenders. That’s not to say this is a comprehensive list – for example, I didn’t see any of the Zuma colors. I absolutely recommend getting samples, as there’s no way to tell the differences in thickness online.
Measurements
Our windows are laughably shallow, for whatever reason – I was installing these in 1.5” window casings. I confirmed that the regular 1.5” headrail would work given these measurements, as they have a 1” version for even slimmer installs.
Due to the corner junction of the windows, I had to order one of the panels to be 1” narrower than the window. A fully recessed installation measures 2.5”, so with our 1.5” window depth, it meant that the shades would stick out by about 1”. You can see this more clearly in the close-up photos below. Thankfully, the side window shade just barely squeezed in. Because we leave the woven shade up and liner down most of the time, I barely notice the gap between the white liner and white window trim.
Verdict
Overall, I’m very happy with these. They match our other shades, and to my delight, have no bulk at all when fully opened. Installation was very quick and easy, since I had already done 15 other windows. The only potential downside is that the movable liner does not come with a cordless option. But this is a trade-off that I will gladly make!
Ultimately, these shades give us the best of both worlds. We often have half of them open with liner down, and the other half fully open with both layers. If you live at street level or rightnextto neighbors, these are a great option. I am honestly surprised that Blinds.com doesn’t promote this feature more – they really should!
