When you host, guests spend more time in your house than you usually do in some of those rooms. They notice the guest room that never gets fully dark, the blind that will not stay level, and the afternoon glare across the dining table. The good news is that most of it is easy to fix, and a few changes made now carry you well past New Year's. If you want a rough number before you start, you can price your window treatments online in a few minutes.
Start with the guest room
This is the room that makes or breaks an overnight stay. Two things matter most: it gets dark, and it is private.
Darkness. Your guests are on a different schedule, and early morning sun through a guest room window is one of the most common reasons people wake up before they want to. A room darkening or blackout shade fixes that. For the darkest result, choose a roller shade with side channels, which close the light gaps at the edges. A blackout cellular shade is the other good option and helps keep the room warm in December too.
Privacy. Guest rooms often face the street or a neighbor's yard, and sheer curtains or old mini blinds do not hold up after dark with the lights on. Check from outside at night. If you can see in, so can everyone else. We go through the best options room by room in top bedroom blinds and shades for privacy and comfort.
A small courtesy that goes a long way: make sure the shade is easy to work. A cordless lift or a simple wand means guests are not fighting a tangle of cords in a room they do not know.
Fix what is broken before company comes
Every house has one. The blind with a snapped cord that hangs crooked, the slat that will not tilt, the shade that creeps back down on its own. It is the kind of thing you stop seeing because you live with it, and guests see it right away.
A lot of these can be repaired rather than replaced. Our repair service handles cords, tilt mechanisms, and lift systems on most blinds and shades. If it turns out a replacement makes more sense, we will tell you honestly.
Give the blinds and shades a proper clean
Dust shows on window treatments more than almost anywhere else, especially when the low winter sun comes through at an angle. Most blinds clean up with a microfiber cloth or a vacuum brush attachment, but fabric shades and wood blinds need a gentler touch. Our guide on how to clean blinds by material covers what is safe for each type.
You can also utilize our sister company, Get Clean Blinds, to give your faux wood blinds a deep clean like they’ve never had before.
Tame the glare in the dining room
Holiday dinners tend to land right as the sun gets low. A west-facing dining room can turn into a squint-fest at 4:30 in the afternoon. Light filtering shades, solar shades, or sheers soften that glare without making the room feel closed in. You still get the daylight, just without the spotlight on Aunt Carol.
If you have a sliding door off the dining room, which is common in a lot of Huntsville homes, a vertical solution like a sheer drape or vertical cellular shade handles glare and privacy in one.
Make the living room feel finished
The living room is where everyone ends up. If the windows look bare or the treatments are tired, this is the room where an update shows the most.
Floor-length drapery is the quickest way to make a room feel warmer and more put together. It frames the windows, softens the sound in a room full of people, and on cold evenings a lined panel keeps the heat in. Pair it with a shade or blind underneath for light control, and the room looks complete.
Keep the house warm when it is full
Ironically, a house full of people often has one room that stays cold: the room with the big windows. Close the shades and drapes at dusk to hold the heat in, and open the south-facing ones on sunny afternoons to let the sun help. If one room is always chilly, it is usually the windows, and that is worth fixing before company arrives rather than after.
Timing: what to do now
Custom window treatments are made to order, so there is some lead time between measuring and installing. If you want new treatments in place for a December gathering, the easiest path is to get measured in November. Quick fixes like repairs and cleaning can happen closer to the date.
And if you have a dog that does not love visitors, that is fine. We work around pets in the home during installs all the time. You can read how we handle it on our pets page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best window treatments for a guest room? Room darkening or blackout shades, ideally with side channels or an inside mount, so guests can sleep in. Make sure they also give full privacy at night with the lights on.
How far ahead should I order custom window treatments for the holidays? Plan for some lead time, since custom treatments are made to order. Getting measured in November is the safest bet for December hosting.
Can broken blinds be repaired instead of replaced? Often, yes. Cords, tilt mechanisms, and lift systems can usually be repaired. We will tell you if replacement makes more sense.
What’s the best way to clean faux wood blinds? Ultrasonic blind cleaning will give your blinds a deep clean like no other solution. Consider Get Clean Blinds to help you with this.
How do I reduce glare in my dining room? Light filtering shades, solar shades, or sheer drapery cut glare while keeping the room bright.
Do curtains help keep a room warm? Lined, floor-length curtains help a lot, especially when they are closed at dusk and overlap the wall on each side of the window.
Get the house ready before the doorbell rings
Pick the room your guests will use most and start there. Call us at (256) 883-1786 for a quote. We can often give you a ballpark on the phone, and our in-house crew does the install, backed by a lifetime installation guarantee and three years of service calls. You can also price your window treatments online first if you prefer.
