After moving into a new home, begin with the windows that affect privacy, sleep and daily comfort. Bedrooms, street-facing rooms and frequently used living spaces usually require attention first, while decorative or less-used rooms can often wait. This guide provides a practical order for planning your blinds and shades.
Start with window treatments for bedrooms, street-facing rooms and other spaces where privacy or sleep is an immediate concern. After those openings are covered, move to your primary living spaces, sliding glass doors, home office and less frequently used rooms.
A practical order is:
Your exact priorities may change according to the home’s layout, the direction of the windows and how visible the rooms are from outside.
Bedrooms usually require the strongest combination of privacy and light control. Uncovered bedroom windows can affect sleep and make the room feel exposed, especially when the windows face a street, neighboring home or exterior lighting.
Room-darkening honeycomb shades are a practical option when reducing incoming light is a priority. Faux wood blinds can also work in bedrooms when you prefer adjustable slats and a consistent appearance throughout the home.
Room-darkening shades do not necessarily create complete blackout. Some light may remain visible around the edges because of mounting conditions and normal spacing.
Read the comparison of light-filtering and room-darkening shades before selecting bedroom fabrics.
Cover windows that are easily visible from sidewalks, streets, shared parking areas or neighboring properties. These windows may include the living room, dining room, entry area and bedrooms.
Privacy conditions can change after sunset. A room that appears private during the day may become visible when the interior lights are on at night.
Two-inch faux wood blinds work well for many street-facing windows because the slats can be adjusted for privacy and light control. Honeycomb shades provide a continuous fabric surface when lowered and may be preferred when you want a softer appearance.
You can compare the available Starter products before choosing the right option for each room.
The living room should be an early priority if it is frequently used, faces the street or receives uncomfortable glare. It may come after the bedrooms if privacy and sleep are more urgent.
Two-inch faux wood blinds allow you to tilt the slats as daylight changes. Light-filtering honeycomb shades soften incoming light and help the room remain bright.
Consider:
If you are deciding between the two products, review Faux Wood Blinds vs. Honeycomb Shades.
A sliding glass door should be prioritized when it creates a significant privacy concern, receives strong sunlight or is located in a frequently used living space.
Vertical blinds provide a practical solution for many sliding glass doors. Their vanes rotate for privacy and light control, while the blind opens from side to side for access.
Before ordering a vertical blind, confirm:
Professional measurement helps determine the appropriate configuration for the opening.
Prioritize the home office if you work from home regularly or if direct sunlight creates glare on computer screens.
Faux wood blinds allow you to adjust the direction of sunlight throughout the day. Light-filtering honeycomb shades can soften bright light across the entire window.
A home office may need earlier attention than a guest room or formal dining room because it directly affects daily comfort and productivity.
Rooms that are used less frequently and do not have immediate privacy concerns can often be completed later.
These might include:
Before delaying any opening, check its visibility from outside. A less frequently used room may still need prompt coverage if it is highly exposed.
No. Different rooms can use different products while still maintaining a coordinated appearance.
A practical plan might include:
Using white or coordinated neutral colors can help the products look intentional throughout the home.
If you moved into a townhome, read the guide to the best blinds for a new-construction townhome for more specific planning guidance.
List every opening and divide the home into priority groups before selecting products.
Priority One: Bedrooms, street-facing windows and privacy-sensitive spaces.
Priority Two: Living rooms, dining areas, home offices and sliding glass doors.
Priority Three: Guest rooms, decorative areas and less frequently used spaces.
Review the Starter Blinds and Shades Price Guide when preparing the project budget. You can also use the instant estimate tool to explore preliminary installed pricing using approximate opening sizes.
Different sizes are priced accordingly. Final pricing requires professional measurement and confirmation of the selected products and project specifications.
Starter Blinds and Shades projects have an eight-treatment minimum, so consider how your priority windows can be grouped into the first phase.
Approximate measurements can help with early budgeting, but they should not be used to order the final products.
Professional measurement confirms:
Even windows that appear identical can have small dimensional differences. Final measurement should occur after the windows, trim and surrounding surfaces are complete.
Review how the Starter process works before scheduling your appointment.
Begin by walking through the home during the day and again after dark. Identify where privacy, glare and strong sunlight create the greatest concerns.
Then:
When you are ready to finalize your openings and product selections, schedule a professional measurement.
