Squint and these Budget Bamboo roll-up shades allllmost look like Chik Blinds
THE POPLAR COTTAGE
I had my heart set on Chik blinds at Poplar - you know, those handmade bamboo roll-up shades with binding on the edges and beautiful patterns sewn into the slats on your favorite designers Instagram feeds (like here and here). But alas, at $350/window, they just weren’t in the budget for this little rental. So I scoured the internet and found a much more affordable and still-quite-lovely alternative (a Chik Blinds dupe, if you will). Have a look…
bamboo shades (color a), linen curtains, wallpaper, bed frame
Cute, right?!
The Poplar Cottage sits on a popular walking route and these windows face the road, so privacy was a key factor for window coverings! The blackout linen curtains are great, but I like to open them up during the day to let daylight in but still needed privacy. These bamboo roll-up shades were the perfect addition. They’re casual and add privacy and shade while also brining in texture and warmth to the room. A definite Chik-blinds vibe :)
So how do these bamboo roll-up shades stack up to Chik blinds? They’re admittedly not quite as chic as Chik blinds but they get us about 90% there in terms of Chik-blind vibe and 100% of the way in terms of privacy/sun-shading. So I’m a happy lady. But if you’re a designer and/or working with a large budget, these might not make the cut.
As an aside, Garrett and I tend to find that getting from 90% to 100% design-wise is usually very expensive, and we generally find ourselves more satisfied by sticking with the 90% design and keeping our money if that makes sense (we use this philosophy for floor planning too). But that’s just us.
For fun (and dreaming purposes), here are the beautiful Chik blinds that I was eyeing on Etsy…
Chik Blinds
these bamboo blinds are handmade and natural and filter light for a soft, dappled effect
More from this room soon! It’s so close to done - just need nightstands and lamps.
ps I’ve heard Chik blinds are inexpensive in India, so if anyone is planning a trip, please let me know if you’d have room for some in your luggage on the way home ;)
