Plantation Shutter Splurge (and new chairs)

I should start by apologizing for the serious lack of posts lately… it’s  not that we haven’t been doing fun and exciting things, more that I have been too busy working in fault trenches and working on a somewhat time-sensitive surprise project. But more on both of those things in a later post!

Up to this point in our home renovating, we have tried desperately to keep costs down and work on projects that don’t break the bank. And don’t worry, there are many more budget projects to come! But today I want to share our first (and so far only) splurge. We decided to put plantation shutters in the two front windows of the house! Specifically, the big picture windows that face the street in the living room and dining room. The beige pleated drapes that hung in these windows have been a serious eyesore since we moved in. We did give them a good washing and steaming (thanks, Mom!) to make them look temporarily presentable, but the ultimate goal was always to ditch those dowdy drapes.

Here are some before pictures of our main living spaces with the clean, wrinkle-free, yet still hideous curtains:

See what I mean? Just all-around bad. Definitely not the vibe we are going for in our first home! So we found a reasonably priced vendor, picked out our shutter style, and swiped the credit card. Next thing we knew, our living spaces had been transformed into more modern rooms with a cleaner, brighter feel. I must say, the splurge was well spent!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! That’s all I can say, and I sincerely hope you agree.

I should also mention that we snagged these dark brown leather chairs on craigslist for a steal and just love what they do to the room. Plus, they are sooo comfy. The couch that was previously under the window has rejoined its twin in storage. I also feel inclined to mention that the shutters do a surprisingly good job of blocking out the street noise. A nice, unexpected perk. With every project, our house feels more and more like our home 🙂