apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Maybe bamboo roller shade? bamboo outdoor shade? We had something similar in my last apartment that we got from home depot, but we didn't mount it as nicely.

They look like plain ol' roll-up bamboo blinds: lower end, available at Cost Plus, Lowe's or Home Depot; higher end, by mail from Smith and Noble (among others). Request swatches from Smith and Noble.

How about wooden panel curtains from Ikea? Or maybe their wooden Venetian blinds...Plus they roll up and down if you want to open them up...and they are cheap enough to replace when they wear out.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80078132

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10092570

These are called matchstick blinds and I bought some about 3 years ago at Lowe's.

i think they sell those at ikea

Pier 1 usually has these as do many standard hardware stores. Often, you can also trim these down to fit your needs - just use some heavy duty scissors and a light saw for the top.

just a heads up, many people in my complex have these on their balconies and i was looking into buying some, but they have some downsides: they're usually $40-60 per panel, which adds up if you have a large area to cover. they're highly susceptible to mold/mildew, and the pulley systems break way more easily than they should. my neighbors complained about them so much, i decided to hold off.

i instead ended up getting some thermal curtains i found on sale, a cheapo metal curtain frame, and used old cloth napkins as tie-backs. they look super classy, they block the heat & light so well, they're machine washable, and the whole thing cost me about $50!

Thanks for all the replies!

Well, I tried Ikea awhile back, but they just looked too cheap once they were up. (Imagine that.)

I have "drapes" up, but my apartment complex is complaining that they are against my lease....hence the need for a new solution.

I highly recommend getting these at a hardware store, and especially Lowel's. That's were we go ours. They look great and were only about 18 dollars per large panel. They had plenty of choices and colors.

I always check CostPlus for cheap bamboo blind options.

Down here in Tucson, the string on bamboo shades dies after two years in western sunlight. They're fairly easy to re-string, though.