apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

They look funny, but if you can get yourself used to wearing a sleep mask, you can save yourself the expense of all those curtains and hardware!

Otherwise, I'd probably go for some inexpensive roller shades, hidden by your lovely sheers.

I second the roller shades.

Though if you have to pay for your heat and the windows in your loft are a source of cold air in the winter (as are my windows) you may consider making your own curtains out of heavy dropcloth canvas (it comes in various shades of off white). You can buy it at Home Depot/Lowes for cheap and it's heavy enough to block out the light and help keep out the cold by providing some insulation (particularly if you keep the existing curtains)

Do you have a four poster bed? Maybe you can do curtains around the bed? The 6 year old in me still wants to make forts.

Duh. I didn't click on "more" to see the pic of the bed before I posted.

What about venetian blinds? Doesn't anybody like them anymore? I love them for their versatility. You can do a lot to direct or block the light. (I unroll mine to the window sill and direct the slightly open slats upward so the morning light brightens my ceiling.

I use a sleep mask, but I don't wear it all night. The sun wakes me up when it comes up, then I put the sleep mask on and doze off again.

i use velvet curtains that i can pull back and forth. nothing gets through them, and they're nice to look at.

I have nice, big windows and wear a sleep mask - easy to get used to though I went through many different airline ones till I bought a nice, cushiony silk one. I also have venetian blinds and curtains and started thinking the maybe the felt on tracks idea discussed the other day would give me even more darkness. Maybe the felt could become a canvas of sorts for decorative interest - or stay plain. Lack of darkness for sleep really can contribute to a long-term bearing on one's health as the lost sleep really added up to adrenal fatigue for me which I still have to respect. There's nothing like a problem to make good ideas come forth, and i look forward to reading about them!

By the way, your apartment looks very cool! Any chance you'd be willing to share some more pictures?

Where did you get the coffee table/bench? LOVE IT!

Thanks - the light is definitely cutting my ability to sleep in (I'm not complaining about it!).

I got the coffee table/ottoman at Home Goods - my secret source for loads of goods. I think one of the best around is in Port Washington.

Will take some more photos this weekend and possibly post a house tour.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

My bedroom is on the mezzanine level in my loft and has, essentially, a wall of windows facing east, so I know exactly what you're talking about.

They're not pretty, but those blackout vinyl roller shades will solve your problem. You can leave your sheers up for decorative purposes.

There is an insulating product called Warm Window. You sew it into roman shades and attach magnets to the sides (and to your window) to completely seal the window. It's intended to conserve energy, but it has an added benefit of blocking light when the shades are drawn.

You could make the shades yourself or hire a seamstress. You can choose pretty much any fabric and they'll just look like normal roman shades.

I have huge "bay like" windows in every room with sheers similar to yours. I used basic roller shades and they are perfect! When the shades are rolled up to the top you don't see or notice them.

I live in a studio and my only window is a big double sliding door. so light is an issue. I tried a mask (it never stayed on). I tried a canopy and it did not really work with bright, early morning light. I bought drapes and then installed blackout panel behind them and it definintely reduced the light and I sleep better. here is a link for the blackout curtains from bb@b...you would probably have to go with heavier curtains than you have now so that you would not see the liners through the curtains.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=104430

Although I am not particularly sensitive to noise, I am REALLY sensitive to light when I sleep. In my bedroom, I installed cellular blackout shades and then added a valance and velvet side panels to block the light that would seep in around the edges.

Obviously, this would be expensive if you have a ton of windows in your apartment, and opening and closing all the drapes every day would get to be a pain as well. I just went to Paris, where they had a mind-blowing exhibit on Joe Columbo. Perhaps you could create some kind of flip-down awning for the top part of your bed similar to this? http://www.designboom.com/history/joecolombo_cabriolet.html

When I was living in Iceland, it never got dark in the summer. I used an eye cozy and it worked very well. I will say, having tried multiple ones, that not all eye cozies are created equal. I had one that always slipped off and another that had a piece of plastic in it and made my face sweat. Besides those two, though it's been very effective at blocking out the light.

I am another sleep mask user. If you have a good one, it stays on and is so cozy, you forget you're wearing it. Plus I feel very spoiled and glam with it on. Don't wear it all night, just put it on when the sun starts coming in (if you're afraid it won't stay on all night). Just keep it on your nightstand.

My bedroom windows are very old and drafty. I bought some thermal lined curtains a little over a month ago to help block the draft until I can afford to replace them. What I didn't consider is that they really block the light as well. I've been sleeping like a baby!

"What about venetian blinds? Doesn't anybody like them anymore?"

No - they are for offices not homes

"opening and closing all the drapes every day would get to be a pain as well"

Isn't this what normal people do with their curtains? - how would 2 seconds to fling back curtains be a pain?

I'm not surprised you're having trouble with light as you have no curtains! - nice thick curtains over those two windows either side of your bed should do the trick - I love the look of your black and white scheme - I would suggest some nice black velvet fabric down to the floor - or if you wanted to break out into colour the curtains would be the perfect opportunity.