apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I wonder if spraying a coat of varnish on both sides of the matchstick blinds would work.

I did the same thing in rainy savannah, Ga. I thought about spraying them on both sides with some type of outdoor wood varnish...but i never did. might work though...just don't roll them back up until completely dry!!

I use some gauzy curtains from IKEA (for $5 for 2 panels) plus a cheap curtain rod. They are light enough to provide some privacy, but still let light and air in. They look lovely tied back with oversized ribbon as well.

Sailcloth? (get it at a marine supply store)

Medium weight muslin? (to buy it cheaply, try a discount upholstery fabric shop - or - a theatrical supply store)

Note: most fabrics can be taken down and cleaned regularly but sailcloth is made specifically for a marine environment and wears better than most. Sunbrella (brand) fabric is another great choice but may be cost prohibitive.

Another thought is that if you don't need privacy over the entire area, say just for the bottom, sew the proper height panels out of one of the above or even of a beautiful but washable fabric and then mount them with tension rods. This way you could have privacy say, on the bottom half of a window or porch area, but preserve the view of beautiful trees on the top half (if privacy is no issue for a portion of your view). Even if you wash your panels just 2x a month you should be able to manage successfully without incurring any mold issues.

It's been so rainy in NY, no surprise your outdoor "garden" has grown on your blinds. You could extend their life a while by taking them down and soaking them in the tub in bleach/water and scrubbing them a bit. They should be as good as new if you do. Check out Pearl River Mart in Soho for a synthetic version of your matchstick blinds also. Good Luck!

I would go with a trailing plant(s) hung from the top beam (I am assuming this is an outdoor space with no window, hence the mold problem).

Maybe you could make these work for you! When I look at these I think they could either look completely cheesey, OR totally cute. So it would depend on your space. At any rate, they are super cheap and waterproof (I think they are made out of tarpy plastic stuff) . . . might be worth a try.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20143343

I was going to suggest the bleach in the bathtub too. If the sun comes out, can you lay them out somewhere, scrub them with a bleach solution and then let them dry in the sun for a few hours? That will clean off and kill the mold.

I did the same thing -- bought a huge set of matchstick blinds and watched them mold over the summer. apparently indoor outdoor meant only outdoors where it would be exposed to no moisture. had to replace them with the plastic version -- which were so much cheaper than the matchstick versions i bought the first time anyway... they come in tan which is as close to natural as you'll get for cheap, but it beats worrying about breathing mold everytime you go on the patio. and once they're up they don't look bad.

we're going to be putting privacy film over our windows on our screened in patio - the frosted film will let light in from the sun, but is opaque enough that no one can see in

if you love your view, this isn't an option for you

Gardening supply stores and nurseries have rolls of bamboo specifically for outdoor. It's been raining like a mug out here in Bklyn, but ours have held up fine.

I second the suggestion for sheer, light-colored curtains. Also cheap. You can make some yourself or if you can't sew, IKEA has tons. Or: Beaded curtains.

Not sure why your blinds went moldy. Do you leave them rolled up a lot? I know it's been pretty rainy in the NE lately, but mold seems to grow more easily if you leave damp things bunched up so that they can't dry out.

Just spray your matchstick blinds with a 50/50 bleach/water dilution to kill the mold and clean them.

Then don't allow them to remain rolled up when they're wet after a rainfall - They need to be kept rolled down to dry in the sun.

How about some straw beach mats hanging with clothespins from a line? You can put them up and take them down easily.

I agree with the other posters about cleaning them up and spraying with a mold-inhibitor. I know there are commercial versions, but they're probably bleach/soap/water. When we got our building power-washed, that's what they used.

If you don't want to keep cleaning whatever you put up - I suggest you buy some trailing ivy plants and a few window boxes. Attached monofilament with eye hooks to the ceiling and let the ivy grow up the lines - diamond pattern looks great. you'll have a wall of green privacy and no mold. You may be able to get the ivy plants from a friend - cuttings are easy to start - and any recycled containers with drainage holes if the window boxes are cost prohibitive. Good luck with whatever you decide.

even if $25 might be a little steep for a student, I can highly recommend the IKEA "dyning" gazebo material, it is machine washable and comes with a variety of hooks and strings for hanging it up.
Right now it is the only thing between my patio and the guys re-pointing our building and it really provides privacy. I hung it up between two pillars and it looks like a big sail.
Not perfect, but does the trick.

I'd like to thank EVERYONE for the great suggestions! I'm going to first try cleaning and sealing them. And if that doesn't work then I'll have to try buying something else.

smwriter- where did you get plastic matchstick blinds?? or did you just use indoor plastic blinds?

Try EcoSmart shades. They're actually really great for patios with windows that need covering, but also, a fantastic way to maintain view while still keeping the heat out of your apartment. Also a perfect option for those glass wall apartments or condos with large windows that need coverage.

http://ecosmartrollershades.com/index.html