This $32 Window Treatment Is a Designer Favorite

Five ways to try the look.

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Photography by Belle Morizio; Styling by Julia Stevens

Window coverings are an unavoidable (and if they’re custom, pricey) expense, whether you are seeking privacy from nosy neighbors or want to stay asleep past 6 a.m. So how do you find something that looks great on a tiny budget? Thankfully, we’ve found a designer-endorsed solution. 

“Bamboo blinds are my go-to,” says designer Alex Boudreau. For her Brooklyn apartment, she picked some up from Pearl River Mart for $32 each. They don’t go out of style either. “People were using woven shades in the ’50s and in early-20th-century France,” she notes. She isn’t the only one who has turned to the natural material for her windows. Here are four other fans who have used them in creative ways.

Fine Matchstick Bamboo Blinds

Pearl River Mart
$32

The Allover Effect

Sunroom with bamboo blinds
Photography by Tim Lenz; Design by Hendricks Churchill

Going the budget route is especially tempting when you have loads of windows to cover. Just ask Heide Hendricks and Rafe Churchill of Hendricks Churchill, who have used them in multiple recent projects, including the sunroom in this Weston, Connecticut, house, and their own teal-colored kitchen

The Budget Boho Route

Cottage with bamboo blinds and sectional
Photography by Mikey DeTemple; Styling by Benjamin Reynaert

Model Zippora Seven and her husband, photographer Terence Connors, used a variety of wallet-friendly touches in their Montauk, New York, cottage, including doors they found on Facebook Marketplace and lots of plywood. So it’s no surprise that every window is also covered with timeless bamboo shades, adding to the boho surfer vibe.

The Timeless With a Twist

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Photography by Stacy Zarin Goldberg; Design by Melissa Colgan

In her Washington, D.C., apartment, interior designer Melissa Colgan lined simple bamboo shades with teal fringe trim, an easy and inexpensive DIY that gives the classic window covering a whimsical flair.

The Upgraded Version

Woven raffia window shade
Photography by Nicole Franzen; Design by Robert McKinley

Robert McKinley went a slightly more high-end route for his latest project in Montauk, opting for woven raffia from the Shade Store. The honey-colored material casts a warm glow over the bedrooms, giving the house a laid-back, beachy feel. 

Classic Cordless Woven Wood Shades

Select Blinds
$22.54

Natural Bamboo Matchstick Roll Up Window Blind by Seta Direct

Amazon
$47

Bamboo Blinds by CHICOLOGY

Amazon
$45

Outdoor Blinds Roll Up Shade, BAYUE

Amazon

Gabrielle Savoie

Writer/Editor

Gabrielle is most often found digging through 1stdibs in search of Tobia Scarpa sofas, hunting down the newest cool hotels, or singing the praises of Art Nouveau. She spends an inordinate amount of time looking at real estate floor plans and listening to podcasts. In her free time, you’ll likely find her bouncing on a trampoline at Fithouse, snacking on a crudo at the latest cocktail bar, antiquing for French silverware, or dogsitting for anyone who will ask—yes, even you.

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