Economical way to cover *2* 11' x 10' windows?

[RoughCollie]

DH is moving again, to a place with 13' ceilings which will accommodate our 7' tall bookcases. There was no other place available that was spacious enough to hold the bookstore. (I know what is available because I found this place.)

 

This place is in a shopping center, although we will not be a bricks & mortar store -- still online only.

 

It has 2 front windows, each 11' x 10'. The landlord supplies no window coverings. DH's office (in which he practices his profession, which has nothing to do with the bookstore) will have one of these huge windows in it.

 

I plan to keep checking Craigslist and to look on eBay. I have a sewing machine and I can make lined curtains. I hate making curtains, though.

 

Blinds that size would be very expensive, at least $1000 per window,not including installation.

 

Window film would be about $400 per window, plus installation. (This is a very rough estimate -- it's likely more than that.) We cannot install it ourselves because we do not have that skill. I can't even put contact paper on something without totally messing it up.

 

I have no idea what fabric would cost, but if I must make curtains, could I just cover the lower 6.5' of the window? What I have in mind would be set up like a cafe curtain without a valance. Would that look chinzy or unprofessional?

 

I couldn't afford to buy designer fabric unless it was, for some reason, both good looking and dirt cheap. Does any place sell cheap and decent looking fabric that will work?

 

Does anyone have any other ideas? (Covering the windows with Kraft paper is not an option DH will consider -- I already asked. :D) What really gets to me is that these windows are nearly the size of the largest bedroom in the house we rented, which is 12 x 12.

 

DH just mentioned this problem to me tonight. If it's not one thing, it's another. :banghead:

 

I had a brief daydream today about putting the kids on a plane to PA, finishing up the packing, overseeing the movers, and then driving off, without my cell phone, into the sunset toward Wyoming. :auto: I have since come to my senses and have no intention of going AWOL.

 

Also, I guess for security reasons the windows should be covered. We don't want burglars to break through the glass to steal books (or computers, and so forth). I hope DH doesn't think of that or he'll be wanting a burglar alarm. This is a small city of about 40,000 people. Would anyone purposely break into a bookstore -- especially one where there is no cash & carry business involved?

 

Gosh, should I be worried about that, too? Just say no, so I can keep these last few shreds of my sanity. :001_smile:

 

Thank you very, very much for any ideas you have!

 

RC

Edited June 23, 2009 by RoughCollie

[Chris in VA]

This may not work at all--but could you use thrift store white sheets, and maybe print/stamp something on them, and make cafe curtains like you said? On the top half of the window, maybe letter the name of the store and some sort of quotation/slogan? You can buy a lettering kit at a Michaels-type store fairly cheaply, or I know someone on this board sells quotation/lettering kits that might work on glass (I think they are to decorate walls).

 

Another idea--could you push a table under the window and make a storefront display area, and then just put a ruffle at the top of the window? I've seen people put lattice board behind a 1-2 foot "shelf" or table that's under the window, and attach things to the lattice board. I'd still probably write the store name on the glass. Even if you painted it on, perhaps with a book character or something reading a book, or a pic of a mom in a rocking chair with kids around her feet, or something like that.

(And, I don't think curtains of any sort really deter criminals or make it harder for them to break glass.)

Edited June 23, 2009 by Chris in VA

[Kate in Arabia]

Because you're online-only, this is more like an office set-up than a "come in and browse" set-up, right? Are you intending to advertise on your windows/through your "storefront" at all? Do you have a business sign?

[OrganicAnn]

I don't know if this would work for you, but I once saw a HGTV show that had curtains made of burlap. I used that in a small window in a pervious house and it looked cool. Burlap is cheap, you can buy it in different colors. It has some texture, etc.

[OHGrandma]

DH's office (in which he practices his profession,

 

Will your DH be receiving customers/clients in the office? If not, I wouldn't worry too much about appearances. Of course, you don't want it to look trashy, but you don't need to have it real fancy. I'd think a minimum standard would be to have cafe style curtains. Sometimes you can find flat sheets that will serve as curtains, patterned or plain, and possibly the hem at the top will accomodate a curtain rod.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I agree, cafe curtains made out of flat sheets would be very simple and economical. You could use the top hem as the rod pocket or buy a bunch of plastic or metal rings and sew them along the top at regular intervals. I would go with stripes or a funky modern pattern. You might even be able to find fabric shower curtains that would look good as cafe curtains for large windows.

[snickelfritz]

One benefit of those is that you will still get light in through the top of the window.

 

I've also seen the lattice board and that could be easy.

 

It just depends on whether your family is handier with a saw or a sewing machine.

[Dobela]

I don't know of any burgler that steals books. They want something with high cash value, easy to transport, and easy to pawn. I would likely put a sign on the door that says "No cash Left on Premises". 2 years ago my dh's insurance office was broken in to . It appears by a roaming group of professional theives. No broken glass - thye cut power lines to alarm system and bottoms out of doors. Then they took the cash drawer and checkbooks only. They left behind several expensive digital cameras, computers, laptops, and other electronics.

 

I think cafe type curtain will be fine. The most difficult part will be finding rods to cross the window and hold the curtains. I live in a house that has a 15 ft window in the living room circa the 1950s. One of my long rods broke from age and now I can't find a new one without ordering online custom very expensive rods that reach the entire distance.

 

If you are wanting light blocked out, you can buy the blackout curtain material at some fabric stores. It is more expensive than sheets, but it would cut out light, heat, and so on.

 

The only other idea I have would be to use those tall folding room divider things in front of the windows. Goodness, I can't think of the name, but they are wooden, look like the folding doors on some closets, sometimes are plan or have louvers. They could be decorative, block light/view, many come 6 ft tall, and you don't have to hang them. You might have to paint them though. Yes, at first glance they may be expensive, but honestly, about anything will be expensive to cover windows that large.

 

I also know you want it to be cheap, but remember the other businesses in the location. They may have worked very hard to make a welcoming/attractive business. If yours suddenly looks cheap and unattractive, it will also reflect on theirs and may not be appreciated.

[OHGrandma]

Just thought of another idea. Our local mall has some vacancies and other stores use the vacant windows as display areas to advertise their items. If you have no need to advertise your business, or your husbands business, maybe you could contact some of the other stores and see if they wanted to set up displays in your windows. Have them put up a backing behind the display to block the view into your book storage and they could put in an attractive display in the window. That would keep the store front attractive to the rest of the mall, and block the view to your storage.

[MamaT]

I agree with the idea of sheets for cafe curtains. For a rod, you may have to go to Home Depot and get a wooden dowel.

[ConnieB]

You don't necessarily need curtain rods. I have a 10' wide window and the rods would have been ridiculously expensive. We were originally going to use closet rods, but then I went to the hardware store and bought these dowel like things....basically it's just a piece of wood that has been rounded. As I recall it's stated use was railing for staircases. The longest length was only 8ft, but my DH glued them together and then nailed a bracket across it to secure. The fabric covers the bracket and wood seam. We have a wall on one side of the window but not on the other, so my husband made these bookend type pieces that we painted to match the wall paint and they stick out a couple of inches and the dowel is secured to them. He also used several closet rod holders (the kind that hook the rod in the middle to hold it up under the weight.).

 

Another thought, if your landlord would let you is to paint the windows. I originally thought of advertising for your online business, but if you don't want/need to do that, you could always hire an artist (try a local art school) to paint a mural or landscape, something attractive. Adapting :tongue_smilie:another poster's idea....perhaps you could advertise other businesses on the painted windows. Think of how businesses decorate their windows for the holidays, or fast food advertises their specials with paint on the windows. My idea is to cover the entire window with one color and THEN paint the advertising so that you can't see in between the words. Maybe your homeschool support group has members with home businesses that would love to advertise in a well travelled mall area? This might bring in a few extra dollars (all assuming your landlord approves).

 

 

Another idea that came to mind after reading someone else's idea.....instead of buying the expensive louvered walls, make them. Much cheaper, don't need the fancy louvre brackets.....basically just make a tall fence like structure. Paint it pretty, and set it back a foot or two from your window and then use the other poster's idea of selling display space or even posters from the local theatre, store's sale ads, etc. You could then put curtains on just the door to block it's view as well. This would probably be better, easier and cheaper than my paint idea too, as changing the ad on the paint would be difficult/expensive, but changing the poster would be quite easy to do. Also, being that it's not ON the window, you might be able to bypass any concerns the landlord has about it. Yeah, I think I like this idea better, lol....but I'll leave the paint idea in case you like it.

[Dobela]

My replies in new colors

You don't necessarily need curtain rods. I have a 10' wide window and the rods would have been ridiculously expensive. We were originally going to use closet rods, but then I went to the hardware store and bought these dowel like things....basically it's just a piece of wood that has been rounded. As I recall it's stated use was railing for staircases. The longest length was only 8ft, but my DH glued them together and then nailed a bracket across it to secure. The fabric covers the bracket and wood seam. We have a wall on one side of the window but not on the other, so my husband made these bookend type pieces that we painted to match the wall paint and they stick out a couple of inches and the dowel is secured to them. He also used several closet rod holders (the kind that hook the rod in the middle to hold it up under the weight.). Great idea! Thank you. I need something different for my window and this may just be it.

 

Another thought, if your landlord would let you is to paint the windows. I originally thought of advertising for your online business, but if you don't want/need to do that, you could always hire an artist (try a local art school) to paint a mural or landscape, something attractive. Adapting :tongue_smilie:another poster's idea....perhaps you could advertise other businesses on the painted windows. Think of how businesses decorate their windows for the holidays, or fast food advertises their specials with paint on the windows. My idea is to cover the entire window with one color and THEN paint the advertising so that you can't see in between the words. Maybe your homeschool support group has members with home businesses that would love to advertise in a well travelled mall area? This might bring in a few extra dollars (all assuming your landlord approves).

Some art classes or students may even do this for free if you allow them to advertise their name and number with the art work.

 

Another idea that came to mind after reading someone else's idea.....instead of buying the expensive louvered walls, make them. Much cheaper, don't need the fancy louvre brackets.....basically just make a tall fence like structure. Paint it pretty, and set it back a foot or two from your window and then use the other poster's idea of selling display space or even posters from the local theatre, store's sale ads, etc. You could then put curtains on just the door to block it's view as well. This would probably be better, easier and cheaper than my paint idea too, as changing the ad on the paint would be difficult/expensive, but changing the poster would be quite easy to do. Also, being that it's not ON the window, you might be able to bypass any concerns the landlord has about it. Yeah, I think I like this idea better, lol....but I'll leave the paint idea in case you like it. I see where you are headed. You could also make a frame, connect it with hinges at the corners so it will fold like the louvered walls. In the frames you can then make small curtains sheered on spring rods like privacy curtains. If your dh (or you) is handy, it wouldn't cost much to build frames with hinges and then put in curtains. Then, you can move them later and reuse them if need be.

[secular_mom]

I think cafe curtains would be fine, you could get decent quality sheets so that it doesn't look 'too' cheap.

You could also use PVC pipe for the rod, as it comes in longer sizes than rods typically do. You could paint it

black or use a faux wood/stone paint. You could use those ball things that go on the tops of stair rails for the end pieces.

[ConnieB]

I think cafe curtains would be fine, you could get decent quality sheets so that it doesn't look 'too' cheap.

You could also use PVC pipe for the rod, as it comes in longer sizes than rods typically do. You could paint it

black or use a faux wood/stone paint. You could use those ball things that go on the tops of stair rails for the end pieces.

 

 

How would you connect a PVC pipe to the wall? Since it's hollow you couldn't screw it to a "book end".

[ConnieB]

How would you connect a PVC pipe to the wall? Since it's hollow you couldn't screw it to a "book end".

 

 

Oh wait! As soon as I clicked on that it dawned on me.....you could put up the same hook type think you use for cafe curtains couldn't you. You might want more than one at each end since a PVC pipe might be a bit heavy, also at more than just the center as they tend to bow if not supported. But it might be much cheaper than a wood dowel as I suggested, but I'd probably want to test it in the store to see how much weight it might handle before it starts to bow.

[RoughCollie]

Thank you all so much for your ideas.

 

This place will not be set up as a walk-in storefront.

 

It is a very long, narrow space. In the front, there is an office and a conference room being built for my husband to use. The huge empty space in the back will hold 180 bookcases and the table and storage space we use for processing orders.

 

He doesn't want people who walk by to see him at work, and he is a professional, so appearances and first impressions are important.

 

Since I am not there, and DH came up with the new floor plan on his own, I can only hope that he took my suggestion to completely separate the book business from his office area. I do not want clients to know that we are running a book business out of there. The two income streams are completely unrelated.

 

I wanted to rent professional office space for DH and a separate place for the book business, but DH couldn't get his head around that idea.

 

I like the ideas of using either PVC pipe or dowels for curtain rods. I'm going to look at Smart Bargains and other sites for 96" sheers -- bunched tightly together on a rod, that might do the trick, if they are cheap enough.

 

Creative and cool solutions, like painting the windows, won't work. The offices have a stodgy vibe (can stodgy be a vibe?) and a display area would not be appropriate, unfortunately. The book business is utilitarian -- set up like library stacks.

 

I toyed with the idea of opening a bookstore there, but the town already has a used bookstore, and there aren't enough people in the area to make that a profitable plan.

 

Again, thank you for your ideas.

 

RC