I love my home. I especially love how the high ceilings, big windows and multiple sliding glass doors in my bedroom, living room and kitchen. It feels bright, open and airy.
But in the coldest months of winter, these windows and doors are a conductor for the cold. For the past 5 years, I’ve had drapes on the doors, but use honeycomb cellular shades on all the windows. These shades are the bomb. They are lightweight and translucent, providing privacy at night. During the sunniest summer days, I’ll close them block the harshest midday sun. Unfortunately, they are useless when it comes to blocking cold or retaining heat.
Since I bought this house, I really wanted to replace the sliding doors with French doors, but the cost is exorbitant. So a few weeks ago, I decided to bite the bullet and put heavy drapes on all of my windows to block the cold.
It worked like a charm – much better than I had anticipated. And they add a splash of color to each room. I couldn’t be more pleased.
Except for one thing – they are completely room darkening. After 5 years of having diffused light coming into my bedroom at night, suddenly, when I wake in the night to go pee or let the dogs out, I am in pitch blackness.
I figured that I’d get used to it. After all, I know my way around my bedroom. I’d just walk a little slower and use my extended hands to guide me around.
That worked right up until I walked directly into the bathroom wall last week smashing my nose because I thought I was in the doorway. Ugh.
I wasn’t injured fortunately.
But it prompted me to install some tiny motion detector lights in my bedroom, bathroom and closet so that when I’m walking around at night, I get enough light to see, but not the glaring “time to wake up” brightness form turning on my regular lights.
It’s been a fantastic improvement. So much so, that even when it warms up and I revert to using only my translucent shades at night, I’ll be keeping my motion detector night lights.
The total cost was $11. Plus 5 years of being an idiot for not doing it sooner.