How to Remove Blinds

This might seem like an astonishingly easy task to a lot of you, and that's totally fair--it's not exactly hard for anyone! Hopefully somebody will find a little extra direction useful, and those who don't will read on for a small intro to what I'm dubbing the 'Ski Rental Reno'.

Behold, the kitchen window. Those blinds have never been closed since we arrived at our new airy mountain retreat several weeks ago, since it's impossible to see into the window from outside. As it's one of very few windows in the house that is actually double-paned, the blinds aren't necessary for temperature control; and something about where they were placed in relation to the sky-high ceilings bugged me.

So, down they went!

Step 1: Remove the decorative front paneling covering the metal mechanics of the blinds. Then be happy that paneling was there to begin with, because ick.

Step 2: Make sure the blinds are pulled up/open all the way. Then lift the 'latch' on the end...

Step 3: ...to free and remove the main portion. Make sure you have a grip on it as you take on the full weight of the blinds.

Step 4: Unscrew the remaining mounts on either side of the window. And if the blinds have been up for awhile, beware of spiders in the workings. Even the long-dead crispy ones. Because even those will make you (me) shriek if you accidentally brush against it. Again, ick.

(Sidenote: I highly recommend a ratchet screwdriver with interchangeable heads, to save both your wrists and your storage space. I've been eyeing this one, despite the fact that the Durabuilt tool kit I got when moving out has everything I need and shows no signs of wear after 8 years of use. Seriously, if you have a kid going off on their own, gift them one of those things.)

Step 5: Voila!

The ideal-picture-taking morning light had faded a little by the time I was done. But I'm happy with it!

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Removing these blinds was the babiest of steps in what I consider triage for the house we're currently living in. Notice I said 'babiest' and not 'first'. The first step was taking a giant load of horrendously tacky decor down and driving it immediately to the donation center. This is/was a ski holiday rental, so think lots of moose, pine trees, and an overload of bears. Unfortunately we're still stuck with an unsightly amount of clunky aspen furniture and a moderate number of bears, but we got it down to a level I can live with.

Our circumstances are a bit unusual for renters--we're actually renting from my lovely in-laws long-term, instead of the rotating weekly guests they usually rent their future retirement condo to. So I have the fortune of being able to talk 'the landlords' into slightly more permanent solutions than the typical renter. (*Note: they were not responsible for the decor. It came that way.) Although J. thought I was kidding when I told her I wanted a new light fixture for over the table for my birthday. I was not. Look at it!

When I say 'Ski Rental Reno', I don't mean any giant sledgehammer-wielding renovations (so far...). There are rumors of it being renovated when the family retires, and I am too broke to put that much money into a place we don't own, especially if it will be gutted in a few years anyway. But I do need something to do while not writing cover letters, and that something can't be

a) spending money,

b) staring forlornly at this slightly scandalous kokopelli on the wall for the next 3 years:

So, I'd like to take this place from 'the cottage of the 3 geriatric bears' to more of a luxe industrial modern ski chalet. Y'know. Ideally.

If you're interested in following along on the Pinterest board, please do! Just know that I tend to delete pins as I no longer need them, so mark anything you like quick. And welcome along for the ride!

#DIY