One of the items on my before-baby-to-do list was to get blinds or curtains for our lanai. We don't use the lanai very much (because it is freaking hot in Florida, thankyouverymuch), but we do have some stuff out there (currently, lawn chairs and cat carriers).I wanted to be able to put some other stuff out there if necessary, like a stroller, but I didn't want the world to see everything we have on our porch (we live on the first floor and in a back corner of our complex). We keep the door locked, but it is just screened in, so I wouldn't put it past someone to cut the screen if they saw something they wanted in the lanai.
So I started researching and brainstorming. I looked in to wooden blinds. But I kept coming back to this: One of our neighbors has some curtains that hang in their lanai. They flow in the breeze and allow just enough seclusion that you can't tell what they have in there or if anyone is sitting out there without staring. I checked with our HOA to see if something like that would be allowed. I liked that the curtains would be cheap and easy to clean. The woman in charge of our HOA was fairly vague on their legality, but she said I could put them up, and as long as no one complained, we'd be fine. (Wow, thanks. Glad I asked.)
So when my mom and brother came to visit a few weeks ago, my mom knew that I wanted her to try to create something. My mom assessed the area, took some measurements, made some sketches and then we headed to the fabric store. We bought some cheap, neutral fabric and then headed off to get some suspension rods. Over the next few days, she cut and sewed four panels (there is a window to the left side of what is shown in the photo, too). When I recovered from my deathly illness, I headed outside to hang them up.
The cats don't love that their "view" is quite limited, but I love that we have more privacy now and I won't worry so much about putting things out there that I don't want all of our neighbors to see.
Thanks for the help, Mom!
