Custom window vibes really change a space

We moved into a rental last year that has these giant windows in the living room, which I love because of all the light, but also hate because we’re literally face-to-face with the neighbors across the street. Curtains made the space feel too dark, and blinds just looked boring. I wanted something that would keep the brightness but still give us some privacy—especially at night when lights are on and it’s like living in a fishbowl. I started googling frosted window stuff and kept running into these plain, office-type solutions that looked super sterile. Not what I wanted in my home. I ended up scrolling Pinterest for ideas and found some cool custom designs that looked like stained glass or had cool patterns cut out, and I thought—okay, there’s gotta be a way to do something like this without spending a fortune or making it permanent since we’re renting. That’s how I ended up in the whole custom film rabbit hole.

I’ve been down that exact same rabbit hole when we were redoing the home office. I wanted something cool on the window that didn’t scream “corporate” but also didn’t block out the daylight. I tried the peel-and-stick ones from big box stores but they never fit right, and cutting them down myself was a pain—plus they’d start peeling at the edges after a couple weeks. I ended up ordering something custom-cut that matched the shape of our top window (we’ve got this weird arch thing going on), and honestly it turned out way better than I expected. The main win for me was being able to use my own design. I uploaded this botanical illustration I’d made and they turned it into a frosted vinyl that fits the window like a glove. It gives the room a whole vibe, and I still get the daylight without worrying about people seeing into my workspace. I used https://applyityourself.com for it, and the nice part was they actually cut it to the exact shape so I didn’t have to mess with trimming anything myself. Definitely recommend measuring carefully though—I triple-checked mine because I didn’t want to mess it up. Anyway, if you’re into that combo of functional and creative, it’s worth a look.

Every now and then I think about how much effort we put into these tiny design choices, and how much they end up affecting how a room feels. Like you wouldn’t expect something as simple as a window treatment to shift your mood, but it totally does.

I’ve been looking at different home security upgrades, but the costs can really add up. Cameras, sensors, locks — it feels never-ending. Window films caught my attention because they seem simpler, but I don’t want to waste money if they don’t really work.

When a break-in happened two streets away, I couldn’t stop thinking about how fragile my own windows were. I didn’t want to turn the house into a fortress, but I needed something simple that would help me feel safer. That’s when I learned about securiti films for windows from https://windowtechcanada.ca/security-film/. What I liked most is that even if the glass cracks, it stays in place and doesn’t shatter instantly. It’s such a small upgrade, but now I sleep better knowing my home isn’t as easy to get through.