Eyeliner is never a bad idea, anywhere, anytime. We’ve had  cornice boxes  and blinds up for a little bit, and they do certainly add a little somethin’somethin’ to the room. Like eyeliner for windows.

We started with vertical blinds from the what- 80’s? 90’s? The kind that every apartment in America has. Chic, with a dash of sophistication, that will surely add some needed style to whatever garbage can they end up in. Since this room will double as a guest room if need be, we wanted to add some privacy to the room without adding curtains. As much as I love me some sweeping draperies that add softness and style, I was reminded this is a gym first, and can’t be girly in there. First, we installed some white mini blinds for the windows for privacy.

Cornice boxes came to mind next, as they are square and solid, but I could add a little pizzaz and cover the hardware of the mini blinds at the same time, without being girly.

PS. isn’t it crazy how much color can change between day and night?

I created the boxes out of foam core, batting, fabric, and a roll of duct tape for each box. Yes, tutorials online say use wood and a staple gun, but these were so much easier and about 20 pounds lighter with foam core. On the inside- NOT a pretty picture. But you would never know by looking at them in the front:)

I used 3″ nails to hang them on the wall, the nails act as a bracket the entire thing can sit on. Each cornice box weighs about as much as two apples, so it definitely behooved me to have a solution that was easy, instead of messing around with brackets, d-rings, or French cleats, like all the tutorials I found online.

The cornice boxes add  weight to the windows, and help tie in the black found around the rest of the room.

As before and after’s are truly the best part of doing a project, I leave you with this: