For those that want a sleek-looking window treatment, but don't have the bucks to opt for custom design options, discount mini-blinds offer at least two strong advantages. One, they're very affordable. Two, they come in a wide variety of colors, allowing home decorators on a budget to achieve a stylish, customized look.

Color Tips for Mini Blinds

In terms of color selections, there are probably more options that you need, or even want. Be very careful when dealing with discount mini blind colors. The wrong choice can make your living room look like a dentist's office! In general, unless you're supremely confident, be wary of pastels. Stick to neutrals and bold colors, and you run less risk of looking like you haven't decorated since the heyday of dusky rose in 1985.

Pure white (or refrigerator white, as my mother used to call it) should be completely avoided except in kitchens and bathrooms--and even then only if your window frame is painted the same pristine white. Unless you're going for a white-on-white beach-style approach, these blinds often don't suit rooms where you want a more sophisticated feel. Plus, unless you plan on painting your walls every six months, their unrelenting whiteness can make nearby walls and ceilings appear dingy and tired. Consider ivory instead, which looks clean and neat, but not clinically so.

Rich, brown mini blinds can look very expensive in living rooms and dining rooms. Chinese or tomato red is another interesting option, and looks particularly cheerful in sunny, white kitchens, and dramatic in dark wood dining rooms. Mossy greens are nice in ivory bathrooms, and cobalt blues are festive in white or ivory bathrooms. Mini-blinds can add a delightful punch of color on a small windows, or make an otherwise unremarkable picture window appear more sleek, all at considerable savings over other window treatment options.