Every Vintage Lover Needs to Know About This $25 Hack for Ugly Windows – It Gives Glass a Storied Look Instantly
The peel-and-stick film’s frosted grid offers character and privacy where you need it, without the heaviness of window treatments
The best home upgrades are the ones that look like they’ve been there all along – not always easy if you have a taste for decorating with vintage. And windows are usually the dead giveaway. Those hardwood floors might be original, but those beautifully brittle, poorly sealed panes were probably tossed a long time ago.
I just found a $25 renter-friendly solution that restores some of that lost charm and is convincing enough to make an all-new build look like it was born in another century. Fittingly, it comes from DIY-savvy Chris and Julia Marcum of Chris Loves Julia. Their new WallPops collaboration includes a repositionable peel-and-stick window film in a diamond grid that gives basically any glass – windows, closet doors, kitchen cabinets – an enviable Tudor, Gothic Revival sort of pedigree.
There aren't a ton of true silver bullets in design. But for $25, obscuring an ugly view, adding privacy, and giving a boring window a vintage backstory comes pretty darn close.
You simply clean your smooth, flat surface of choice, align the film, smooth it out, and cut away the excess. Even as a chronic TaskRabbit caller, ordinarily afraid to do anything myself for fear I’ll make matters worse, I’ve already ordered a roll.
This repositionable window film adds privacy to bathrooms without the heaviness of curtains, letting the gently light filter through.
Because my pre-war NYC apartment deserves it. Most of my windows are fantastic – south-facing, floor-to-ceiling – save for two that need a little love, staring directly into the brick building beside mine. I can’t move the building. I can, however, see a little less of it while turning one of my apartment’s biggest eyesores into an 'antique' design feature.
Old home, new kitchen? This easy, charming upgrade helps it look like it’s been there all along, without sacrificing that bright, airy quality we love.
I also love that the film is slightly frosted, adding privacy without heavy window treatments. It’s ideal for bathrooms, closet doors, or street-facing windows, keeping that bright, outside-in feel without showing your neighbors exactly what you’re eating for dinner.
You don’t necessarily need to cover the entire window. Just a touch of Cora Film at the top makes these French doors look all the more so.
And whenever I decide to move – or, probably more proximately, make a little error in the stick-on process – it’s forgiving enough to reposition and just as easy to remove entirely.
The goal these days is undetectable: wealth codes, beauty enhancements, and, for a certain set of antique aficionados, a home that makes people believe it. Subtly frosted and renter-friendly, this 12.33-square-foot roll keeps up all the right appearances.
More Chris Loves Julia x WallPops
There’s plenty more peel-and-stick bliss to get into. The new Chris Loves Julia x WallPops collaboration also includes four floor tile patterns and another window film. My highlights, below.
This black-and-white octagon-and-dot tile looks like a more luxurious version of the original flooring in my NYC bathroom. It’s chic but unpretentious, and perfect for wet zones like laundry rooms or high-traffic entryways.
If privacy is your main prerogative, this softly diffused reeded texture does the job while still letting light filter through, lending a slightly more mid-century feel.
Who hasn't dreamed of a checkered-floor kitchen? These tiles arrive in several colorways, ranging from neutrals to the moody oxblood pictured here. WallPops has dropped a similar style in the past, with reviewers reporting it’s held up for over two years and still looks stellar.
The Cora Window Film is a subtle yet elegant upgrade. But if you want to make more of a splash, explore a few bolder ways to decorate your rental.
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