Hi, I’m Simona — I Write Down the Actual Numbers
Six years, four homes, and one spreadsheet that has saved me from repeating the same expensive mistakes.
A Beige Apartment, 12 Days
Relocated to Denver for a new job and inherited a corporate-furnished apartment that looked like nobody lived there — with a family birthday dinner booked in 12 days and a self-imposed $600 budget I blew through on a velvet accent chair I didn’t need to buy new.
Building the Spreadsheet
Started logging every purchase, quote, and return in one running spreadsheet after realizing I couldn’t remember which store had actually been cheaper — then used it to compare contractor bids against DIY costs across three different rentals.
The One-Panel Mistake
Ordered a “1-panel” curtain set for my living room window thinking it meant a pair, then lived with mismatched temporary curtains for four months before working out the real math and writing myself a panel-width formula I still use today.
Writing It Down for Real
Coworkers and neighbors started asking me to check window quotes and furniture prices before they bought, which is what finally pushed me to publish the actual numbers instead of keeping them in a private spreadsheet.
What Roomblr Is Actually For
Most home decor sites round every price into a vague range or skip the number entirely, showing only the finished, styled version of a room. Roomblr exists for the version of you standing in a doorway with an actual budget, trying to figure out whether a $700 window replacement makes more sense than a $1,800 one, or whether a velvet sofa can survive a shedding cat and two kids on the couch every evening.
I don’t publish a price until I’ve paid it myself, or watched someone I trust pay it and complain to me about it afterward. That means some of what’s here is unglamorous — labor breakdowns, per-window costs, maintenance routines nobody puts on a mood board — but it’s the information I wished I’d had before I started.
Beyond the Spreadsheet
Outside of measuring windows and comparing fabric swatches, I’m still in Denver, still working from the same desk where the spreadsheet started, usually with Pepper — my rescue cat and the reason half my “durability” testing happens by accident — asleep on whatever I’m trying to keep clean. Weekends tend to go to thrift stores and estate sales, less for decorating and more because used furniture is the fastest way to learn how materials actually age.
If you’ve ever stood in a big-box store holding two curtain panels and quietly panicking about square footage, you’re exactly who I write for. Thank you for reading — I hope the numbers on this site save you the four months I spent living with the wrong curtains.
— Simona
A quick note on transparency: some links on this site are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. I only reference products or resources I’d actually use. It helps keep this site going, and I’m grateful for your support.
Ready to Plan Your Next Room?
Browse cost breakdowns, real comparisons, and the mistakes I’ve already made so you don’t have to.
