when we move into the new build it will have one bedroom window to the front of the property about 15 mts from the front gates (no garden) what do i dress the windows with, i don't want it look like a old persons bungalow with nets i don't like wooden blinds and don't want hubby on veiw in the bedroom will put people off

He will just have to close the curtains every time he wishes to change.

Nets or voile curtains are not only for old people!

Your choice.

Have you thought of vertical blinds?

Without wishing to offend anyone (but I fear it is inevitable) vertical blinds are hideous. They are for offices not homes. And even in offices they are hideous.

As ILRush says there are a lot of different types of 'net' curtains so they are not just an old people's thing. Plain voiles can be really stylish.

Or you could have white roller blinds. But they would cut out a quite a lot of light so it would be the same as having curtains, you would have to open and close them according to what you were up to.

Re: vertical blinds, I'm not offended because I didn't have them specially made or even choose to buy them but we have them in cream colour in living room because they were there when we bought the place and we left them purely because they'd do "for now" and were made for the windows.

My sister has always had them and now I see why because they are soooo blo*dy handy! It's a south facing living room so gets very sunny and too bright for the babies and the vertical blinds are just so versatile! You can fully open them, tilt them, close them, do only a bit of one window etc. to follow the sun round.

I poo-pooed them at first and now I won't be taking them down. Lovely for a bit of privacy during the day but still nice and light.

Once I was totally with Velvet regarding vertical blinds but now I'm in a house that has them and I must admit they are still up- so now I'm with Holy- but I only use them ocasionally. Sometimes what you want is not necessarily the most practical!!!

By the way, does anyone else think this thread might me a little bit ageist?

Agree with Velvet - i'd go for Voiles.

I have them in all my front windows - so they can drape across the entire window, if i want it a more private - or tied back loosely in the curtain tie backs, and have lots of complimentary comments on how good they look!

But if voiles are'nt your thing, and the window is not too huge or bayed try a roller blind - had them in my last house and they looked good too!

i'm a venetian blind all the way kinda girl, greaw up with them, now have them in all bedrooms and lounge, makes the front of the house look nice and tidy and geometrical

bugger to clean though

suited my mum, a woman who has confessed she enjoys cleaning

my vote for vertical blinds.

Mind you you will have to watch your little one[if you have one] whenever she goes near it.

OOps! the window you are talking about is not full length is it. Then its safe enough for kids.

Mine is full length. Gives a good entertainment for my daughter even for her height.

We've got v thin white fabric roman blinds (from the Swedish shop) which do v nicely in our front bay. We put them up as an emergency measure when we first moved in, but I think they might stay. Hardly cut out much light but give us a bit more privacy.

That said, I'm wondering if they might make a nice shadow play for the neighbours if used in the bedroom with the lights on...

thanks gang it looks like vertical in white. i look at all windows as i pass in the car must admit the only windows that look good to me are just main curtains and no nets but i know not good on front facing bedroom

My main bedroom is at the front and i just have main curtains, and loosely tied back voiles (to dress the window more than anything else) - and i live on a road with a double decker bus going past every 10 minutes!

I just open and close the curtains when getting changed etc. Must admit one saturday afternoon i was sitting putting my make up on, and my daughters friend text my daughter to say that she could see me putting my makeup on as she went past on the bus!!! LOL

Please define OLD.......

quote:

Originally posted by MELBOY:
Please define OLD.......

old meaning looks like old people lives there so easy target for yobs, there has been windows smashed and vandalism in the past on the estate, not all bad round where i live but as i was selling my house estate agent made appointments that did not turn up when he phoned them back it was the area has a reputation for trouble. so as i grow older in my new home i want to feel safe

My main bedroom and en-suite is at the front of the house. 2 windows in bedroom and third in en-suite. I currently have roller blinds at the moment and am due to decorate bedroom when I've decided on colour scheme.
I do have vertical blinds in the front windows downstairs and venetian in kitchen.
Think I'm gonna have venetian blinds as I like to have light blocked out- I currently have to wear a blindfold which my OH finds really sexy (not). I was also mortified to see my OH using toilet as I was driving round corner to my home one evening as it meant all and sundry will have probably seen me to!

I have tried to avoid any kind of curtains during the first 10y of having own home. Thin white curtains dont look like nets and are by far more practical than any kind of blinds.

quote:

Without wishing to offend anyone (but I fear it is inevitable) vertical blinds are hideous. They are for offices not homes. And even in offices they are hideous

tee-hee! I'd never come across vertical blinds until I moved from Manchester to Cheshire - it seems like it is compulsory to have them around here! I rented for 8 months in a place with them, pulled them back on day one and never closed them again! In Manc. I had voile through terror of being robbed so having no window coverings (except curtains for after dark) is kind of symbolic to me in my newly purchased house!

Oh well I have vertical blinds all the way through. My terrace goes straight onto the pavement so the living room can be stared right in on from anyone walking past. Verticals give you much more options and still have privacy. Ordinary blinds or voiles can either be there or not, whereas verticals or venetians give you an option for part closed.

Each to their own I guess. In an ideal world with a house with front garden/path I would only have curtains but it suits me now not to (okay so the holes where the curtain poles went in gradually deteriorated (as happens with plaster in old houses) and the darn thing kept falling down, and being useless at DIY myself the blinds are a good option for me personally too.

Voiles are nice though, especially for bedrooms, but do beware that if you are changing in front of a window with voiles or nets on and it's at night and you have the lights on there will be a very, very strong silhouette of you/hubby getting changed in the window!

quote:

Originally posted by ReenyMc:

tee-hee! I'd never come across vertical blinds until I moved from Manchester to Cheshire - it seems like it is compulsory to have them around here! I rented for 8 months in a place with them, pulled them back on day one and never closed them again! In Manc. I had voile through terror of being robbed so having no window coverings (except curtains for after dark) is kind of symbolic to me in my newly purchased house!

Ah thanks for that Reeny, funny because I was thinking I have never ever (in the south east) seen a house with vertical blinds. Obviously a regional difference .

I have voile panels at the front, both so that potential burglars can't see in, but also so anyone walking past/ my neighbours opposite can't glance in. I have wooden venetian blinds in the top room, they are very adaptable in terms of privacy and light.

I like roller blinds but the problem is you can't effectively clean them - I assume there is same problem with verticals?

Mr Catso was moaning last night about the people opposite not closing their bedroom curtains. Apparently he could see what they were watching on the telly. I think he is upset because the husband wanders around topless, but the wife doesn't...

waw what a debate!

I will add something to it... In our estate all elderly citizens have got lace hanging everywhere... as the outer layer and have some curtain and blinds. Ours and others have wooden blinds curtains and vertical blinds.... with no laceee bits.

I'm a little under 25 but I'm planning on putting the ikea's voile curtain [lacee lace]but its not in PALE WHITE OR CREAM

quote:

Originally posted by velvet:

quote:

Originally posted by ReenyMc:

tee-hee! I'd never come across vertical blinds until I moved from Manchester to Cheshire - it seems like it is compulsory to have them around here! I rented for 8 months in a place with them, pulled them back on day one and never closed them again! In Manc. I had voile through terror of being robbed so having no window coverings (except curtains for after dark) is kind of symbolic to me in my newly purchased house!

Ah thanks for that Reeny, funny because I was thinking I have never ever (in the south east) seen a house with vertical blinds. Obviously a regional difference .

I have voile panels at the front, both so that potential burglars can't see in, but also so anyone walking past/ my neighbours opposite can't glance in. I have wooden venetian blinds in the top room, they are very adaptable in terms of privacy and light.

I like roller blinds but the problem is you can't effectively clean them - I assume there is same problem with verticals?

You can remove vertical blinds individually to sponge them - they usually come with a few spares as well. Very easily done.

What I would really like is shutters. I would love to have a huge bay window with seating and rustic wooden shutters - but then I would also love for my house to have a fairly wild and untamed front garden with lots of trees and a long sweeping driveway.

waw queen! My childhood home had a huge tree in the huge front garden... This is very very rare in UK though. aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!

quote:

Originally posted by newtoit:
when we move into the new build it will have one bedroom window to the front of the property about 15 mts from the front gates (no garden) what do i dress the windows with, i don't want it look like a old persons bungalow with nets i don't like wooden blinds and don't want hubby on veiw in the bedroom will put people off

Or as my old neighbour said when she saw OH getting dressed "You're very lucky" wink wink "but please could you ask him to close the curtains."