topic Re: Need help with window treatment in Home

Need help with window treatment

Nana5 — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:17:43 GMT

Our bedroom has a big, long window with a smaller, long window on each side--so it's three separate windows but they are like one unit. We have a separate honeycomb fabric shade on each of the three windows, but the shades are getting very dirty and the strings that raise and lower them keep tearing and it's quite expensive to have them restrung. Therefore, we don't usually raise/lower the big center shade but that means we can't see out through the opaque fabric.

I'm considering mini blinds. They would provide privacy when closed and when they are tilted open, we could see the entire scene outside the window--which we want to see.

Are there other options? Does anyone have windows with mini blinds inside the glass? Do they hold up? What brand? I could only find one company that made them (Pella?) and some of the reviews didn't seem so great. Any suggestions will be welcome. TIA

Re: Need help with window treatment

Luv_My_Beagle — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 19:18:37 GMT

I have those built in blinds in a door that goes to the outside in our lower level. The door is from Lowes or Home Depot. They work pretty well but we don't often open and close the blinds.

The picture below is not exactly what you have, but maybe some variation of this would work for you unless you don't want curtains/drapes?

Re: Need help with window treatment

SHOPR — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:02:38 GMT

I like mini blinds for the privacy and I think they can look nice and neat, but for looks and the enjoyment of being able to see outdoors 100% unobstructed, I'd rather have nothing at all.

One of my kitchen windows is rather large, 44" x 53", and I enjoy looking out at whatever is going on with birds, squirrels, etc. I tend to raise the mini blind, so that I don't have to look through the slats. I can see through the slats, but it seems they are never at the right angle to see whatever it is out there that I want to see. Make sense? The blind is a 1" wood blind, and it is pretty heavy to be raising and lowering all the time, and I'm afraid I am going to wear it out much quicker than the others by doing it. I keep the blind raised almost all the time at my kitchen sink, since it isn't a full length or large window.

We also have a large all glass picture window with side windows (built in 1950s) and I opted to use 3 separate 1" wood blinds on those windows, too. We ended up placing our TV right across the room from the windows, so the blinds there have to stay closed anytime we're watching TV. I do like being able to open them at other times, though. I usually do not raise the large center picture window blind, because it's really heavy. I just open them.

I hope you get some helpful responses.

Re: Need help with window treatment

brii — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:04:57 GMT

I have floor to ceiling drapes in my bedroom. In the day, I open them and have a completely unobstructed view. They have a blackout liner, so the bedroom stays dark until I open them in the morning.

Mini blinds are hard to keep clean, IMO.

Re: Need help with window treatment

SHOPR — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:06:49 GMT

I agree with brii, my mini blinds are dust magnets it seems. That's a very good point.

Re: Need help with window treatment

Azcowgirl — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:44:13 GMT

I have a door to the outside with blinds in between the glass panels, and I love it. Ive never had any trouble with it. I don't know what brand it is.

Re: Need help with window treatment

151949 — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:50:12 GMT

I uised to have beautiful lace curtains on all my windows and I loved them but for privacy we had mini blinds on all the windows. They are the perfect solution for privacy and ease to open them and let in the view and the sunlight. However, no doubt about it - they are a bit of a PIA to care for. I would have to dust them every week and wash them twice a year. The up side - they were fairly easy to wash and came out nice. I would hang them across the top of the shower in our basement that had a hand held shower head - spray them with a soap / water solution and then rinse with the shower head and leave them hanging there to drip dry.

Re: Need help with window treatment

brii — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:54:23 GMT

Wide slat wooden blinds are nice too.

Re: Need help with window treatment

Irshgrl31201 — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 21:04:21 GMT

I don't care for any type of blinds at all. I like plantation shutters the best and that is what I have.

Re: Need help with window treatment

151949 — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 22:33:41 GMT

On 11/6/2014 Irshgrl31201 said:
I don't care for any type of blinds at all. I like plantation shutters the best and that is what I have.

I actually like them best as well and that is what I also have ion every window but they are a rather large financial investment.

Re: Need help with window treatment

catlvr — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 22:34:37 GMT

This is a really timely thread for me. DH and I and the three cats moved into a new house at the end of September - new construction and I am sitting here right now waiting for the installer to come install my curtains. I don't like blinds or plantation shutters. The dust drives me nuts. In our master we have one giant window with a normal window on either side. I went to Calico Corners and they made the curtains. I'm getting a double rod with sheers and drapes. I'll report in later how it looks.

Re: Need help with window treatment

catlvr — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 23:51:43 GMT

Ok he's here. I'm not going in there until he is done. The curtains and the sheers look gorgeous draped over my bed.....this is very exciting.....

Re: Need help with window treatment

Nana5 — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 04:01:15 GMT

I'm the OP. Thanks for your words of wisdom and suggestions.

I agree that an unobstructed view is best but this huge to-the-floor window looks out on our front lawn and beyond that is the street. I also agree that mini blinds are a pain to keep clean but I have them at other places so I know how to clean them. Like another poster said, you can always pull mini blinds up the whole way and have a clear view. But I'm guessing those cords might also tear if that is done daily.

Thanks, again, for your suggestions. I'm still deciding what to do.

Re: Need help with window treatment

stevieb — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 04:06:48 GMT

If all windows are the same height, you might consider louvered shutters so that the slats can be opened without opening the entire shutter. You could treat the three windows as one and the advantage is there are no strings.

Re: Need help with window treatment

colliemom4 — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 04:21:44 GMT

I like blinds for privacy.

Re: Need help with window treatment

catlvr — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 04:33:33 GMT

Ok my Calico curtains and sheers have been installed. They are gorgeous. The sheers provide sufficient privacy. We face east with an amazing view but are up against a slightly busy street. I will tell you that this one set of windows cost $3000. And that is not to brag but people always wonder what this costs. I have done other windows in this house with World Market curtains and Pottery Barn stuff but my master bedroom sort of organically morphed into this beautiful neutral space that these curtains are perfect for.

Re: Need help with window treatment

Nightowlz — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 04:38:57 GMT

I like Cellular Shades & Roman Shades. They have some of the Cellular Shades that are up down so you can lift it up from the bottom or lower from the top or any where in between. I have these in the living room & the up down feature is nice so I can move them up or down depending on where the sun is coming in. We have ODL Enclosed Blinds (below) on our French Doors. I thought they made kits like it for windows. These are enclosed & they fit right over the glass area of the doors. They don't look like an add on they look like part of the door.

Re: Need help with window treatment

Buck-i-Nana — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 04:46:01 GMT

On 11/6/2014 Nana5 said:
I'm the OP. Thanks for your words of wisdom and suggestions.

I agree that an unobstructed view is best but this huge to-the-floor window looks out on our front lawn and beyond that is the street. I also agree that mini blinds are a pain to keep clean but I have them at other places so I know how to clean them. Like another poster said, you can always pull mini blinds up the whole way and have a clear view. But I'm guessing those cords might also tear if that is done daily.

Thanks, again, for your suggestions. I'm still deciding what to do.

I actually have inexpensive mini-blinds I got from Lowes a few years back. I pull them up completely every morning otherwise I have cats and dogs who will stick their heads between the slats and that's a nightmare! I haven't had any problems with the cords.

Something I really like about the mini-blinds is that you can open the slats at an angle to let in plenty of light but block the view into the room from outside. I have one of the front bedrooms set up as a sitting room because it gets the most wonderful sunlight and it's my winter haven. As the windows look out to the street, and I don't want window browsers looking in as they walk their dogs, I always have those blinds angled.

Re: Need help with window treatment

Lindsays Grandma — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 04:48:21 GMT

My only suggestion is to think long and hard about installing mini blinds. They really weren't meant to be constantly raised because the cord eventually will break. My daughter used to do that and I warned her against it and she found out the hard way which ended up costing money she wouldn't have had to spend if she paid attention to what I said.

I always did my own decorating and people would ask me who I used because my homes looked so great. It is hard to give advice when you aren't there to see the room. Good luck, I hope you find a good solution.

Re: Need help with window treatment

151949 — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 05:24:04 GMT

On 11/6/2014 Lindsays Grandma said:
My only suggestion is to think long and hard about installing mini blinds. They really weren't meant to be constantly raised because the cord eventually will break. My daughter used to do that and I warned her against it and she found out the hard way which ended up costing money she wouldn't have had to spend if she paid attention to what I said.

I always did my own decorating and people would ask me who I used because my homes looked so great. It is hard to give advice when you aren't there to see the room. Good luck, I hope you find a good solution.

You don't have to raise them to get in light or see the view - you can simply open the slats.