I posted this a few days ago in the Ask a Designer forum but I think maybe that's finished (though it doesn't seem to list dates).
Now that months of renos are drawing to a close (well at least phase 1) I need to desperately get something on the front window. It is actually part of the front hall, over stairs, and visible from the living room/dining room and faces the street so privacy is definitely an issue.
My initial thoughts are California shutters so that I could keep the bottom half closed most of the time, and the top half open. This window over the stairs is awkward to get to at, at least for drapes. We've also got 4 side by side windows in the living room that face the back. Would these need the same treatment or can I go with something different on them. Our decor is what I'd call a slightly eclectic traditional. Thanks in advance! Photo attached.
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and thanks for your input I Love Colour. I don't think sheers will give me enough privacy. I think the shutters will work except for the section in the top left corner... not sure how I'd reach that. I might have to get into a remote. My other option is to just go with the wide slat H.D. blinds. I have them in my home office and they look very clean from the street. Then I can reach the wand easily from the front door area to open and close. I wouldn't be able to close the bottom part though, it would be all or nothing, but much much more affordable and a similar look. I could always add drapes on either side to soften the look after, but I'm not sure if there is enough room to stack them back on either side.
I thought I would share with you a picture of the california shutter we recently had installed as they had the feature of having the top louvers open that you mentioned. The really great aspect was that with certain heights of windows, you don't have to have the chunky cross bar anymore. This was a surprise to us, but was really great and we've really enjoyed having the ability to just have the top open for light, but not the bottom, because of the heat for us...as it is a south-west window. We also were able to choose at what height we wanted the divide. When they're all open or all closed, it's seemless.
making the drapes long enough to reach the floor of the landing?
Will you be putting trim around that window? A remote control shade might work (though you won't be able to leave the top open and the bottom closed!)
I've visited this topic several times and these windows just stump me: you don't seem to have enough room on either side of the window for shutters to stack back. And whatever else I think of is nearly impossible to access for control!
What about going with a straight forward, not fancy, but chic privacy curtain? Mount a fabric--semi-sheer, the exact width of your window--on tension rods that mount inside the trim both top and bottom. Mount them slightly lower than halfway down. Leave the top bare. It's an "old-fashioned" treatment--but you'd never have to worry about opening and closing them--and you'd only need to reach them once a year for cleaning!
To boot: it isn't expensive! (And you could consider it temporary until we figure something else out, lol!) There are some absolutely gorgeous sheers out there now that could look quite nice.
My meighbours had the TDBU and from the street they always looked odd.never sure what was going on but who am I to give opinions I can't even decide what color I should use for my sofa. Man so many questions and so few answers I am a mess. :rolleyes: :confused: ;)
I like the idea of these blinds but I also think you need to do drapery panels on either side to soften the edges... I also think you need to paint your interior door a stronger darker colour like a dark espresso - to make more of a dramatic statement and give some sense of entrance to that area.
Dark wood rod with rings for the hardware to tie the whole look together.
Re: the drapery panels Red. I'm afraid they would look like "floods", as in flood pants. There is a very narrow ledge just below the window which I assume is where I would have to hem them. Another 4 feet down is a landing which then turns and goes down more stairs. So, here is my new thoughts. If I go with your idea of the drapery panels and maybe the TDBU blinds, and make the ledge below more substantial, build it up with trim, carry it around the corner and then add panel moulding below painted in a shade of white...how would that look? My only concern is how the blinds look... aren't they kind of unsightly with the strings showing when the blinds are dropped down? I'm not really knowledgeable about them or what styles they come in, but I'm not sure they'd be a really attractive blind.
I like your idea of painting the door a darker colour as well. There is a Jak slate floor in front of the door and I think maybe even a slate colour would look good on the inside, and out.
shutters would look great there. i'm like you i was never a fan of them but since moving into this home where they already existed i have to say i am a convert!they are practical for privacy and blocking light but also lend a clean look from the outside as well as the inside, we have the pvc kind and i can't imagine painting them...talk about a tedious job! they are white and our trim is cloud whiteand i think it's just fine.
I have them and love them. As Red says you don't have to buy the big name brands. HD carries them. If you watch their sales they may have a 'no charge' promo for the TDBU feature - saves about $50 per blind.
Don't worry about buying a dual blind - solid on the bottom/sheer on the top. I found out the expensive way that all I needed was the TDBU feature - there is lots of flexibility for privacy and sun control.
you mean like those "Tommi Hilfigger" logo shirts? ;)
but seriously, generally where would one find those types of blinds, smaller "boutique decorator"- type places, or a "Blinds-R-Us-Emporium" type place? Don't need to be specific since we're in different areas anyway - if there's a particular manufacturer name that would be great tho.thx
or Levelor Top Down Bottom Up Blinds... there are lots of companies that make them without the big name on them.. kinda like buying a Gucci T shirt when you can get the same thing at the Gap.
I like the idea of these blinds but I also think you need to do drapery panels on either side to soften the edges... I also think you need to paint your interior door a stronger darker colour like a dark espresso - to make more of a dramatic statement and give some sense of entrance to that area.
Dark wood rod with rings for the hardware to tie the whole look together.
took a look at the display area in a Sears Home store a while back, they had all sorts of "interesting" newer variations on the old "cellular" blind (Hunter Douglas Levolor etc...), some you could stack at the bottom rather than at the top, which allows privacy and still open for light (great idea for windows around a bath too), other variations were like a 2 in 1 (gives you two fabric types in same blind, opaque and translucent , pick which one you want at any given time) - maybe be just as expensive as a new refrigerator tho, I don't know... ;) just another option to consider
I have California shutters in my bathrooms. They are not wood but pvc - I find them easy to operate and easy to keep clean. One drawback is that they cannot (or should not) be painted.
I heard from a fellow that sells them, that they can be painted to match my trim. Maybe that's the difference between wood and PVC, or maybe factory paint and DIY. I'd really like them to match my trim, white would be just too stark.
I've never been huge on Calf. shutters, but they really do seem like the only answer for this window. So, I think practicality wins out (certainly not price from what I hear).
I was thinking roman blinds too, but, she said she needed the privacy at the bottom of the windows and would like to allow light in from the top half of the windows. So, I change my vote to shutters.
I have California shutters in my bathrooms. They are not wood but pvc - I find them easy to operate and easy to keep clean. One drawback is that they cannot (or should not) be painted.
Just to throw you off, I think a roman blind would look great there! :D
Something with a pattern or stripe.
Actually that's great, because I just picked up drapery panels for the L.R. windows... one panel between each window (to unify the windows). I don't want to go crazy on those windows yet, because we're putting a deck off the L.R. and I'm not sure if we'll put in some terrace doors in place of some or all of those windows or what (that's phase 2). So I think I'll do the shutters on the front window and the curtain panels on the back for now. Thanks for your input.
Now, anything I need to know about shutters? I've never looked into them before, so I don't really know what to ask/look for.
Would work quite nicely here. I would put them in the livingroom too with drapery panels between the window sto create the illusion of one huge window .