Dressing bay windows

[cathbath76]

Please help as I'm driving DH mad with my indecision! We have two bay windows (living room and main bedroom), which look out onto the street. We want to replace the net curtains with a more stylish alternative...

Ideally I would go for Roman blinds, but I guess as they are either up or down they wouldn't provide any privacy during the day.

We like wooden Venetian blinds, but we have uPVC windows with handles that stick out, so fitting them could be tricky. We are terrible at DIY, and DH is refusing to be involved in cutting anything to size...

I did get a quote for made-to-measure Venetians, but it seems expensive. I'm also worried about the cost of curtains on top of this (I suppose we would have to have curtains as well...?) and a made-to-measure curtain pole.

We are planning to sell in a year or two, so don't want to spend a fortune.

Any other ideas would be gratefully received!

[Tinykins]

We have bay windows on either side of our front door and I wrestled with this too. In the end I went for cream silk type voiles which can be tied back during the day if you want to see out, or left hanging loose if you prefer a bit of privacy, and also still have curtains too, which hardly ever get pulled over except in really cold weather at nite time. The voiles give a lovely soft light through them and perfect privacy without having to be pulled up or down (or dusted as blinds would need to be!)

[DecorHate]

I have wooden venetians which had to be custom made (very wide window) and yes they were £££

I haven't bothered with curtains as well but I am not really a curtain person. In my last house we had muslin-type voiles but they were not much good at night when the lights were on...

[Pannacotta]

I like plantation shutters but they are quite pricey. Have a look here as they are doing a promo at the moment
www.californiashutters.co.uk/

There was a thread about wood venetians recently and this supplier was recommended as well priced
www.wooden-blinds-direct.co.uk/Elegance-with-Tapes-Warm-Cream/50mm--Wooden-Venetian-Blind/SDELTV50WC /

[blackmilkofdaybreak]

I would go for half shutters on the bottom halves of windows if it's a period house + curtains for the evening.

[Itsallgonewobbly]

We have roller blinds that are made of this sheer fabric that lets light in but gives you privacy from the outside. Then we have Roman blinds over the top for the evening.

Ended up being a bit pricey but looks nice!

[cathbath76]

Thanks - still not sure what to go for, but that's given me lots to think about!

I'm very tempted by plantation shutters, but we couldn't justify the cost in this house (maybe in our next one!). That wooden blinds company seems well priced though (thanks Pannacotta). Am off now to ponder the options...

[GladioliBuckets]

Ikea do very good quality wooden venetian blinds in white or different wood veneer. I have these in my living room with 4 narrow gauzey curtains between that serve no practical purpose at all. We have upvc windows, handles don't seem to be a problem.

In my bedroom I have roller blinds, then 4 narrow cream curtains, then 3 nets that are always across, then a pair of swaggy nets on an extra long pole across the beam like a theatre. Looks v dramatic with brass bed underneath.

Just pay a handyman to come fix everything up.

[cathbath76]

Thanks GladioliBuckets. Ikea Venetians fitted by a handyman should work out cheaper than made to measure (I was quoted £538 for both windows from a company who would also fit them).

Itsallgonewobby, I'm really liking your idea of Roman blinds with voile roller blinds underneath. I think it would let lots of light in and make the room look bigger without curtains. I'm just trying to imagine how we'd fix them both up - maybe the voile blinds inside the recess and the Roman blinds outside over the top? Can I ask, did you get them from a made to measure company, or are they reasonably easy to cut down yourself, eg the voile blinds in John Lewis or Ikea?

[tethersend]

We got three made to measure blinds for ours- took 2 weeks and cost 70 quid. They are really good quality, and 5cm deep so look better than IKEA; although use the measuring guide to make sure they fit, and round measurements down rather than up.

Have a look here

Promise I don't work for them

[notsochickchickchicken]

I'm not really fussed about daytime privacy or blinds so just have curtains.
However a couple of houses on my street have frosted film on their windows and it looks really good,
one has gone for a traditional look and the other has a more modern effect.
It's quite cheap as well.

[notsochickchickchicken]

Some nice ones here

[GladioliBuckets]

I had originally planned to make flat voile panels hung on bamboo canes across the bottom half/two-thirds of each pane for privacy. Never got round to it though.