To think that people who keep their curtains closed all day must be ill, or hiding something?

[Bluedeblue]

The first thing that I do, when I get up in the morning, is to open the curtains. Possibly a window as well, to let a breeze in. There are a few houses nearby, who never open any curtains. Bedroom and lounge curtains are always firmly closed, even on lovely summer days. The gardens are unkempt and scruffy, all the paintwork is peeling. But someone definitely living there, as in one case, a brand new car on the drive and I've seen pizza delivery to the other. Does anyone else find this really odd, and think that there must be something amiss with these people? It must be so dark inside. I find it almost a bit creepy.

We keep ours closed when it's hot but otherwise open them in the day. I grew up with my mum thinking it was incredibly slovenly not to open all curtains and windows the moment you got up and also slovenly not to close the curtains in the evenings because of people looking in to the house. So I think I have been influenced by that! We don't close all the curtains in the evenings, just those in the rooms we're actually using. Aside from hot weather I wouldn't want them closed all the time; it would feel odd. And I live on a main road with lots of people walking by!

I'm really shocked that so many people don't open curtains or windows. Just to clarify, the houses I am talking to never open curtains, whether it's hot or cold, sunny or cold. All year round they are firmly closed. It's not a busy street, only people who live on the street would go in to it. It must be so dark and oppressive, imo.

I have people walk by my windows, as I live on a coastal path. I still open my blinds and open the windows, every day, to let all the light and fresh sea air in. If people looked in, all they would see is me at my laptop, I don't see why that's a big deal.

Our neighbours do this! Almost everyday, def curtains as very, very occasionally they will be open. I just can't imagine how dark and gloomy the house must feel. I've often wondered why....

@Bluedeblue

so you are shocked and can't believe people are different from you.

and we can't believe just what a nosy, judgemental, intolerant person you are.

Lovely summer days will definitely lead to me keeping my windows and curtains closed to keep the house cool! And I don’t like people looking in.

@Bluedeblue I’ll refer you back to my earlier point about perhaps they are keeping them closed to stop nosey, judgmental neighbours from peering in and deciding whether what they are doing is acceptable or not.
Jesus Christ, find something better to do.

@Fangsalot89

Tbh it's obv we all have naked orgies on top of our meth cooking tables while sacrificing endangered animals.
But we'd better keep quiet.
The first rule of orgy-meth-sacrifice club is that we don't talk about orgy-meth-sacrifice club!

I don't have any curtains or blinds in my house but I live on a farm and only the sheep to look in.

I remember staying with my granny once and she had a house with a garret (a livable in attic) . She missed church when I was there and we walked back later from the shops and she gasped! The left curtain way up in the garret hadn't been opened properly and she was aghast at what the neighbours would say. They would think she wasn't at church! I was perplexed. Surely the fact she wasn't at church was a bigger indicator of that. She said she was worried they would think she had been in bed rather than go to church

Still makes me chuckle that so many presumptions could be made from a lonely wee curtain at the top of the house.

Mine are firmly closed because I work nights and I need the darkness to sleep people and keep some sort of normal routine so my body doesn't suffer for it. It also helps keep my room cool as it's at the front of the house and the last thing I need when I get home from a shift is a baking hot room because I let the sun absolutely beat it's bastard way through the window. Downstairs are also shut for this reason. I can't imagine getting that het up or thinking it's 'creepy' that people keep their curtains closed.

cannabis farms ! Put on your sleuth hat and go and sniff their air vents

Oh God, you sound like one of those nosy, judgemental neighbours always peering out to see what others are doing.

These would be my initial gut thoughts:

Family with children? No, the parents might just want to protect the children from staring passers-by.

Single man? Yes, what does he have to hide?

I open my curtains because I have privacy in my front yard to do so but there was a totally weird creepy thread on here just recently where loads of people admitted that they love peering in to other people's house so can totally understand why some people would keep curtains closed at the front of the house.

I’m one of those weirdos. I have an East facing 1930s house with 3m wide bay windows, the sun hits them from sunrise to 1.30pm.

If we don’t keep the curtains closed all morning this time of year, the house heats up unbearably. It’s amazing how much thermal curtains can cut the temperature.

My (incredibly selfish) neighbour has put up bird reflectors - they catch the sun and 'flash' directly into my house. I suffer with migraines which can be triggered by my eye catching the light. The sunnier the day the more I have to close my curtains. No peeling paint here though. HTH.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

We have some neighbours who in the 10 years they have lived there never open the blinds or windows. They’re a young professional couple and honestly I think it’s weird. I feel mostly sorry for their dog

Many dogs get spooked by passes by, shadows, birds etc. Might be why they keep them closed.

We do for this reason, she constantly jumps into the chair so she can see out and will bark at a hedgehog 5 miles away, keeping them closed means she only barks at the odd skateboard and the postman. Back curtains onto patio window are open though.

@JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn have you told the neighbour? It wouldn't occur to me that something like that would cause migraines.

And to add to keeping house dark/cool in summer for daytime sleeping, in winter there's no point opening them because I get home when it's barely light and have them closed for sleep and then by the time I get up it's dark again.
Have had some interesting comments from neighbours about me laying in bed all day while they pay my (social housing) rent for me to do so.
Apparently, single mums in social housing never work 🤷🏼‍♀️

I have people walk by my windows, as I live on a coastal path. I still open my blinds and open the windows, every day, to let all the light and fresh sea air in. If people looked in, all they would see is me at my laptop, I don't see why that's a big deal.

It really isn’t that hard to understand, you’re just choosing not to because you yourself don’t feel you have a reason to keep them closed. Many have given legitimate, logical reasons on why they have their curtains and/or windows closed, but of course ignore them because they don’t fit your narrative.

So all you people who keep everything shut, please tell me you open the windows at least?! Is it not really stinky in there!!

I have these things called doors that I leave open when it’s quieter for my autistic son while he plays outside and when he’s at school. They’re left open about everyday for several hours.

Our house would totally confuse you! Curtains are open and shut all the time for a vast variety of reasons.

South facing closed keep it cool
Also wide open when I have a breeze go through the house
Half closed to prevent glare on monitor when WFH. The amount of close/open changes as the light moves
Same as above for watching the TV or gaming
Son wants to have the whole house dark for "murder in the dark" (hide and seek in the dark) and dungeons and dragons.
Fully closed when having a pretend cinema at home
Sometimes I open them when it's dark so I can see out and watch the weather or the world go by
Closed when we are fooling around

Basically my curtains are open and closed several times a day. Like I say, you'd be really confused at us.

Our neighbours have a holiday setting for their curtains. I think it's supposed to suggest someone is home, but I know it means they are on holiday.

I don't think it's judgmental to just think some stuff is weird. It's just a passing thought, at how miserable these houses look. They look abandoned, dark, miserable. Gardens are like a jungle. It just looks so sad.

I've never really paid attention to whether my neighbours' curtain/blinds/shutters are open or closed.

In my previous home, we rarely opened the curtains -- it wasn't dark and oppressive, light still got through and in the old place had enough draft and high ceilings to keep them from getting stuffy, but being on a main road, with a bus stop outside and being next to a takeaway and a corner shop led to people using the front wall as a bench for a natter, and an industrial estate across the road didn't really make opening them very appealing. Also, mobility disability so yes, I guess that may qualify as ill.

New place has a much nicer view out, been oddly enjoying watching birds nesting out front, but we've still closed the blinds when it's been too bright and they're always down. My bedroom curtains and blinds still never open because my spouse is a night worker who likes to sleep in a dark, cool cave. Front garden is a bit of a jungle at the moment - we're still deciding how to deal with it.

Thinking on others comments about what their parents and grandparents had drilled into them, I can't remember my maternal grandparents ever opening the curtains - might also be disability, but their house never felt oppressive even in rooms with thin windows (weird US style of house, kinda a suburb-ranch style with long thin windows in most bedrooms) and only dark when intended in the main bedroom. Their kitchen windows had thin light coverings, not quite nets, which seemed to be enough or maybe it's how they decorated. My parents didn't really open the curtains much either - again thicker curtains at the front, lighter ones in the back was pretty normal. Different places and people adapt their homes differently, never thought of it as people hiding something - that seems quite the leap.

@ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba You too! Thank goodness as I thought it was just me.

scifiscream yours made me laugh and reminded me of the DH Lawrence and German wife who were thkight to be sending messages to German shipping through odd light/curtain activity in remote west Cornwall. Forgotten details but think they were even arrested/questioned etc.

As with others windows open curtains closed keeps my house cool.