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.

It quite sensible to keep curtains closed on very hot days to keep the house cool. Windows and curtains and doors can be opened once the sun starts to go down, to let a breeze flow through the house to get cool air inside again.

I find the idea of keeping curtains permanently closed at all times just for privacy a little odd though! For that I'd install shutters that can be adjusted so nearly as much light comes in as you'd get from an uncovered window, while also having total privacy from anybody attempting to see in from outside.

It is hard, but it's the hand I've been dealt and I just get on with it. Wouldn't it be so wonderful to have such a perfect life that you can comment on why someone doesn't open their curtains or has peeling paint. 🤣🙄 Life is for living, as best you can. And leave everyone else to do the same

Our next door neighbours are like this. Curtains closed nearly all the time or just partially open. Never seem to leave the house and never have visitors. Hardly ever go in the garden either. It makes me feel very uneasy.

@BirdsandBeesmakinghay

Our next door neighbours are like this. Curtains closed nearly all the time or just partially open. Never seem to leave the house and never have visitors. Hardly ever go in the garden either. It makes me feel very uneasy.

They might be ill.

This thread is beginning to make me wonder if my neighbours notice that I don't open my curtains. I have to say I've never noticed theirs so assumed they would be the same about me.

Ours are closed all day, especially in the summer
In the lounge, we've got the sofa up against the window so that I can do online fitness classes and my son can use his road bike on his Zwift trainer, so I'd have to climb over the sofa to reach the curtains in the bay window. So I don't bother.
Back curtains get opened as that side of the house is shaded and I can easily access the curtains

My curtains are closed as the room at the front of the house has pricey printing equipment in it.

(Though it's all too big to steal)

I guess i'm hiding that in a way.

I open lounge curtains so my budgie gets some sun. I keep them closed upstairs.

I have a friend who has photophobia, so her curtains are never opened.

Perhaps they work nights.

Ours are always open, even at night. We have a bay window onto the street, but we're never doing anything very private, and I like to be able to watch the world going by.

And I don't care (or actually don't notice) whether our neighbours' curtains are open or closed! Of no interest to me. I think this is due to living in London

What an absolutely ludicrous statement to make, op. Of course it isn't dodgy!
As pp have shown there are many reasons why people would choose to do this.
I'd find something else to concern yourself with.

Wow! I can’t believe that you think it’s in any way creepy! I mean yes you may notice if a family appears to leave their curtains closed permanently and wonder to yourself why they might do this but to actually think about it enough to start a thread on here and to also call it creepy is just well really creepy tbh!
My situation is that I’m bed bound disabled and decided to have my bedroom downstairs (basically taking over the living room) so that I’m not excluded from my family and can feel more involved with everyone. If I had a bedroom upstairs I would hardly see anyone which would be depressing. My husband is my full time carer and we have 3 children who also have the same condition as me but not as bad as I have it and also two of them have sensory Processing Disorder. My husband also has epilepsy and migraines so as you can imagine with all this that it’s difficult at times. Because I’m bed bound I also need to use a commode which isn’t far from my bed so if I had curtains wide open all day I would really be putting on a show for any nosy neighbours
I really don’t see why anyone would consider closed curtains as creepy tho and it upsets me a little to think that people may consider my family creepy just because I’m disabled and need to live a different way to what is deemed normal! We don't actually sit in darkness though which I find extremely odd that curtains closed = pitch black to some people…..we may have the front curtains closed but our back curtains are mostly open and sometimes the door too! We get a lot of light from the back so it’s always really bright so sometimes we have to pull then a bit too or we can’t see the tv properly. We don’t keep our actual windows open all the time either as we have parrots and don’t want them to escape but we try to air through properly when we can safely do so otherwise we just have the window open a crack so the birds can’t get out.
When we first moved in here (only two weeks ago!) before we got a voile panel put up we could see people walk past which we weren’t used to at our old house and believe me, even tho there really isn’t anything interesting going on at all, people do look in and most actually really stared! Now THATS creepy! My youngest with Sensory Processing Disorder was really triggered by this and became really paranoid that everyone was always trying to watch him and that they were trying to stare into his soul! He was really freaked out bless him and his over-imaginative mind! As soon as the voile panel was up he relaxed and feels much less stressed out ….from outside it looks like our curtains are pulled all the time but I don't care as our privacy and my sons happiness comes first. Oh and our front garden is out of control as my hubby just hasn’t had the time or inclination to sort it out as yet because he’s got so much to do already and when he gets time to actually take a break he sure as hell isn’t going to choose to start sorting that out.
You’ve now been given a huge list of reasons why people may be keeping their curtains closed….do you now realise that you were being unreasonable to instantly think creepy? I hope what people have said here has made you stop and think about how being different doesn’t mean creepy or weird.

The curtains in my bedroom are rarely opened. I am not really in there unless I am going to bed so seems pointless opening and closing them.

Downstairs I don’t have any curtains but I have shutters, the Lowe half are usually shut as the dogs bark at outside activity otherwise.

I open the curtains and shears and vent the blinds in the living room in the morning, and close them in late afternoon, as it gets too hot in the afternoon. In the winter time I usually don't close them until it starts to get dark outside. However that is on a good day. I have sensitive eyes and get a lot of headaches so sometimes I will keep the blinds shut for that reason.

*sheers

Closing the curtains keeps the room cooler and keeps light off the TV 🤷‍♀️

Downstairs curtains are always closed, house is directly onto street. Pots and window box kept lovely. I hate scruffy front gardens, weeds growing out of house, it pulls your mortar out get it sorted. Peeling paint, windows will rot.

Bluedeblue, you don't know what is going on in their lives or what they've been through. Plus of course it could be that they prefer privacy from prying eyes and gardening and painting the house may not be there thing or within their budget.

My house is south facing I keep the bedroom curtains shut to prevent the sun damage to curtains and soft furnishings

Maybe they open all the curtains & windows at the back of the house. Otherwise I’d say it’s a house with no females. Doesn’t seem to occur to males to open curtains or windows

I do a lot because of the mess my children make lol and I don’t have a garden. I don’t like people looking in when they are passing.

I keep my curtains closed on really hot days to keep the house as cool as I can, especially for my dog.

Yeah to be honest I have blinds and don’t like opening them because sooo many people walk past and peer in being nosey 😂 I mean if you’re looking into their garden aswell you can see why lol..

I’ve got expensive stuff (tv, gaming stuff, dogs etc opposite my window so would rather people not see them), also my brother has just recently moved into his own flat and keeps the curtains shut permanently, he suffers with a lot of problems and prefers to be in the dark, shut away from the big wide world it makes him feel safer and happier..

Might be to stop the sun fading expensive rugs or furnishings?

People walk past and look right into our front room and bedroom. When we first moved in I used to keep them open and tried to ignore the nosy walkers until two people stopped, leant in, pointed and discussed a painting on my wall.

Don't assume everyone has something to hide. Privacy is important.