Covering your windows this a new thing

[coffeegirl73]

So in the last month I’ve visited 2 friends with new houses- well new to them- and both have put this plastic stuff on the windows “so people
cant see in”. The thing is it’s made
the houses very dark and the other thing is you can’t see out! I was looking out to see where the kids were but had to go open the front door. I feel like people are paranoid? Or just my 2 friends are! I have never bothered with that. When it’s dark I close the curtains and I just don’t worry about people seeing in when it’s daytime: I like to see the daylight! It’s was so gloomy in their houses. Like
being in a cave. Just wondering if it’s a new fad or…

Do you mean like a frosted glass effect sticker on the windows? It’s just today’s modern version of the net curtain.

We had a new build straight onto the street years ago. We just used horizontal wooden blinds. Then bought a house nowhere near a road.

I think it's called privacy film.

I'm very lucky and live somewhere not overlooked so I don't have to close my curtains (in fact I don't even have any in my living room!) but I can understand the use for it if you are overlooked by people who can see right into your room. It's like net curtains only not so...1970s.

We have the privacy film, it’s nice—only on the bottom half of the front windows though. Just so people can’t see us when we are sat on the sofas. You can still stand up and look out.

I don’t know anyone who has it over the whole window.

I think it’s super weird when I’m walking down the street and I glance and can see people sat on their sofas. Even worse when it’s the evening and they haven’t pulled the curtains. Like being in a zoo.

I have it as my house has a pavement outside and low windows. It’s lovely and does not make the house dark. It’s a period style and only on the bottom sash of the window. Great stuff.

People use it now instead of voiles or nets.

I have (for me!) super duper bottom up pleated neutral colour blinds. Half the price of shutters. I live on a quiet road, but people walking their dogs will always turn their head to look in a window. I know I do! But I love my privacy and have a through room.

My blinds can move from top to bottom, or vice versa, and are great (for me) as they let in full light at the top half, but most people aren't tall enough to see over the bottom half lol😊

We got some for our son's flat - we got the heat/reflective ones as it was baking hot in the sun. You can still see out, but it's got a mirror effect from the outside so no one can see in. It doesn't make the inside dark at all.

@vandelle how do they work? Is there a ‘track’ fitted in the window recess or something that they slide up or down on?

I don't understand the non privacy thing. We have a family in our street...no lie..they have no curtains in their house.

They are wealthy, they are very respectable and tidy in their house but they have NO window dressings, even in their bedroom.

I think the weirdest thing is they are from a country where women are required to cover up (the female neighbour doesn't). But how does this happen?

My Granny did something like that 'I think they were called 'nets'.
If you smoked, which Grandad did, they went sort of yellow.
All the neighbours had them too (they were all yellowish) I now wonder what on earth was going after in everybody's house - just after The War? 🤔

Yes there is a track on the top and the bottom and a very thin guide wire like thing where the blind goes up and down. Sorry I am brutal at explaining things for people to visualise. I don't have to use cords or anything as there is a clip at the top and bottom, and I just have to either push up, or pull down.

(Probably like caravan blinds 😉but mine are much more expensive and have lovely delicate material!)

nylon nets yellow regardless of whether people smoke or not

You can still get nets (net curtains). Amazon has a load of them, all different lengths and more modern patterns. They’re like voiles but almost always white. Some of my relatives had/have them and they’re most certainly not yellow! That’s part of the fun. There’s a dip you buy to keep them white. It might be called Glo White or something like that, but you just tip some in a bucket of cold water, dunk the nets in and they come out a super-luminous white. I often saw people doing this when I was a child, and have seen relatives do similar recently too. It’s all part of the pride in housekeeping thing - and fun!

I have voiles in one of my windows as it’s close to the pavement and I was sick of people looking in. I wouldn’t have film because it’s not easy to apply and a sh*t to remove.

It's easier and cheaper than installing curtains and shutters. They peel off over time and look poor though

Do they have a name Vandelle, they are just the thing I am looking for.

I don't mind what others do, but like the OP we just have our curtains open until it gets dark. People walk past but it doesn't bother us.

Sounds horrible, I'd never want to make the room darker for any reason

These are similar to mine. I didn't get them in Hillary's but they are the same apart from the colour and fabric. Mine are like the second pic down on the left. Hope that helps you.

https://www.hillarys.co.uk/blinds-range/top-down-bottom-up-blinds/

Thank you so much, they look just the job.

Lol we are those people and I actually don't care. I love looking out and seeing people walking by. It makes me feel less enclosed!

I have these https://www.blinds-2go.co.uk/?q=Top+down%2Fbottom+up&_its=eF4VjlEKwyAQRO-y3xWia9XkBj2FrFFBmhqwm_YjxLPX_s1jHsOc8CkRFjD3NcwknViVjEKjkoIcGZGdtqhtwKwM3ODNxGnobeMurcbZSrTYN6qxKz_5oz7r_q1-qMTcSji47BWWE-L-ojISjKqlnFpL7U_XGC2cHuOEniyq6wc90SwR#