What window dressing can I put on my patio door?

[BG2015]

I'm about to begin a major kitchen refurb. Wall being knocked down, new appliances, ceiling, lights, floor etc.

I have a South facing kitchen with a small window above the sink and a sliding patio door. I don't like the patio door and would really prefer French doors that open out onto the patio/garden but I don't have the money in the budget for that.

The room gets very sunny and the doors are in front of the kitchen table so someone always ends up sitting in the sunshine.

When we moved in there were 4 panels of voile as window dressing but they used to blow when the door was open which was a pain. I just don't know what to put up as a window dressing....one big heavy curtain tied back at the fixed end of the door that we can pull over? But then that will make the kitchen dark as we eat. I don't like those vertical blinds as they remind of care homes!

I'm stumped!

Vertical blinds really are the most appropriate solution, not sure where you get the 'care home' thing from.

Venetian blind, surely?

I'm with you on the vertical blind thing. Care homes and offices. Just wrong for a house.

Venetian blinds don't really work well on patio doors if you want to open them.

I've got verticals on the patio door in my kitchen, the fixed half is behind the kitchen table, looks fine IMO, and does the job of providing as much or as little shade as required.

We have no window coverings - instead we have an awning so no blowing curtains or office blinds - but the downside is that if it's too windy, it automatically retracts itself!

Why don't Venetian blinds work on French doors? You just pull them up surely?

Perfect fit blinds. They clip onto the door and you can therefore open the door even if they are down. Great invention!

I had voiles at my patio doors but I sewed curtain tape on them and put them on a track, so when door is open you can pull to the side.

One door slides behind the other. Blinds won't work on sliding patio doors.

I have vertical blinds in my classroom. I just don't like them, they remind me of care homes, offices, schools and hospitals.

Agree with perfect fit blinds, I got mine from Hilary's. Love them

Like this..

So perfect fit blinds allow for the sliding of one door over the other?

You put the track on the top of the recess.

I've got a very similar set up to you and have a roller blind. It's unobtrusive when it's up and looks a bit neater than vertical (which also scream office/care home/my Nana's House to me) when it's down. I did have to get it specially made due to the width of it but it's been up for two years and we have had no problems.

I think it would depend on the gap between the glass. They stick of from the frame a bit but not massively.

Plantation style shutters?

threefish - I really like those! just need to see how much room there would be when the shutters are pushed back as there is only. 66cm (just over 2ft) space when the door is open to get in and out. My shoulders are 60cm across so it's just wide enough for a person to walk through.

Would need to see how they would fold back.

I have exactly these doors and have a Roman Blind which was custom made. It's fitted in the recess above the door and is fantastic. The real.benefit is that you can choose any fabric you like: I chose Laura Ashley fabric to coordinate with the wallpaper ( but didn't get it made there as it's. ££££, got local company to do it for around £200. Together with the fabric it was about £400 in total which I feel is reasonable for a 2mx 2m blind). It's pale so doesn't darken the room but can take away sun shining in eyes of diners.

Here:

Roller blinds. We have sliding doors.

wildboys - that's amazing! I love it, definitely going to look into this option. Thanks everyone

Blindstogo make them this wide/ drop as my sis just ordered some - and cheaper than mine! I'd love French doors too but, same as you, no funds right now, so the blinds make me feel better about the sliding doors! Lol. Have fun choosing.