I'm replacing all my nets with venietian blinds - which ones shall I buy?

[SarahL2]

We live at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, there's nothing outside our house but a footpath and trees. It's really quiet except at school drop off and pick up time when we get a few Mum's with kids walking past. To be honest, if I weren't so used to them and occasionally embarassed about the state of my house - I'd probably not bother with having anything at all up at the windows...

But I do want something and I am sick to death of nets. They go grey too quick and I seem to be endlessly washing them in scary bluish chemicals and pressing them - I want to replace them all with veneitian blinds.

But which ones? There are wooden ones, metal ones, plastic ones... Which one's are best? Can anyone reccomend a particular company that do good quality ones?

I want to put blinds in the kitchen, the lounge, the hall, our bedroom and the bathroom (so I'm guessing wooden blinds wouldn't be ideal in the damper rooms?)

Also, our windows are all seemingly weird sizes so standard blinds would not fit. Would it be better to get them made-to-measure or are they reasonably easy to cut down to size?

Any help would be appreciated. Buying blinds for the whole house is probably going to be quite expensive and I want to make sure I don't buy anything that I'm going to regret...

Thank you

I'm not a big fan of venetian blinds. I like looking out of my windows and like a light room. Having said that, I see where you are coming from regarding the state of your house, so I have roller blinds which I pull down when my living room is too messy for public viewing!

I liked the thought of veneitians cause they can be down and still let light through - best of both worlds!!

Got a similar dilemma here but its my verticals that I would like to replace. (hate 'em -too officy). I do like roller blinds but they either have to be up or down. We need privacy but I dont like the idea of rollers being down during the day and having then up = no privacy. So I think venetians are the answer (even though they are a bugger to clean) as they can be angled but not shut. I quite like the ones where the top half can be angled independantly of the bottom half. Quite fancy wood ones but are they really made from wood?

I have a bamboo blind in the kitchen at the moment which is OK but I'd like to be able to make it a little less see-through sometimes - hence the veneitians...

I wondered whether wooden ones would warp in a steamy kitchen/bathroom.

bump

I have semi-transparent roller blinds. Similar effect to nets I suppose ( although I have never had nets.) You can't see in ( even at night) and they let the light through so you can have them down all day. They look quite nice from the outside too - I have had people knocking on the door asking where we got them!

Where did you get them barbarapym

Wooden ones are the most stylish. You can get them from Ikea or one of the on-line blind stores. Just google Blinds and discount or something similar. (Hilarys always come up, but they are v expensive).

My personal preference, if you want light and privacy, but don't need to actually look out of your window are the opaque window film such as from Brume. I don't have them now, but i used to have them when i lived in a Victorian terrace that was straight on the pavement - and they looked fab! Plus quite easy to put on yourself. Click here:Brume

See, I'd quite like to look out of my window though - lots of lovely trees out there

Would wooden ones be Ok in the kitchen and bathroom though? Wouldn't they warp?

Can I cut them to fit?

Don't whatever you do get plastic venetian blinds - as Bonnevilles says - they are HORRIBLE and fiddly and annoying to clean. We had them in my husband's bachelor flat (dark blue one's from Ikea) and I HATED them. They always bend out of shape too.

Someone I know has see-through linen-ish looking roller blinds that roll from the bottom up (if that makes sense) and she has two settings where they stop (half way up and right to the top). It doesn't look as wierd as it sounds and you can benefit from light coming in at the top during the day.

Another alternative: Ikea have some lovely and fairly reasonable small plants in taupe pots atm that are just made for the window sill. Three of them on each ledge would do the trick.

What about some etched film to put on the glass?

counting - the path outside our house is actually on a higher level than our house (by about 2 feet) so normal blinds would probably be more appropriate in our case.

mrsmaidamess - we've still not got double glazing in our house and in winter the glass can get quite wet with condensation. I put film on the landing window and it's gone really weird where the water has gotten behind it.

Still sold on the veneitians I think as I'd be able to angle them to stop people seeing in from the path but would still get a good view of the lovely trees...

well in that case I can see why Venetian's might be a good idea ...

you can cut them to fit by the way (Ikea ones definitely - not sure about other brands but likely)

they are awwwfffulll to clean though .. truly ... as fiddly and irritating as a jumble of wire hangers

I'd go for transparent roller blinds like barbarapym in kitchen and bathroom and these in day and night or white transparent freehanging everywhere else. They're not cheap but they are brilliant. If you have day and night you don't need curtains as well. The transparent freehanging on their own would be the same effect as nets only much, much nicer - you can't see in but you can see out and they let in loads of natural light. Plus you can easily pull them up and have the window completely clear if you want. I am obsessed with maximising natural daylight and IME venetians cut out way too much light even when they are open.

those look great SweetApril.

We bought wooden made to measure Venetian blinds online. The company sent wood samples so we could check colour and they look brill. Were 1/2 price too so not too expensive. Follow instructions for measuring carefully, most sites have comprehensive advice so you order the correct size.

Only prob is dusting the slats - doesn't look too obvious on our white ones but on the darker coloured ones the dust does show. Also if you pull them up you're left with a long trailing cord (dangerous with a baby) so we tend not to or get a thingy to wrap the spare cord around.

I just thought should let you know, I go to www.unbeatableblinds.co.uk god prices and fairly quick on the delivery front

We have perfect fit blinds - we have the Venetian ones in the bathroom and they are so much neater than the Venetian blinds I've had before - In my other rooms I have a different style but still Perfect Fit.

Cleaning them = awkward and time consuming.

I had them made to measure in my old house. Never again.

I have white wooden ones from Dunelm - they have been fine in my bathroom which is very small and gets very steamy. Probably about 4 years old now