Bifold doors

[Triflingjelly]

Our builders start tomorrow installing bifold doors into a new kitchen extension which will become every day cooking, eating, sitting area for our family. We've had heavy rain all day and it seemed to get dark early. It's got me worried that all winter we'll have a wall of glass looking out at the night and being a mirror. Should I be worried? And has anyone put curtains or blinds up in winter? Thanks for any advice or reassurance you can give.

Think perhaps of the configuration of the room. Our kitchen / island runs the length of one side of the room and then on the other side, we have the dining table nearest the bifolds and a lounge-y bit towards the back of the room / middle of the house. When we sit down to watch TV in the evening, we're therefore quite far from the bifolds and there isn't a window in any of the neighbouring properties that overlooks us / can see that part of the house. Can you work the layout so you achieve the same sort of privacy?

So we don't have curtains or blinds. My personal view is that they just don't "go" with bifolds and completely spoil the minimal / simple look.

We have a similar open plan space with bifolds at the back. We added curtains and are so glad we did. They don't interfere with the view or light as they tuck back behind the wall. They allow privacy and keep the sun out when it's super bright. We decided against blinds because we thought they would block the light all of the time.

Thank you, Namechange and Hetty for replying. At one end of the bi-folds will be one end of our Island and opposite, one end of the dining table. The layout is now fixed with the kitchen supplier. Hetty, I'd love to see any pictures you may have.

We don't have any curtains or blinds but nobody can see into ours so that doesn't worry us.

What we do have is an awning outside that keeps the sun off them in summer without making it stuffy or dim inside.

We don't have blinds or curtains. I tend to agree that it ruins the look.
Our garden isn't overlooked so no one can see in unless the bungalow at the back looks over their fence 😂
It's lovely whatever the weather. In the sunshine, you'll have them open and the winter it's lovely feeling cosy inside.
Our lounge and snug are both separate so I can't comment on that

If you look at this website and scroll down to the pic called 'Unanchored informal Wave curtains hung on Distinction 28' you'll see something similar to what we have. www.pretavivre.com/design-ideas/bi-fold-doors-glazed-areas

The difference with ours is that we deliberately bought thin (but very nice!) curtains so they would take up less space.

Just realised the same title is on a few pics. The second one shows what the curtains look like when they're open.

You’d need an extremely big curtain to cover a bifold. It’s going to be an enormous bunch of fabric when it’s pulled back. We don’t have a curtain over our bifold and it’s fine.

We have bi folds with blinds integrated into the glass. Means you can have them up or down or down but open to let light in. Best decision ever..means no curtains, no dusty blinds, no cleaning etc

I have 3 sets of bifold doors across the back of our house.
We are not overlooked so i don't feel the need for blinds or curtains.
Think it would spoil the look.
try them without and if you don't like it you can add them later.

Hi we have a curtain and blackout curtains.

We are happy with this option as it gives warmer feel inside and as well protection from insects during summer and curtains keep room warmer during the winter.,

We are planning to add bifold doors and this concerns me too. We currently have a very large window which has Roman blinds which we use everyday in the Wintery months (basically once it is dark earlier). We're not overlooked, it just, as you say, is a large black space which also 'feels' cold. Not sure what to do with bi-folds, although I quite like the idea of a very thin "curtain" to provide something! I may wait until they are in to decide.

No curtains or blinds! They are not remotely stylish and would spoil it imo.

We have none and our big garden beyond is as black as pitch! We have 2 topiary box bushes at the top of our patio steps and they have fairy lights on - so it looks lovely from inside.

I think wait and you will see. We are defo happy with curtains especially in this cold months

We have ordered ours with intergrated blinds, you can have them up or down so we can have privacy at night and shade when its sunny!

I had exactly the same concerns when mine where fitted mid-winter a couple of years ago

Still have nothing on them and have no intention of doing so. Fitted spotlights above each panel outside and when pitch black it floods light onto the patio - looks lovely at night!