Alternatives to nets/voiles

[CheckMate2021]

After some suggestions really.
Other than the usual voiles for windows or nets, what else would work? I don’t want blinds, because it would annoy me if I couldn’t open them (or only open slightly).

Both windows are at front of house, so would like something offering quite a bit of privacy.
Thank you

Thank you all for the replies.

I didn’t mean to sound as though I hated voiles, I have some very pretty ones (they’re just plain 😂) for one of the bedrooms (the one in direct view).

However, few times I’ve mentioned I’m going to get some for the other rooms, I’m met with sheer horror (mostly my SILs )

Thank you for all the suggestions, going to have a good look at the suggestions made!

We've got window film in a beautiful design in the bottom half of our bathroom window. It's a very intricate pattern and looks like expensive glass.

Ooh that sounds nice @Beecham - do you have a link?

My mum is horrified tha I don't have any net curtains!

Another vote for voile blinds here. Mine are roller blinds so you can roll them all the way up. I really like the look of them - they're much less fussy than flowery nets or some of the films you can get.

I also used to live in a flat with plantation style shutter blinds which were lovely. You could open or shut the slats, or fold the whole lot back. They are pricey, but you get them custom made and they look beautiful.

Vertical blinds always remind me of offices/dentists' waiting rooms. (Maybe just me, though).

And can it do this?

I don't like film because you can't look out through it. I have shutters now and will use them next house too.

I have a few of these stained glass fire screens at my windows that are onto the road. They let in light, give privacy, look beautiful, and they can be wiped down, rather than have to wash voiles.

@Giggorata

I have a few of these stained glass fire screens at my windows that are onto the road. They let in light, give privacy, look beautiful, and they can be wiped down, rather than have to wash voiles.

These are lovely

Where did you buy them please?

window film is great. It's easy to do yourself, there's a range of thicknesses/opacity levels and there's even reflective and coloured ones, if you shop around. It's worth paying for a decent quality one, most of them are standard sizes so fit most average windows without much cutting, and they last for decades. You can wipe them down, too, when you clean your windows, they don't tarnish.

Stick them on with a water spray bottle and a window cleaning rubber edged squeegie (the kind that gets suds off your car windshield).

I have picked them up at auctions, car boots and on eBay.

@121hugsneeded

Oooh liked the idea of the magic blinds for our bathroom... until I read that at night the magic is reversed!!! Bath night might be a popular event with the neighbours!

Magic blinds are great, to get over this problem with the night time we’ve bought a day and night double roller blind for one of our rooms. See description/pic. It works well.

My parents had white day night blinds already fitted when they moved into their new house. They are great, look really modern, do not stop you looking out and can be drawn to completely private really quickly and easily.

We are now having some made for our front window too.

Something like this

www.247blinds.co.uk/origin-white-day-night-blind?gclid=Cj0KCQiA7YyCBhD_ARIsALkj54pvBTlzuwhE-LpBpGz6XlgXGaWB72ZiqNNoNlZ3RvQdhQccGXDg2isaAnp-EALw_wcB

Another vote for day night /zebra blinds.
Our kitchen is at front of house, we have them up (leaving 2 stripes visible) during the day, down but "ajar" in the evening for some privacy. Down and closed for complete privacy.
Some are still translucent when closed so get samples.
I got mine from Blinds2go. They sent me half a dozen samples so you can decide on the balance of privacy looking in v View looking out.

One caveat. Don't bother with the blackout options for a bedroom. They block too much light when down and ajar, and nowhere near enough when down and closed.

Thanks bumpgrowing!

We have window film on the bottom half of a sash. Front of house, living room. It's fine. We hardly ever drop the Roman Blind because it gives us all the privacy we need. Got it on with a hairdryer.

Front room is plain film but we also have a film on our bathroom with tiny star cutout. There are lots of options.

Thank you so much for all the suggestions, i didn’t know about day and night blinds (I’ve realised there’s so much I don’t know 😂)

We had semi-opaque bottom up blinds in an old house, which were great as they’re really unobtrusive when pushed all the way down, but provide good coverage and privacy when you need it.

TBF in the days b4 window film when I had a ground floor flat with 12 ft picture windows in 3 rooms, I had some very plain sheer cotton voiles made in pale cream with lead at the bottom to make them hang beautifully. It was 40 years ago but they looked very chic and simple - not at all like nets. They were expensive though - about £250 even then .

In my next house which was Victorian and had Bays at the front top and bottom I hammed it up and had lace panels made and they too looked nice and went well with the chintz and swags of the late 80s .

When we moved again I had plantation shutters made for the square bays at the ground and top. Huge windows and I barely dare recall the price but they were of their time and place and wiped down easily. By then of course the film coated windows were taking off and they looked very nice indeed.

This house is Arts and Crafts with leaded light windows and set well back from the road so nothing is required.

@Dontfuckingsaycheese

Sure, this is what we have. Bottom half of window only so still get lots of light.

purlfrost heritage film

I’ve a question fir those with shutters as I’m thinking about getting them ... what happens in the summer when we have those occasional boiling nights. Windows open, obv, but surely the air can’t circulate as well through shutters as curtains? And if they’re left open slightly then there’s the privacy issue and being woken by daylight at 5am.

I have french shutters all over my house
They are lovely cost about 2k last August but it’s made such a difference to the look of my house

I have recently bought more window film for the windows and I was £9.99 from eBay for them. I find it still lets in light but is so much more private than shutters and other blinds I have. Spray your window with water mixed with a drop of washing up liquid and put it on your window.