Anyone got a floor to ceiling window in their loft bedroom? Need advice!

[Falcon1]

We’re mid loft extension. We need to make a decision about curtain track which the builder will build recessed into the ceiling. We’re not sure whether or not we will need two curtains - one sheer one for privacy and a normal one with blackout lining.

Two curtains will encroach into the room more which is already quite tight between the window and where the end of the bed will be. But I really don’t have a sense of how much neighbours will be able to look in. We have houses opposite but far away - pretty sure they won’t able to see anything. But I guess if our next door neighbours are in their gardens and look up they might be able to. We’re also south facing so might need to keep out the glare of the sun occasionally?

for those with this kind of window - do you think some of privacy curtain is needed?

Thanks and sorry for the dull question!

You could get some of that privacy film stuff that you stick on windows? It works well in our kitchen, which overlooks a public footpath.

This sort of thing...

The bigger the window, the more careful you have to be about applying it (easing out bubbles etc) but it worked well for us.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JCBGQR4?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

Thanks @Beachtastic. I actually want an unobstructed view of the garden at times though so wouldn’t want something that fixed

OK! It doesn't obstruct your view, looking from inside out. It just stops people being able to see inn (creates a sort of mirror effect on the outside).

perfect fit blind? Attaches to window frame and can be used as a regular blind but can also be pushed up (or down). They are not cheap but could be what you’re after.

Oh! I’ve never heard of such a thing! Do you know of it’s any good?

If you’re fitting such a large window and are worried about neighbours, two tracks are your only decent option. I’d look at something like Silent Gliss, get it them both recessed. Neither have to encroach too much if you’re careful. You hang a sheer voile on the inner curtain and then something more substantial on the outer - depending on warmth/looks etc. Think about the stack back - I’d hang a single voile for privacy and then a pair of slightly heavier weight curtains for your traditional drapes. Hth

I have floor to ceiling windows on my bedroom. We have perfect fit blinds. One goes up from the bottom, the other down from the top. They meeting the middle (our window is divided on the middle horizontally).

We can pull the bottom one up for privacy but keep the top open for light. or completely open to get the full view. Then they are almost completely invisible.

They are blackout too and block 99.9% of light out but they are midnight blue to look at so go with the decor.

One of the best things we’ve bought.

I've got the privacy film

I have shutters with a built in blackout blind

@Poonu What do you think of it - would you recommend?

@BitOutOfPractice would you mind sharing a photo of what you mean? We hadn't really considered blinds as I didn't think they'd work for such a large window, but maybe I'm wrong.

@MedusasHead Yes that is what the builder has recommended. It's just that every cm counts. We'll have about 85-90cm of clearance between window and bed. A double set of curtains we reckon will lose us about 15cm. I prefer the look of curtains and linen ones will go with the look of the room, but I don't want to feel squashed walking around the bed.

We have perfect fit blinds too, in dark blue. I hate curtains with a passion and like being able to raise the blinds fully to maximise the light during the day. I would prefer to have nothing at all but DH gets grumpy if it’s not dark enough to sleep in. Ours just come down from the top although our windows are four separate windows (well, two windows and two doors that open out onto our terrace) so we have four separate blinds. Highly recommend.

@Falcon1 I’ll take a picture when I get home tomorrow. Currently away on business.

Thank you @mynameiscalypso!

We have them , they're brilliant!

@Falcon1 , my master bedroom faces onto a garden, the towpath and then a medium width stretch of the Thames, across the river facing us are houses, we can’t see into their bedrooms. We have a full width (5.5m) patio door leading to a 2m depth balcony. Our bed is about 2m from the patio door and when I’m in the garden I can’t see it, this room is on the first floor. The only time I feel a bit exposed is if I’m getting dressed when I sometimes pull the curtains across part of the patio doors. Really I don’t think the bedroom is very visible at all and yours is on a higher level.
I would hate to have nets, one of my great joys is sitting in bed in the morning, drinking coffee, reading the news with my curtains pulled back watching the swans, rowers and boats go by. I hope that helps.

Next door built a goldfish bowl. Floor to ceiling glass the whole width of the house. They blinds are always closed. They didn't think it through!

Three suggestion above for perfect fit blinds that close from the bottom-up sound like a great idea. More pricey but even better would be those blinds that are inside the glazing unit. I would worry about them breaking though.

Like nets, I think the privacy film will work during the day when it is light outside, but not at night when your room is lit.

A house near me has full-height windows facing the road, and they have something like cafe curtains at half height that are sometimes open and sometimes closed.

We have floor to ceiling windows in our loft.

Firstly - I recommend getting privacy film. You won't regret it especially when its a glorious day and you just want to have the light coming in, windows open etc.

We have a 2 track system that are completely blackout- it's not recessed into the ceiling, just covered by a discrete plinth at the top (can't remember what its actually called). If we knew more about what we wanted at the time, we would have opted for recessed, but we were close to decision fatigue by the end of the project.

If I was doing it again, I would have gone Electric. First world problems eh.?

There’s an account on Instagram/FB “Roos home” and she has a similar type of bedroom window layout to the one you described. She’s fitted electric perfect fit blinds which when raised give a completely unobstructed view of the country side but are blackout when down. The link below if you go to about 1:10 you’ll see the window and I’m sure if your search through her reels you’ll find a video of them in action

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1cNtXec8LQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Thank you everyone, this is all really helpful! @Icanthinkformyselfthanks are you South-facing by any chance? I'm wondering if the glare from the sun might mean we really need some sheer curtains or blinds

Our neighbours have floor to ceiling and bifold doors. Unfortunately they have to take their curtains off the track to open the doors - poor design. They have to have their curtains shut all the time for privacy reasons.

@Falcon1 , the window faces south west so the sun does come from that direction and we can get glare from the river. Our lounge and dining areas which are directly underneath can become uncomfortably hot on a sunny day, we had awnings fitted. The balcony off our bedroom is lovely for this reason in spring and autumn but in summer we can sit out there in the morning and from early evening otherwise it can be unbearable.

We had normal curtains, no chance of people seeing in from gardens to the side due to the angle but could see in from a distance from the back. If I were to re-do, I’d make the bottom half obscured and the top half unobscured. You could use sheer curtains instead but I think that can look a bit naff and they get dirty.

I would recommend the privacy film.
Downstairs we have the shutters in built into the bifold door window.

@WillowskyblueThat’s the mistake we made in our last house. Very annoying! We’ve got for windows that have two side panels that open normally to avoid this issue.

i’m currently thinking we just got for normal curtains but get privacy film if needed. Although I’ve also heard that solar control glass can have a privacy effect. Might be worth exploring (two birds, one stone potentially?)