Blinds or curtains for privacy (neighbour issue!)

[HereForFootie]

In our main living area, we are looking for something for our main window. What is the best solution for privacy? We want to see out but not neighbours see in.

I work in the trade OP and we've sold a lot of wood slat venetian blinds recently, with the tapes so they look a bit more attractive from the outside. You can angle them to let light in but they keep your privacy. Otherwise you can go for "twist" type fabric blinds which will obscure the view in; or roller blinds with a light filtering fabric rather than blackout. Or voile/sheer curtains - but these do tend to block a fair bit of light out in comparison to blinds.

We opted for window film for privacy, creates a one way effect we can see out but neighbours can’t see in. It’s also thermally effective- reflects sun in summer and helps keep the house warmer in winter. It doesn’t work when the lights are on, so we do have curtains for evenings but really like the extra privacy without losing the view.

We have the day/night roller blind, the fabric has stripes featuring a line that you can see through and a solid line. To close you pull the string slightly to create a full screen of “solid”, or you have so the strip is exposed to let in light and you can see out, but from outside it prevents a clear view in giving privacy. Or you can roll it up like a normal roller blind.
we got ours from a local blind company years ago, but lots of places do them now including dunelm ;
https://www.dunelm.com/product/day-and-night-daylight-roller-blind-1000164525

Window film is great for this but it does still leave you feeling exposed
other option is Venetian blinds
or both

Magic blinds from Blinds to Go or similar, light filtering so you can see out but they block people seeing in - except at night time or if you have lights on when people can definitely see in but by then you will have closed the main curtains or blinds presumably. Also keep sunlight out your eyes when watching tv

Plantation shutters are fantastic. Expensive but worth it and last forever.

We just have voile. Ikea has lovely natural fibre ones

Day and night blinds. Adjustable to let in more or less light, can be raised if you want to and much easier to keep clean. A double layer of fabric means you can get in between the two with the nozzle on the vacuum cleaner.

Venetian blinds do the job, but I’d never have them again, after spending so much time cleaning them in our last house.

Thank you. What do you mean by the twist type blinds?

They sound interesting. Are they washable, or how do you keep them clean?

Thank you. I'll have a look.

It that the film that looks like mirror from the outside?

Yes looks like a mirror from the outside. Can DIY or we got a company in to fit it

We had some light filtering glass fitted in some of our DG units. It is very slightly darkened. You cannot see in unless you are up against the glass but it doesn't cut out the light noticeably. It also stops furnishings/carpet fading.

You can vacuum day and night blinds, on the outside and between the layers.

Why do you want to make more housework?

It’s much less housework than cleaning the slats on Venetian blinds, which is tedious and time consuming. Takes minutes to vacuum blinds.

Another for plantation shutters, I'm straight on the pavement terrace but you can angle them so many different ways to stop the sun or stop people looking in but still have light and privacy 👌