Choosing curtains and blinds

Cathski · Feb 15, 2008 10:06 am

I've posted this in the Windows & Doors section, but maybe it's more appropriate here.

Our new place has various sized windows - floor to ceiling in the family room, and ceiling to about half way down the wall in the bedrooms.

What I'm wondering is - are certain window coverings more suited to certain style windows? E.g are curtains better for floor to ceiling windows and blinds better for small windows?

vanderlay · Feb 15, 2008 10:15 am

We have blinds all through the house. I dont think it really one is better than another, more what sort of look you want to achieve, and whether you want it to be consistant thoroughout the house. We like having the same style throughout, other might like to have different themes for different rooms....

Helyn · Feb 15, 2008 3:38 pm

Cathski, one thing I have found in my current house in which I have Holland blinds and netting curtains on sliding windows, is that the blinds rattle when down and the window is open. A pain when you want the window open at night to let in breeze but then have rattling noise when your trying to sleep.
I wouldn't want heavy drapes that need dry cleaning though.
In our new house we are planning to have outside roller shutters (but I know not everyone keen on them) to front windows (lounge and main bedroom) with netting curtains only on the inside and probably vertical blinds on the rest.
Do you have any sliding glass doors? Certain blinds would not work on them. We will have a double sliding door in family room, I think we will have vertical blinds on that, I like the way verticals can be partly or fully open and slats can be angled in open as well. But not great for privacy on their own, which is why we're not doing them on front windows.

Michelle · Feb 17, 2008 6:47 am

Cathski

I've posted this in the Windows & Doors section, but maybe it's more appropriate here.

Our new place has various sized windows - floor to ceiling in the family room, and ceiling to about half way down the wall in the bedrooms.

What I'm wondering is - are certain window coverings more suited to certain style windows? E.g are curtains better for floor to ceiling windows and blinds better for small windows?

This comes back to personal tastes, and what works best for you.

One dressing might be ok for someone, and that same dressing might be totally wrong for the next person.

Choose one that suits your lifestyle.

First_Timer_Ray · Feb 17, 2008 8:37 am

We are struggling with this at the moment...
I can usually visualise things well, but I can't for blinds...
We are tossing up between the whole house in double roller blinds, or a mixture of venitians/plantation shutters in the front, double rollers in the living, and single rollers in back bedrooms...
I think the hardest thing for us to decide is what to put on the 2 sliding doors in the family/dining. One is 2.9m wide, and the other is 2.45m wide, but I want one panel for the whole door on each. We also have the issue of 2 "highlight" windows in the same areas - one is 2.7m wide (only 0.5m high) and the other is 3m wide. Again, I would like one panel for each window... but it doesn't seem possible. But because all 4 difficult doors/windows are in the one area I think they all need the same thing on them?
Then yesterday we went to a local blind outlet and I asked about having plantation shutters/venitians, and was told that the blades aren't the same size, and won't be the same colour (how dumb is that?) so we would have to do all one or all the other. My original idea was to get the shutters put on the 2 little square windows above the bed in the master, but if they aren't going to match the venitians that we would try and match on the front facing window in the same room what's the point?
I am anti-verticals (just don't appeal) and I don't think drapes/curtains would suit the style of our house - which doesn't leave a lot of other choice!

It's all too difficult!

Ray.

rellie · Feb 17, 2008 8:48 am

First_Timer_Ray

Then yesterday we went to a local blind outlet and I asked about having plantation shutters/venitians, and was told that the blades aren't the same size, and won't be the same colour (how dumb is that?) so we would have to do all one or all the other. Ray.

Where did you go ? I only ask as we got plantation shutters through Home Outlet in Hoppers Crossing and the shutters come in a huge range of timber colours so you match them to just about anything, they also come in a range of blade sizes.........We matched our shutters to our bi-folds. Their romans are pretty disapppointing quality wise but we are really happy with the shutters.

Michelle · Feb 17, 2008 8:51 am

I don’t think you can go past a Panel Glide for the sliding doors of a home.

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First_Timer_Ray · Feb 17, 2008 9:19 am

rellie

Where did you go ? I only ask as we got plantation shutters through Home Outlet in Hoppers Crossing and the shutters come in a huge range of timber colours so you match them to just about anything, they also come in a range of blade sizes.........We matched our shutters to our bi-folds. Their romans are pretty disapppointing quality wise but we are really happy with the shutters.

Hit the nail on the head Rellie! This is where we were talking to the lady that told us you can't match the shutters to venetians as they are different sizes and colours. She was less than helpful, but I asked her to quote the double roller blinds for the house - but after hearing they aren't so good, I think we will look elsewhere.

Ray.

sneakersss · Feb 17, 2008 9:39 am

First_Timer_Ray

Hit the nail on the head Rellie! This is where we were talking to the lady that told us you can't match the shutters to venetians as they are different sizes and colours.

Are they talking about matching timber shutters to timber venetians?

First_Timer_Ray · Feb 17, 2008 10:02 am

Yeah, but apparently that is impossible for them to do... I know they can elsewhere though.
Maybe they went to school with my sister's site supervisor... she has 2 different coloured exposed timber beams above her garage door - his response "no 2 trees are the same"... :roll:

Ray.

DeeElle · Feb 17, 2008 10:55 am

Michelle

I don’t think you can go past a Panel Glide for the sliding doors of a home.

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I think you are spot on Mish. One of the things I really dislike is shopping for curtains (too many choices) .

We are only putting curtains on the front rooms of the house and have decided on roller blinds for the upstairs bedroom, and panel glides for the main bedroom and upstairs family room (sliding door). We will use the same fabric and hopefully using both wont look too out of place.

I'd get shutters but they are too expensive for my budget

.

Yak_Chat · Feb 17, 2008 11:09 am

Helyn, be careful with the verticals.
I have those in some rooms at my place and you can't leave the doors or windows open with the verticals in place, as the breeze will smack the heavy weights on the bottom against the screen door - guess what happens next - yep - it punches out the screen wire or goes straight through it.

They also do not stop much heat gain or heat loss if on an external window.

I'm planning on replacing all of my verticals - I hate them - except for the ability to leave them angled for light and privacy in winter is good.
Even when they are drawn back, the breeze smacks them around and they crash and bang all the time.
I'm going for pelmets and heavy curtains when I get to that stage.
Plus an external blind of some sort to stop the western sun in my upstairs section. But not the roller shutters - I'm one of those who does not like them :roll:

and re curtains I've heard the Harris Scarrfe is the best place to get them :wink:

But I haven't been and looked yet.
Steve

rellie · Feb 17, 2008 12:22 pm

First_Timer_Ray

rellie

Where did you go ? I only ask as we got plantation shutters through Home Outlet in Hoppers Crossing and the shutters come in a huge range of timber colours so you match them to just about anything, they also come in a range of blade sizes.........We matched our shutters to our bi-folds. Their romans are pretty disapppointing quality wise but we are really happy with the shutters.

Hit the nail on the head Rellie! This is where we were talking to the lady that told us you can't match the shutters to venetians as they are different sizes and colours. She was less than helpful, but I asked her to quote the double roller blinds for the house - but after hearing they aren't so good, I think we will look elsewhere.

Ray.

I was disappointed in the quality of their roller blinds as well

We got some romans from iseek blinds and I hung them myself :shock:

The price was good, great choice of fabrics and they were really easy to hang !!! I am just about to order some roller blinds from them as well, their 'view screen' fabric is much nicer then HO. Plus HO service was pretty bad......

Michelle · Feb 17, 2008 12:55 pm

That’s the one GOOD thing about verticals….you can open them to let light in, but keep them angled enough to keep the sun out. For this I think they are great!

I’ve seen some pretty fancy verticals, in fabrics to die for, but they are top of the line.

Not sure the new verticals have those heavy weights in them any more Steve. They just flap around! :lol:

I hate window dressing!!! It’s the one thing I have to do, that I grit my teeth over! :evil:

First_Timer_Ray · Feb 17, 2008 2:35 pm

rellie

First_Timer_Ray

rellie

Where did you go ? I only ask as we got plantation shutters through Home Outlet in Hoppers Crossing and the shutters come in a huge range of timber colours so you match them to just about anything, they also come in a range of blade sizes.........We matched our shutters to our bi-folds. Their romans are pretty disapppointing quality wise but we are really happy with the shutters.

Hit the nail on the head Rellie! This is where we were talking to the lady that told us you can't match the shutters to venetians as they are different sizes and colours. She was less than helpful, but I asked her to quote the double roller blinds for the house - but after hearing they aren't so good, I think we will look elsewhere.

Ray.

I was disappointed in the quality of their roller blinds as well

We got some romans from iseek blinds and I hung them myself :shock:

The price was good, great choice of fabrics and they were really easy to hang !!! I am just about to order some roller blinds from them as well, their 'view screen' fabric is much nicer then HO. Plus HO service was pretty bad......

Thanks Rellie. I got iseekblinds to send me some samples a few months ago, so I might have to re-check them. Their prices were good too. I liked that they had 2 different weights of the sunscreen blinds - one very close and the other more open weave.
I also want to go to Willi to check out the Luxaflex showroom for their double rollers and venitians/shutters.
The quote we got from Victory was about our budget limit but it didn't include any window coverings to the 4 difficult doors/windows mentioned above - which are likely to be the most expensive parts! At least they would match the shutters and venitians...

Ray.

First_Timer_Ray · Feb 17, 2008 3:04 pm

Holy Cow! I just got the quote from Home Outlet... $6060! I think iseekblinds were about 1/2 that for the same configuration! They definitely won't be seeing me again!

Ray.

sneakersss · Feb 17, 2008 3:35 pm

First_Timer_Ray

Holy Cow! I just got the quote from Home Outlet... $6060! I think iseekblinds were about 1/2 that for the same configuration! They definitely won't be seeing me again!

Ray.

This is double rollers for the whole house?

Helyn · Feb 17, 2008 4:58 pm

I'm not keen on panel glides as I think they look big and bulky (sorry, Michelle, I guess you can't please everyone), I prefer the slim line look of vertical blinds and the flexibility with having them degrees of open.
We currently have vertical blinds on our lounge window, 2m wide and find that if we open them past the window opening they do not flap in the breeze. We also have a netting curtain with them.
I have not had them on sliding doors before as I don't have any sliding doors in my current 1950's built house. I don't want heavy drapes on my sliding doors, also being in the same open space as kit and meals windows, they would all have to be the same and defintetly not suitable for a kit window. The screen doors on sliding glass door are DVA mesh, surely verticals blowing in breeze couldn't knock through that? Do you mean the screen damaged the blinds or the blinds damaged the screens?? Anyway the rattling in wind is the exact problem I currently have with my holland blinds.
I like roller shutters but wouldn't work on a sliding door and can't afford to do whole house in them, only the 2 front windows.

I agree, its all too hard.
Cathski, we have given you more questions than answers! :lol:

Yak_Chat · Feb 18, 2008 11:46 am

Quote:

Do you mean the screen damaged the blinds or the blinds damaged the screens??

Blinds bashed through the screens - but they are just fly wire as the sliding doors open onto a verandah that is a good 10 metres off the ground.
I don't have security mesh - if they want to climb that far up - they deserve to get in - Nothing worth taking anyway

And re verticals in front of sliders, make sure you get centrally seperating ones if you go for them.

They are also very poor performers at stopping hot and cold air movement.
Steve

Helyn · Feb 18, 2008 8:34 pm

I take your point about hot/ cold insulation or otherwise of verticals.
Our house is only single story so no climbing up to get in, DVA mesh is partly for security and partly for longetivity, can't tear like flywire with pets etc.
Our sliding doors are double ones meeting in the middle so we will have to go for centrally separating blinds anyway.
That's if we go for blinds at all, still not entirely made up my mind.
Something to ponder in next 6 months or so whilst house being built :wink: