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Any ideas for a window treatment that I haven't already thought of and already rejected

(99 Posts)
M0nica Wed 27-Aug-25 18:07:16

We have just moved into an old, new home, it is right in the town centre - and like many town centre houses, it doesn't have any front garden.

Sometime in the 18th century the then owner decided to do up his rather old house by making it look modern with big beautiful sash windows, one each side of the front door.

The problem is the windows measure roughly 4 foot by 5 foot and these windows come with beautiful internal shutters, so I decided instead of having curtains at the front to use the shutters instead, but this makes it very difficult to find a way of stopping everyone walking past the house looking in the window and seeing us going about our daily lives.

Originally I planned to have a couple of model ships DH has, one on each window sill, but cannot do this if I use the shutters. Plantation shutters are out because they would stop me shutting the Georgian shutters, I have thought about net cutains, but I really, really really, hate net curtains. I have also considered obscured film stuck on the window panes, but feel that would make the windows look like office windows.

the only alternative I can think of is a roller blind made from a very fine butter muslin, actually attached to the top of the sliding sash window itself, which I could pull down or let up depending on the circumstances

But has anyone else any ideas about what I could do? Remember Georgian shutters that go from window sill to ceiling, so nothing on window cill and nothing on the window that would stop the shutters closing.

Dizzyribs Fri 29-Aug-25 17:26:01

A window box on the outside if the window is straight on to the street could be a hazard to pedestrians and wheelchair users.

NotSpaghetti Fri 29-Aug-25 17:50:19

What's it like from the outside looking in Squiffy - I put some on the windows of a refuge once.
Is it sort of metallic looking like some Melinex?

Squiffy Fri 29-Aug-25 18:34:35

I’ll take another photo and post it, NotSpaghetti.

Squiffy Fri 29-Aug-25 18:41:46

NotSpaghetti, this is from the outside looking in. There’s no shiny ‘mirror’ appearance, as with most privacy films. I was close up when I took the photo, you’d never realise that the film was there from further away.

Aldom Sat 30-Aug-25 03:44:54

Your window film is amazing Squiffy.

Squiffy Sat 30-Aug-25 09:00:00

We were thrilled with it, Aldom. We had nets before the film and the difference is incredible. It’s opened up the room, almost like removing a wall!

NotSpaghetti Sat 30-Aug-25 09:09:29

It does look very good.
Thank you.
Maybe you might like to share the make as lots of people could be interested in it?

Squiffy Sat 30-Aug-25 14:21:38

NotSpaghetti, I think the first page had the company details, but here it is again:

www.Smashgard.co.uk

This photo is inside looking out.

Oreo Sat 30-Aug-25 16:09:00

Dizzyribs

Thin harem screens that fit inside the shutters.

Beautiful!

Aldom Sat 30-Aug-25 16:15:15

Squiffy I'm moving house soon. My house to be has similar windows to yours. Although I'm not overlooked, I am now considering having the film fitted to the front windows. Maybe in my bedroom windows too as they are at the front.
Is the film easy to fit please?

Squiffy Sat 30-Aug-25 16:28:58

Aldom, We cheated and the company fitted the film! I think people do fit it themselves - it probably depends on how patient you are! I imagine that it’s quite fiddly to do it accurately.

Aldom Sat 30-Aug-25 16:54:46

Oh I'm relieved to hear that the company will also fit the film. My arthritic fingers ignore instructions from my brain, so it wouldn't be a good idea for me to try. grin

Squiffy Sat 30-Aug-25 18:18:00

My DH is a bit ‘challenged’ when it comes to diy and I’m not great up ladders, so it was the best option for us!

M0nica Sun 31-Aug-25 15:49:36

Thank you for all your suggestions. I am now reconsidering several I rejected and following up links.

It will be awhile before we get anything done, in the meantime I will live with the filthy, soon to be cleaned, venetian blinds the last owner left us.

PamelaJ1 Sun 31-Aug-25 16:04:45

One more idea,
Glass, my sister made the fused glass, my husband made the frame to fit on top of the glass.
Gives my mum privacy in the bathroom. There is some patterned glass behind the beach scene.

Aldom Sun 31-Aug-25 16:09:11

PamelaJI how beautiful.

PamelaJ1 Sun 31-Aug-25 16:19:23

It is beautiful, my DM is coming to live with us and as we are further away from the beach than she is so this is the nearest we can get!

Aldom Mon 01-Sept-25 15:54:42

That is very thoughtful. flowers

BenedictCharles Tue 07-Oct-25 11:03:22

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Dilemma Tue 07-Oct-25 11:13:44

You can buy stick on “stained glass” - easily cut to size and easy to remove.

M0nica Tue 07-Oct-25 11:52:29

I have ordered an oculus blind that the insider can look through but is opaque to anyone outside. I await its arrival.

If it lives up to it's promise I will order one for the other front window.

The real problem is the sheer size of ou windows 5ft x 4 ft (1.5m x 1.2m). I have been walking round town looking at other houses with windows directly on the road and have seen none anywhere as big as ours. Whoever installed them back in 1750 was obviously proud of how well off he was and wanted everyone to see just how well his house was furnished, or I suppose they could have functioned as shop windows.

Nandalot Tue 07-Oct-25 12:39:05

I know you said you don’t like privacy film, OP, but I love ours. We put it up because the dog would bark at any passerby she saw. I find it relaxing because my view is now just the trees outside. I think only putting it half way up makes it less like an office. It was very cheap from that famous online site so you could try it and if you hated it , it is not much lost

M0nica Tue 07-Oct-25 14:40:22

because of the height off the ground and size, we would need to put the film on the upper panes, not the lower, so it would look a bit odd.

The oculus blind we have ordered will be pulled down half way - and if it does what it says online will mean we still get the full view of the parish church and graveyard opposite us.