I too barely have any window coverings. I prefer flooded with natural light, even if I live in a fishbowl. I only have sheers in master bedroom, and a roman shade in office because the early morning sun blasts into the room right in my eyes (I admit that those are always dropped down because I am too lazy to open them and close them).
I grew up with no window coverings because my Mom refused to cover the huge views from our home and there were no privacy issues. As a teenager I used to get all upset because, of course, I wanted to sleep in all day and the light was coming into my room!!!
I too hate window treatments. The less stuff I have on the windows, the better. Had to get drapes for the bedrooms though. The windows are too darn big for Roman shades, and the cats are not compatible with any cords or anything that can be pulled down.
Regarding Lowell house in Marilyn’s post above. That house is located right next door to the strangest house ever built, that weird thing on the corner of Plum St and Lowell. It blocks any chance at a view from the Lowell house and towers above, it blocking all sunlight from that direction. One whole side of the house would look out at wall and darkness.
I know! But IMO they don’t work well for windows over 8-10 feet wide. Which is what those windows are. And a pull thingy on the back would mean me climbing on the chair to reach it because the darn windows are too high, too. Fishbowl it is.
^ good point. My inlaws needed those in their townhouse which had cathedral ceiling in living room with floor to ceiling windows. They were expensive though. Just two windows cost around $5k iirc.
And that is the reason I decided against those. Plantation shutters are not that great on a slider deck window in a Craftsman style house. So drapes in MB were a compromise. But no drapes anywhere else!
I see new construction here in my neck of the woods built like that Lowell house CB described. Two houses on neighboring penny-sized lots with pretty much windowless walls facing each other. Ugh. Mr. B call that city living prison style.
A lot of new construction only have windows on the front and back (at least in the northeast.) Another reason I wouid never by new construction. Iirc, according to my contractor it’s because of energy saving related regulation issues. More insulation is required the more windows you have - so it’s much cheaper for builders to put in fewer windows.
How did the house at Lowell and Plum get approved by the city? Not only does it block the view of the adjacent houses but it towers over the the little ranch across the street. It also looks like they built up the height of lot before they started building the house.
It would be so depressing to have that happen in your own neighborhood.
Valances only in LR and DR here. No Curtains in master bedroom or upstairs bathrooms…or kitchen or family room, or breakfast room. Kids bedrooms have curtains…very simple plain tab curtains.
I prefer no window treatments…and really…the only things that can peek in our windows are birds.
We have café curtains for bedrooms and kitchen plus pleated drapes in the living room and dining room. The drapes help keep the house cooler, otherwise I’d be happy with none. Folks don’t generally look into our house and our back patio faces a nice hedge in the backyard. No one goes in our backyard, so we have a lot of privacy. I’m not fond of dust-collecting fabric, since we’re all allergic to dust and dust mites in this household.
The strange house on corner of Plum and Lowell meets building requirements but has been a neighborhood battle for years. Mostly because it was abandoned half finished for years. A new owner bought it and finished construction. 30’ height is allowed and no one can do anything about it. It creates a domino effect up and down the street. Same thing happened next door at my last project. Had to go up to get above next door new construction
I too belong to the “no window coverings” club. We do have blinds in the bedrooms because it is necessary.
I am in the ninth week of a total remodel at our house. We were encouraged by the designer and contractor to live through it and save the money for the design. It is definitely not easy. Since we are pretty much doing everything except the spare bathroom (which we are saving for “phase II”) there really isn’t anywhere to retreat to. Luckily we had a 10 day vacation to break it up and my mom lives around the corner so we are able to hang out there when it gets bad.
Me, too, in the no blinds club. When the neighbors seriously and severely mowed down the previously huge landscaping, we got a blind for the bathroom window, as a courtesy to the neighborhood Otherwise, we are free of window coverings.
I bought privacy window film for the powder bath so the guests would not be shocked… but frankly, only squirrels and birds can see what is going inside.
The house next door to where I live got razed and is currently rebuilding. I’m pretty sure they are going up 2 stories. Sure hope they don’t put any windows along my side of their 2nd story because I have a huge picture window along the top of our master bath (above head height) I cannot even figure out how I am going to cover it up because I love the natural light flooding the bathroom and it’s inside a very large shower so fabric is not going to work.
Maybe we will surprise them and then make them come up with a solution over at their house since they are the interlopers (well, in my mind they are)
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