We have a large (~86?" x 60") window in our front room (the one we spend almost all our time in) and it’s in need of a new covering. We’ve had hanging vertical blinds but with a dog that feels the need to see every single thing that moves in front of our home, those have been effectively destroyed.
We want two things: some UV blocking (I am sensitive to the sunlight because of my lupus) and for the dog to not be able to see out. I’m not super worried about price as long as it lasts. I’m not particular about style either which is why I’m looking for suggestions.
The window is a tri panel with a very large middle section and two sides that swing outward. We never open it because we live on a dirt road and that dust kicks up and in constantly. Except for about an inch of trim, the window goes up to the ceiling but there is about 3 inches of wall space around the window before it hits the rest of the wall. We also have a chaise sectional couch that is flush with the window so we don’t necessarily want something hanging well below it.
S put something like this on his apartment bedroom window. Depends on how much blockage you want. The grommets and decorative rod are a popular and easy combo.
Are you more of a curtain or blinds/roller shades/roman blinds person???
Casual or more formal?
I actually like a nicer bamboo type roman roller shade - gives me the option to have fully up, partially down, all down. Lets some filtered light through.
I’m not much of an anything person. Most of our windows have no blinds but the ones that do are either horizontal or vertical and came with the house. I’ve honestly never had curtains in my life. We’ve always had the cheap plastic-y blinds.
Curtains look appealing but with such a big window, would it work? And like I said, I want to block pupper from being able to see outside most of the time.
We had a large window like that and chose a pleated blind…one…that covered the whole window. Ours had some coating on the window side that helped block heat, sun, drafts, and made the blind more opaque. However…it still did let in some light.
When it was down, it came right to the window sill level. When it was up, it was about 3 inches deep, and just blended in.
If you need something more “durable”, you might want to consider plantation blinds. They are sort of like old Venetian blinds, but are made of wood.
If your dog is determined to look out the window, it’s going to be hard to find anything he won’t damage by trying to push them aside or up. The only thing I can think of is plantations shutters.
We have a large window and a dog who likes to look outside too. We use something like the curtains in post #1. The grommets make them easy to move, and they’re lined so they keep out the light. They have 84" and 63" lengths, so you could use whichever you prefer. I think it takes me 2 sets to cover our window, but it’s larger than yours (~102" x ~60"). Sometimes I use a slightly darker shade for the outer panels than I use for the inner ones to provide contrast. If you’re not going to open the outer set, you can try 84" panels there and 63" in the center. The longer ones may be harder for the dog to damage if they’re tucked behind the couch.
Window treatments can be freakishly expensive so the panels with the grommets would be a decent choice. It is usually more expensive to get the drapes that close and open with a cord. You can buy multiple panels if your window is wide.
Another vote for plantation shutters-they are expensive, but they hold up and they can be ordered in any manner of opening or sections that you would like.
We have a panel shutter for our slider and the lower parts have separate louvers such that you can open them separately for the dogs. Our dog didn’t destroy them because she didn’t like bumping her nose on the shutters or louvers.
Well, sure drapes would be the easiest and least expensive route. The reason I suggested plantation shutters (an expensive option for sure) was because of romani’s OP:
Drapes aren’t going to keep the dog from looking out. But maybe if she gets some inexpensive drapes or drapes she can wash frequently, she won’t care if the dog can look out the window.
You might also consider blinds that cover the bottom without covering the top – in other words, they pull up, not down. That would keep the dog from looking out at the same time as your house does receive some daylight. We use them in out bathrooms. Provides privacy without blocking light.
Home Goods and TJ Maxx have a selection of curtains/drapes (what’s the difference actually?) with grommets at pretty affordable prices - the thick, secure grommets. You can get a pair for under $25- you might need a couple pair for your window size but for under $10 you can probably get a rod if you need it and 2-3 pairs of curtains/drapes. Not too much of an investment if you want to try that out. Obviously just don’t get something too sheer!
Have you considered adding a decorative film on the window to reduce UV plus the grommet drapes with curtain rod?
We researched the matter extensively and I think that’s a good solution and inexpensive as well. You can have removable films or films (static cling holds them in place) or films with adhesive.
How old is the glass in your windows? The reason we couldn’t use the films was our glass was too old and a cracking risk if we put the film on.
I’d also consider outdoor roll down shades that mount outside. That way puppy won’t be tempted to attack them.
Thank you all for the suggestions. I’ve never even heard of plantation windows.
We’ve had a sheet up over the window a few times when friends have stayed on the couch. Doggo won’t generally look out the window until she sees something so with the sheet up, she doesn’t bother. The window doesn’t interest her until there is someone out there.
I have a dog who went nuts when she saw something out the front window. I put a “frosted glass” window film just on the lower part of the window so light comes through but the dog’s view is obscured. Then I just added the type of blinds I wanted. The dog had damaged other blinds and curtains, but once she realized she could no longer see out, she left them alone.
