Hi,
We have a sliding door window in our kitchen that has verticle blinds. They are so dated and want to change it up, but not sure what to do. I don't like the idea of having any kind of textile on the windows. We use the door to access our patio, so it has to be adjustable and I don't have a lot of clearance to do a folding door.
Any suggestions?
I don't mean to be obtuse, but are there really any other options in the world besides blinds or textile?
It may help to focus on utility --what do you want the window treatments to do? Give privacy in the evening? Frame the glass attractively? Block streaming sun at certain times of day? One you determine exactly what you need it for, you may get a better idea of what should go there.
http://www.thomashicks.com/ you could put a decorative paper on it. A nice curtian that slides back on a stick like the vertical blinds looks nice. I know you said no textiles but they do look fancy. the above link is for a window covering that is applied directly to the window. i think its cute, fun and nice.
Ikea/Hunter Douglas, etc. all have panel blinds that you can pull to one side and they stack. They don't look anything like grandma's vertical blinds!!
I am looking at getting a new patio door where the blinds are built into the glass. Home Depot carries the Jeld Wen and Lowe's carries Pella. It's great because you don't have to ever clean the blinds and they don't get ruined.
You could either just put a pretty topper like a valance up there, or nothing at all!! If the window is pretty enough, you can get a way with that. Another thing is to put some type of curtain on the side of the door that doesn't slide. But I'm with you on the not covering up the windows thing. It is too neat to be able to look outside without any curtains hindering the view. We don't put much on our windows. At first I thought I might be a little freaked out, thinking someone might be looking in. But I'm over that now.
Not sure what your budget is but you could have a leaded glass or stained glass door put in to provide privacy without blocking the light.
We actually planted arborvitae at the edge of our patio which provides privacy from our next door neighbors. Our french doors are in a sun room which exits to the side back of our property. This option may not work as well if your door exits straight to the back yard.
Do you need to have the windows covered for privacy or shade or insulation in the winter? Or could you just do a valance or cornice board across the top? One thing you can do for free is go to a fabric store - a good one - and look through the pattern books to get ideas. They also often have a good window treatment department to give you ideas. The home improvement stores often have large window departments now too. There are a lot of options out there!
I got bamboo panels from Brylanhomes.com. Love them on my slider. You need a heavy duty rod as they're heavy, but they open up (slide) all the way so you can still have a good view. I also love that when I shut them, I can still pretty much see outside. They're just really cool looking and no one else I know has them.
