That is the way I live!! I have cafe type curtains in my bedroom with scarf valances. I never open or shut them. IF someone were close enough to the house to see in, I am covered. The main living spaces came with UGLY, plain, white verticals,yuck yuck yuck; but they are there, they are free so I leave them stacked and wide open all the time. DH made me wood valances and I hung stationary panels over the stacked verticals. About four times a year we close them to keep the heat in OR to lighten the room at night due to the huge black hole the widow is at night, if we have a party. Our view is never obstructed and we get every ounce of light we can in. I do like the cozy feeling and color the drapery panels added to the room. So I guess the answer is yes I like a window dressed even though I do not NEED the privacy.

For the first 10 years we had no WT in the public rooms and only sheers in the bedrooms and bathrooms. It felt fine as we live on a large acreage in the middle of nowhere. However one day some guy went for a long walk and walked right past our house (which is a long way off the private road we live on). My DH asked him what he was doing and he said he 'though it was public land'. Yeah right, and how many fences did you have to cross to get here? After that I felt I was living in a goldfish bowl so now have curtains/blinds/drapes on every window.

You might try having no WT's but it may take awhile to become comfortable with it. When we first moved to this area and were in another house (also on an acreage) it felt very strange to me to see those 'large black holes' at night. However I got used to it and I was fine with it until the 'wanderer' arrived.

I live in the country and our neighbor is a half mile away. But I'd still choose to have Plantation Shutters like I do now.

First, they help keep the heat and cold out of the house, even with the best of windows.

Secondly, there are times I love to close them to make it dark in the daytime so I can get a cozy feeling, like on a hot summer day, and cold winter days with a fire going.

I like the clean, open look, but really it just depends on the style of your room, windows, house, etc.

My kitchen and dining room face the back yard. I have a huge kitchen window and 8ft patio doors with no treatment. I love it. Our nearly 8 ft tall fence and northern exposure take care of sun and privacy issues. The rest of our windows have plantation shutters for light and / or privacy control.

It depends on the window, the draft, how the light shines through and/or the view outside. :) I think some windows look best without anything. We needed privacy on our front windows, so we put plantation shutters. If we didn't need privacy, I would have left them bare.

I'm a full length drape person. I never close them...just like the finishing touch they provide.

We have few Wt's except in the bathroom and a room or two where I want the decorative look. Most of our windows are bare, including the main bedroom.

I have no window treatments in our bathrooms. LOVE the light that comes pouring in...and I don't have to worry about mold/mildew issues. Baths are at the back of the house...with ten acres of woods behind it, so privacy is a non-issue. I DO have window treatments in the bedrooms...but that is for light-control.

I have struggled with WT's in this house since the day we bought it! Over the summer I finally realized that if privacy were not an issue (which it is) I would not have any kind of WT's.... period. I just love the sunlight.... what can I say?!?!?! LOL

We have no WT in any rooms except the bedrooms, unless you count duette blinds that are always pulled up and plain wood cornices at the top the windows. I think it helps blur the line between inside and outside.

Never, sun goes down, windows get closed up, not living in a glass house..no way!!!

I did not have WT for several years because I could not figure out what I wanted and could not afford try-outs because I have a total of 63 windows!

Anyway, the short end of the story is that WT add warmth, color and interest to my home. When I take them down, I feel the house is cold and naked. Most of my WT are decorative and do not block the light so I don't have an issue with them. Just my 2cents.

I don't like the black hole look at night. I also really like fabric so I always have them.

I like them for decorative purposes, but rarely close them on the main floor of the house. We live in a suburban neighborhood and I know there are plenty of people who can see in, but it doesn't bother me. If I ever saw a face on the other side of the window, now that would freak me out, LOL. We do open and close them in the bedroom, though.

Privacy is not an issue for us (300' driveway, 4 acres, house surrounded by woods). Well, I did have to put a cafe curtain up in the laundry room when I was almost caught topless by the oil guy (oil fill is right outside the laundry room, I was getting dressed).

We have no other window treatments up. I have bought a few, but never hung them. West sun is a little bright in some rooms. I plan to add blinds in my office because being in there when it is dark is a little creepy (I face the big, black windows). I plan to add window treatments when they are needed for strategic reasons. We've been here 5 years, so it obviously isn't a priority!

I have a valance on the front bow 120" window that faces the street in our residential neighborhood, but nothing else, so that is open. The double window in the dining area, now computer/music room, faces the neighbor on their garage side, so no closed treatments there, just a panel on each side for decoration.

The window over the kitchen sink has a valance, faces the neighbor on the other side, but they keep their blinds closed all the time.

Downstairs we have vertical blinds in the family room for the double windows and slider, they are closed most of the time but I am never down there. It is more to keep out the cold.

The bathroom has nothing upstairs; downstairs bath doesn't have a window. The DS bedrooms have cellular shades which they keep raised a good share of the time. Our bedroom has wood blinds, which I prefer to have open but DH insists on closing at night.

I hate living in a closed-in house, so covered windows are not my thing. I grew up in homes with sheers on every window in addition to heavy formal drapery, and it felt SO claustrophobic. What is the point of having windows if you are going to have them covered up?

We live on a corner lot and almost all of our main rooms face a street/sidewalk. I have some type of sheers on all windows. I like that they give some privacy but still let the light in. I also dislike the "black hole" at night.

If privacy were no issue I'd definitely still have window treatments! Had custom panels, cornices and sheers made for the living room. They bring a polished, finished feel to the room. The cornices actually create architectural detail where there is none. The panels and sheers create a cocoon like, cozy effect that only fabric can. In the den I have three pair of panels from Country Curtains. Again, they add so much! They provide the space with warmth, coziness, texture and pattern.

We have no window treatments in our room addition and there are 6 windows in there. The 4 along the back wall face the lake and the back of our one acre wooded property. People across the lake could see in during the winter while the trees are bare if they had a telescope I suppose. The two windows on the side face our neighbor's garage and deck and they might be able to see in, but we are never 'naked' in there so it doesn't bother me. I would hang something on those windows if we had a creepy neighbor, but I like the openness and the view.

Very few of my windows have WT. We use blinds in the bedrooms for light control and blinds in the bathrooms for privacy.We're on a wooded lot so we really don't have to worry much about anyone seeing in. I may eventually add curtains for interest in some of my rooms but I'm really not in any hurry. I just like the clean open look of "naked" windows.

Privacy wasn't (still isn't) an issue in the kitchen and keeping room, but after 2 years without anything I opted to hang woven woods. They diffuse the light and make the rooms feel a bit "warmer". I rarely lower them in the summer months, but in the winter it's nice to be able to do that and add a bit of warmth at night.

In the living room where privacy isn't a big issue I only have shutters on the lower half of the picture window, the top is wide open.

I always have WT on the windows for heat/cooling concerns. I also don't like the idea of just anyone being able to look into my home without my knowledge and see what is going on. It creeps me out. Guess I've seen too many murder mysteries as a kid.

We have a wrap around porch with stained glass windows in bedrooms and office. I sometimes wish we had put transoms on top of them to let in more light. The two in the bedrooms open for fire safety.
Back of house we have french doors no treatment, we have a pool, bayou and across is a shopping center, no black hole as they always have their lights on... MBR shades and panels because DH lights it dark.
I like the sun!

I'm window-treatment-challenged to begin with, so that mostly drives my no window coverings right now. We've been in the new house 5 months now and I've only hung a few cheap sheers in my husband's "office" (upstairs bedroom) for a bit of sun control for him, but he usually has each one (2, double-window) tied in a knot. Our living areas are on the backside of the house, and with the large lots and trees, I can't see any other houses from my windows. I probably will put up something when summer hits to control the sun/heat in certain rooms....hope I figure out what I want by then.

Yes, I like window treatments. Most of my windows are on the west side of the house. So, in the late afternoon, it is nice to have solar shades or draperies to cut some of the sun and heat. I don't use them as much in the winter as I do in the summer. I must have coverings in the bedroom and the bathroom. While there is no easy view from neighbors' houses, there is easy access to those windows and I don't want to be surprised.

We just moved, okay that was two and a half years ago. I quickly took down existing verticals and pleated shades. Now my windows are bare,so we can enjoy the country view. I'm going to order blinds next week to help insulate from the cold and summer heat and provide privacy.I think I've said that every week!! Even though it is NOT an issue for me,I am the only house in the subdivision without blinds. I'm also going to add panels! Yes I have a passion for window fashion, just wish I had my sewing table and workroom at this house. So in answer to your question, I vote for window treatments.

I LOVE my plantation shutters and prefer them over curtains. They look clean, you can block light out and you can redecorate without changing out, or working around, your curtain fabric/color.

This is a really personal thing. I have a horror of bare windows looking out at a black night, just can't live with that. So all our windows have treatments - drapes, curtains, shades, blinds, whatever works in a particular room. Almost everything is fully open during the day, but when the sun begins to set, I close it all up. I feel cozy and protected then.

But I also love window treatments. Most of ours are very simple, but they give a nice finish to each room.

We live on the highest point in town, on a busy street with about a 15-20 foot setback from the road. Very, very exposed.

Yes, we have some window treatments, but honestly I don't need them. They're more for my husband than me. LOL He's the one who thinks that we need to close everything up at night. I don't mind people seeing in. I mean, what are they going to see? Me sitting there in my robe working on my crochet? Oh, yay... LOL

The back of our house faces west and in the dining room on that side we have a large french door and transom that's wide open. I offered DH putting sheers or something on it, but so far he's been okay with it uncovered. I like to see the town lights back that way at night.

....oh and I HATE closing up the windows to turn on the AC in the summertime...

I am not a fan of WT but my DH passionately hates them. So it was just easier to let it go, as we did not need them for privacy. Will not need them in a new place either, in fact, it would be silly to have them, as we will not have any windows, hence no black holes LOL

it would be silly to have them, as we will not have any windows

No windows?

We are in a suburban-type setting with woods behind the house. We have nothing on the windows facing the back. I actually like the look of the dark. I love the way the trees are lit when the moon is full. We do have shutters that go half-way up the windows on some of the front windows (a bathroom, family room/kitchen), but none on the front windows in the dining room and I often don't close the others, so may take them off, too. I have bought draperies for the master bedroom, but more to shut out the street light when DH is sleeping in there-he's a snorer (we usually use the back bedroom). Haven't hung them yet though.

I am also wondering about the no windows comment! :)

No, that would not be me. I like being able to open and close them as privacy and security dictate.

We will be living up in the mountains, in a relatively warm climate where temps are pretty stable year round. Will not have AC, so all the openings where traditionally windows will go, will have wrought iron grills and screen to keep out the bugs, so no windows per se. It would be funny to have WT on this kind of setting, and DH would never go for that anyway LOL

We have deciduous trees behind us and no close neghbors. I had WT in my kitchen over the window over the sink as well as over the sliders out to the deck but removed them. I love the clean lines as well as the extra light in there now that they are gone. If someone does see us, it's the kitchen and dinette area, so I don't really care if they want to see us cook or eat. In the family room, I have insulated drapes which we do close. In the summer it keeps that room, which has more windows than walls, cooler. In the winter, it helps keep that room warmer at night. Wouldn't be without WT in the bedrooms.

I prefer no WT, but in some cases, it is necessary at our house. If I lived where privacy was no issue, then no WT. I guess it would depend on the window...some just need something to make them look finished. But if I were building a home that didn't require privacy, I'd select beautiful windows.

We live on a lake with no neighbors behind us to look in on us. When we first moved in we had no WT on the back windows of the house in the family room, breakfast room or sun room.

After about a month the "black hole" got to me and I had wide blinds installed on these windows and French doors.

However, I keep the slats open all of the time so anyone that would have peeked in before can still peek in now. Those little strips of wood just give me the privacy comfort I needed.

(quote)However, I keep the slats open all of the time so anyone that would have peeked in before can still peek in now. Those little strips of wood just give me the privacy comfort I needed.

Exactly how I feel :)

I'd still have something on the bedroom windows in order to make it sure the room was dark at night, and to provide a level of dimness during the day if I wanted to take a nap. It might be a room-darkening roller blind that would pretty much disappear when it was up, but there'd be something on the window.

Any first floor bedrooms or bathrooms would also have something to provide privacy. Even if random passers by aren't able to look in those windows, family members who are outside might be able to. My cousin's first floor bathroom has nothing on the windows and I've checked and you can get an eyeful if you are in the right place in the back yard at the wrong time. It doesn't bother her family, but it does bother me.

Other rooms might need something for light control during the day--a TV room might need something over the windows to control glare.

A large room with high ceilings and a hard surface floor might need more fabric in the room to prevent an echo-y feeling and window treatments would help with that.

And there's the fact that the right window treatments can aid in keeping the house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, helping to save energy and reducing energy costs.

So I guess for me, window treatments where they aren't needed for privacy would be on a case by case basis, because there are reasons other than privacy to need something on your windows.

It is funny. In our "regular" house, we have window treatments. Long, dark and kind of closing in the light. We both really like it that way. We live on a private road with a lot of privacy, but we just really like the rooms cozy.

However, our vacation condo looks like this...I've struggled with what to do for WT in there. Privacy isn't an issue, the windows just face the woods. BUT blinds or something to close would help with the heating bills and would keep the rugs and floors from being bleached out by the sun. And see how the window ends at the wall in the dining room? What do you do with that?

I've thought of wooden blinds, or long panels that sort of wrap around...but nothing seems right. Plus, we love to sit and watch the birds and squirrels.

Beth p

Privacy isn't much of an issue for us, but I still have basic window coverings (more or less). Just inside the window and not covering the woodwork. Kind of the compromise between adding a little color to the windows and getting as much sun and light and outdoors into my home as possible. My SIL has a huge house on a secluded lot and there's a window covering on every single window. I can't stand it, feels completely claustrophobic to me. So I would say that it depends on (1) your level of comfort w/ the great outdoors and (2) if you love window treatments.

I'm with Boop - I love fabric and I don't like the "black hole" at night either. I'm in the south where we get some really warm summer temps so even if privacy isn't an issue, there are times I need to close blinds in certain rooms. However, I love the open window look - with a drapery panel to either side - the view unobstructed. I love natural light coming in. So, that is what our house is like much of the time. The panels are never closed, but in some rooms, blinds or shades must be (have roman shades in all sunroom windows).

tina

I love our bare windows in the kitchen and dining room on the north side of our house. Nothing but the woodwork around them to obstruct the beautiful view of our woods. What Black Hole? We love it.

I also love fussy WTs, though, so we have drapes over sheers over blinds in the bedrooms. But....we never close the ones in our room. The ones in the front bedrooms, the kids closed.

I don't have window treatments on any windows. It's my 2nd house with none, since 1976, so I've gotten used to sleeping without darkness. The house is passive solar design, so sun (when it shines) streams in through the windows in the winter and is blocked in the summer. For my peace of mind about security (I live alone) I have dawn to dusk lights on the outside of the house that let me see what's out there and also enjoy the night time critters and landscape close to the house. I feel claustrophobic now in rooms where I can't see out because the windows are covered, and cannot judge the time because I can't see how light it is outside.

Personally I think it's the rare house that would not need some sort of wt and the rare window. Totter exist of course but not to the extent that some people take it.

When I walk into a home without wt it feels incomplete. Modern or old fashioned decor...it does not matter. To me, a lack of wt in the proper spaces is an incomplete decor. It has nothing to do with being comfortable with nature and everything to do with liking a finished space. We have fabulous views from nearly every window in our houses and the treatments are done with that in mind. Some are stationary or rarely used, but they are still there t finish the rooms decor.

20 acre rural farm here, privacy is not an issue. I only have WT that drape around the windows in the dining room adn livig room, since I made them for my last home and brought them to this one. No other WT's on first floor.

In the upstairs bedrooms my sister and I made fabric covered valences (sp?) for color, and I have a pull down shade in my one bedroom window since the barn light shines in during the winter when the leaves are off the trees.

Otherwise, I love all the natural light, and never even considered or thought about windows at night being black holes. Still don't.

My neighbor’s house is within 5 ft of mine (hello new builds) and their living room window looks right into my kitchen windows. i have simple vinyl blinds on those windows but even then they are never pulled down. Mostly i Find we aren’t that curious about each others lives And I prefer the light rather than the privacy. Even though blinds can be opened for light and view (though they still obstruct) I find that defeats the purpose of privacy so rather not have them. I lead a boring life though so not much to see ;)