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Home Decorating

1955 Ranch Picture Window .....Help!!!

13 years ago

I have a a 1955 Ranch with a large picture window in my living room. It has a large center window with a double hung on each side.

I currently have vertical blinds with sheers over them for privacy. I think the window treatment might be looking dated & needs to be changed since the sheers are also looking worn. I was thinking of horizontal blinds (similar to Plantation Shutters) with curtains on both sides.

Can someone help me I have no idea what to do with my huge window?? Any ideas, pictures, advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

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Comments (9)

graywings123
13 years ago
Your plan sounds very nice. Can you post photos of the room?
zoey75
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for responding! I will try my best ASAP to get pics. I have 2 little ones sleeping and I can not get to my camera.

It is a run of the mill 1950's ranch. We use the living room all day so it is important to have get light but I still like privacy since it is such a large window.
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I would stay with casements or sliders (I prefer casements) as your windows are wider than they are tall. Because of newer and better materials, what was a three wide unit (last picture) when the home was built can now be done with only two panels so that will give you more of an "open" feeling. Some of the two wide units may also be done in one wide depending on the overall width (e.g. a window 36" would have been two - 18" panels. Now you can have a single window 36" wide). I also agree with eliminating the grids or divided lites unless you feel strongly about them.
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Thank you all! My most urgent needs are night privacy and cool temp insulation. I'm leaning towards drapes on the sides to soften the space and a blind in the middle to lower at night. As for all the wood, I agree, it's too much and I've been considering painting the built-ins. I'm just worried I won't like it afterwards and can't unpaint it. It's been a tough room to deal with altogether. I appreciate all the advice!! Please keep it coming!
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Bumping this up with a new question. I’ve talked to a few companies and these are two of the options. One is Marvin Elevate. Can order it primed and paint on site. SDLs would be 7/8“which is larger than the original. $3000-ish. The other is Kolbe Heritage. Primed, paint on site. SDLs are 5/8“ which is what I have on the original windows that are staying. $1500-ish. Thoughts on these brands/windows? Is the Marvin worth the extra money?
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mjsee
13 years ago
We have a 1966 ranch--windows have been replaced with casements...except for the picture windows. We have blinds. In the bedrooms we have duette cellular blinds and in the public spaces we have venetian blinds.
allison0704
13 years ago
I had four large bay windows in our last home - a 1957 ranch. The side windows were 8 over 8 and the center windows were twice+ their width and stationary.

In the LR, I did four panels with swags (formal). They didn't open/close.

In the den, I did an iron rod and had four panels. They could close, but we never did.

In the sitting room, off MBR, I had one panel on each end and white wooden blinds in the center window (had an arch window over it).

In the MBR, I had four panels and a valance.
moonshadow
13 years ago
Check out this. That young couple is very creative, those are actually two blinds hung side by side.
zoey75
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks so much ... still trying to figure it out.
zoey_neohio
13 years ago
Zoey.I have the same style house as yours and also had the large picture window. I always had trouble with any kind of window treatment so we saved our money and finally replaced it with three side by side double hung windows with the mini blinds inside the glass. Mine our made by Pella but I believe other Mfgs. are making the blinds between the glass now. We absolutely love these windows!! We love how we can now open all three or just one. We live on a lake and I hate running the AC. Our cats love this set up also. We have a nice trim around the windows and I don't have any window treatments up at all, but that is just my preference.

Maybe if the three double hung together won't look good on the outside of your house, you could look into some other style with the mini blinds. I am now curtain free as long as I want to be. Love it!!!!

I know this is an expensive suggestion, but something to maybe think about going forward. From another Zoey
yayagal
13 years ago
To me the nicest look is wooden blinds with draperies on either side. I bought bamboo ones from an online site, got great linen look drapes from JCPenney's. I put three panels on either side of the window. They look fab.
mjsee
13 years ago
When the camera comes back from Mumbai (it's on a business trip with The Husband) I'll get pictures of how ours are done.

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