We have the 1". I've seen people use the 2" but they do stick out. It depends on how much it bothers you. I wanted them completely flush, so I went with 1", also from JCP.

Believe it or not, there are actually 1 1/2" blinds. They look as rich as the 2" but slightly narrower. Measure your moldings around the window. My 2" (that a friend gave me) are just a bit too "thick" on the other hand, free works for me until...

Do you need privacy? Do you have views? Do you like bare windows? I prefer to have my windows bare, I use Hunter Douglas Duette type shades. Inside mount. They stack to about an inch and blend into the trim. Closed at night for privacy. You can also get the Duolite type that can have a sheer fabric and a more opaque fabric.

The house we bought came with blinds on all the windows and french doors. I've already changed half of them over to the Hunter Douglas ones and should be receiving the next shipment very shortly. Blinds make me feel like I have bars on my windows!

As jaysmom said, you should measure your window frames to see how much space you have to allow the blinds to sit. I personally like the 2" because there are less lines across the window than with the narrower ones. While some people like chispa like the duettes, one thing I missed when I had those instead of blinds, was that when the sun is shining into the room, you can tilt blinds ever so slightly and block the direct sun while still leaving the view...something shades can't do unless they're translucent, then they don't provide nighttime privacy. I'm guessing if this is an office, you may need blinds to control the sun for working unless this is on the north side. Lovely room by the way!

We have the 2" and they fit perfectly inside the windows in our FR. They are custom cut from www.blindschalet.com and I would highly recommend that site. My handy husband hung them.

What a lovely room--even the bones look good, would love to see the finished product (hint hint :).

I've always heard, and agree, that the wider the blind the more traditional/classic the look. I went with 2" blinds in my house for that reason and love how they turned out. Mine are interior mount as well and as long as your window casings are deep enough they won't stick out.

If you are considering DIY, I'd recommend justblinds.com. Although I did the majority of my windows with a local firm, I've ordered from that site several times for miscellaneous blinds (french doors mostly) and been very satisfied with the quality and service.

Good luck, you're creating a wonderful place there.

Ann

We have 1" white wood blinds in some rooms, and 1" wood tone blinds in other rooms, all the same company and custom fit, but my husband had them done before I moved in, so I'm not sure what the company is. Our windows are just about the same size as yours, bostonpam - slightly wider. I actually find that the 1" blinds - in wood, not the cheap thin plastic of "mini-blinds" - seem perfectly substantial for this size window. The slats themselves have a chunkiness not found in plastic blinds, so that adds to the substantial look. When open, anyway, they actually are not noticeably different from the picture posted above, except the "header" (if that's what it's called) is not as thick, and it's set further back into the window, not flush with the trim as that appears.

I personally think 2" might be unnecessarily chunky for our windows... the 1" looks right and allows the blinds to be set back a bit more, leaving more exposed sill and casing, which I (and my cats) like.

I looked at your photo again, and you appear to have shallower sills than I have. Personally with those sills I would definitely go with the 1", but I'm not sure there is a huge difference in appearance between the 2" and 1". I'd like to see what the 2" blinds look like partially closed. Open and looking straight on, as in the photo above, you can't see the width. (Those are great-looking blinds, it's just that in the photo they appear almost exactly like my 1" blinds, so I know I'm not getting the full effect.)

By the way, I absolutely love that porch. And I do agree with the idea someone else mentioned that bare windows look best, as long as the windows are large and/or somewhat interesting (like yours.) That's why we almost always have the blinds pulled all the way up. But yeah, the light at certain times of the day is problematic, hence the need for blinds. I think either size would work, given your measurements. The sills are still shallow - mine are 5" from the window, and seem shallow to me. But really, the answer is probably just based in personal preference. Can you get one set and see how it looks? Do you want to be able to set anything on the window sill? (Vase, flower pot, etc.?) I have never heard that 2" blinds are "classic" - I don't think there's any standard like that - blinds simply aren't a classic residential window covering. No 1825 New England house would have had them, though it would likely have had working louvered exterior shutters. But, they are simple and basic, so they fit into a classic setting.

It makes sense that 2" blinds create fewer "lines" across the windows, since they are larger and you need fewer to cover the space when shut. And that should also mean that when in the open position, more light is let in, which could be a good thing. I haven't noticed excessive "line-iness" with mine, though. I hope people don't confuse the 1" wooden blind look with the 1/2" plastic mini-blind look. It's funny... I used to always have the smaller blinds, and to me the 1" looks pretty chunky.

Your post got me off my duff, Bostonpam. I just ordered some Labor Day sale 2" faux wood blinds (DH can pressure wash them outside when vacuuming isn't enough) for the 160" of windows in my corner office. I ran down to town to see the sizes in person, only 1 and 2" available. Our fairly deep-set windows made both good doable choices, but as Sujafr points out, the 2" do allow a significantly better view out to my birdbath "street scene," so that's what I ordered. I also suspect the greater depth of the 2" will help provide a nice feeling of separation between inside and out, like when it's 10 degrees out in February. We're in a cold spot here in the deep South. More shadowing.

The 1" were also very nice and struck me as crisper and less...casual. Stepping away and squinting at them in the store, the 1" were less dominant and attention-grabbing than the bolder 2" but presented a more solid "wall" when fully open, although of course they could also be set more deeply into the window frames.

Thanks to everyone.

Since you say privacy is not an issue and you would like to see out,why not go for the solar shades that roll down and can block a lot of sun but not your view. The type you often see in restaurants. I think they would look nice in an office.

I pondered that same thing...1" or 2" for my DR windows. Both are nice, but chose the 2" in warm honey wood and am so glad I did. They seemed to look more substantial in the room and a bit more upscale to my eye - I just love them. (I guess I had those tiny plastic cheapo blinds for so many years that seeing the thinner 1" - even good quality wood blinds - just reminded me too much of my old ones. Yet others see the thicker look as less appealing. I guess it's all subjective, right?

LizzieNH, please post pics of your 1" white blinds. I am contemplating new blinds for 2 rooms and didn't even know this option exists.
("I hope people don't confuse the 1" wooden blind look with the 1/2" plastic mini-blind look")
I am ridding our home of those plastic mini-blinds!

Go for the 2" blinds, definitely. They look more substantial and will finish off your windows nicely. Beautiful room!