Alternative to shutters - light, privacy & safety
Robin P
4 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (16)
Jennifer Hogan
4 years agoElaine Doremus Resumes Written
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Shrub/Bush/tree for border/not overly dense privacy needs
Comments (6)It's too bad they put that sidewalk essentially right through your front yard. It creates a very small planting area, especially when you consider that any bushes really need to be planted 3-4 feet away from the house. You might try something like a forsythia which will get big quickly, is easy to get (just get a baby from one of your neighbors), can be cut down very vigorously and ruthlessly, will look pretty from early spring on , but is just bare branches in the winter. Again, not evergreen, but maybe some lilacs, instead? I like the size and form of my Donald Wyman lilac and could see it in front of the single shuttered window. The form of the lilac, though bare branches in the winter, is prettier than some. A winterberry might work really well there, actually, if the area is not too dry. And even possibly, blueberry bushes...although passers-by might eat from them! For evergreen, you could try rhodies or azaleas. As to conifers, I'm sure there are many featherly, light alternatives, I don't know what they might be, though....See MoreIdyll #356 - Beet Juice and other Alternatives
Comments (100)Drool...drool...drool, Monique! :-) Wow those are *lovely* and how great that you were home in time to see them! What a tragedy it would have been if you had missed them. I may not have explained Wayne Winterrowd's comment. I think what he was saying is that *whenever* the plants make their first flower buds, you need to remove them. That's why I thought it would be so hard to do. Especially given the fact that yours took *3* years to bloom! :-( Tricia - that is a lovely flower...yours too V! Are they the same as Cynthia's picture? I have the ones like Cynthia's picture. Well, only a few of the red ones, but I have a bumper crop of the purple version which seems to like to seed about in my garden. I don't mind...I love the flowers and the fuzzy buds that look like new born chicks before they open! :-) I know them as the name Cynthia used, Pulsatilla vulgaris. V - are there different types? Or has the named changed? I need to keep up better. Oh Mary...those are adorable! Is that Clousseau on the left? Sorry to say I forgot what kind of dog Closseau was, although I do remember him having the same coloring as the guy on the left. And that Scottie...how perfect! Cynthia hit the nail on the head. Everytime I've seen your needle felt animals, there was something *so* familiar to me about them. They *do* look like Steiff animals! Maybe you should create a teeny, tiny button for their ears. Seriously though, you could really make a business out of it, if you wanted to. They are so perfect and professional looking. Michelle...just wanted you to know that the geraniums you gave me the year before last are still with me! :-) I am so happy because I love that rich purple color and have never seen ivy geraniums quite like them, at least not here. Thanks again...I just love them! That Kenzie is a little sweetheart. At least, I think it was Kenzie you were referring to? Chelone...very smart idea with the paths. But I knew you would be thinking ahead...you have a very sharp mind! Ohhh how fun Martie! I totally understand about seeing something green peeking up from the ground! :-) Wish it were so here, but we are still with a good amount of snow. But it is to be warmer today and with rain, so maybe it will wash away and I can find my buried Hellebores! :-) BTW, where is Bug? Is she away and I missed it? Love the pic of Reed & pup....seems Reed is very taken with the puppy...look at that adoring smile! :-) Okay, I guess I best be moving...hubby is home, still ill and I promised him some farina. BTW Chelone, I see your hubby was hit with the flu too? Hope he is bouncing back and that you don't catch it. TTYL! Ei...See Moreadding stained glass in sidelites for privacy, any thoughts?
Comments (19)Good points all around, I am going to spend more time standing at the bottom of the street looking into the house to try to imagine what the views will be (somewhat difficult at the framing stage when there's just a big cutout for the front door. But perhaps I can get an idea of what could be seen. The main "activity" in the great room is sitting at the couch watching tv or having conversation. Much more activity in the kitchen which will be private from the front door views. I like the idea that the porch light will equalize some of that effect. I think I need to see the door glass in person. It's also comforting that I *could* add sheers, as long as that is possible with sidelights....i know the ones I have in my current home would not support tensions rods as the sidelight trim is angled inside and just not enough depth for it to be stable. Sounds like a visit to the door showroom is in order. Light certainly is a consideration as well, having the door on the north, but then again with the tall south facing great room windows right across from that entry door I expect light to filter in all the way across during months when the sun is lower in the sky. Thanks for the thoughtful inputs :)...See MoreIf privacy is no issue would you not have window treatments?
Comments (48)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....See Moregrapefruit1_ar
4 years agoapple_pie_order
4 years agodeegw
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoStorybook Home
4 years agochloebud
4 years agoRobin P
4 years agoblubird
4 years agoRobin P
4 years agoJAN MOYER
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoFinishing Touches
4 years ago
Related Stories
ENTRYWAYSGlass Doors That Welcome — and Protect Your Privacy Too
These front-door designs let in the light but keep your air-guitar performances safely in-house
Full StoryEXTERIORSWindow Wizardry: 7 Clever Approaches to Privacy
Do you want more privacy without losing your view or feeling boxed in? Take a look at these creative building solutions
Full StoryWINDOW TREATMENTSBedroom Window Treatments to Block the Light
Sleep tight with curtains, shades and more designed to keep out bright rays while letting stylishness in
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESTry Slatted Wood Walls to Define Spaces and Add Privacy
Use these stylish, beautiful structures to define a hallway, replace a banister or hide a room
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGGrow a Lush Privacy Screen
No need to wait forever for patio privacy the green way. These 10 ideas will get your screening up and running in no time
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESBright Ideas: How to Light Up Your Rooms
These clever tricks banish dim interiors and dark corners, and usher natural light into the house
Full StoryLIGHTINGGet Turned On to a Lighting Plan
Coordinate your layers of lighting to help each one of your rooms look its best and work well for you
Full StoryBACKYARD IDEASInnovative Deck Brings Privacy to a Narrow Chicago Backyard
The striking cedar structure creates an entertaining zone and breaks up an extra-long lot
Full StoryGREAT HOME PROJECTSHow to Add a Skylight or Light Tube
New project for a new year: Increase daylight and maybe even your home’s energy efficiency by opening a room to the sky
Full StorySponsored
JAN MOYER