tallchick

My house is 80 years old and has been extremely well maintained and the windows are all original as well and varied. The 2 bedrooms upstairs all have wide wood blinds, my bedroom over the garage has heavy duty drapes to help with temperature control during the summer and winter since the insulation is mediocre at best. The bedroom downstairs also has wide wooden blinds and I opted for light filtering custom shades for the attached library. The living room has panel sheers in all the windows for privacy. These window depths are extremely narrow and it would be impossible to have shades without them sticking out and looking hideous. The dining room, kitchen and my studio all have lace curtains and valances. All my windows that face the roads (I have a corner lot) have old school canvas awnings over all the windows to help with privacy as well. I vacuum my bedroom drapes as needed and 2x a year all curtains come down for a washing, more if needed.

Fizzle

I have Duet roll up blinds in some of my windows. They offer privacy when they are down but in the open position. They can be rolled all the way up to expose the windows. They are beautiful but a small flying bug can get trapped in the mesh and is very hard to get out. Wont do them again or anywhere else. I do have a wood blind over the kitchen sink. I love the look of it. I roll it partially up when doing dishes so i dont get water and gunk on it. Not a fan of cleaning each slat. I do think that most blinds are sterile looking. Bedrooms i feel are better served with a fabric window covering.

SusieQOH

No drapes here. I have blinds and a few rooms have sheers. I love how it looks so airy. My son has plantation shutters and I love them!!! I'd like a whole house full.

mmunchkins

We have drapes on all the windows. We used to have those imitation wood blinds, but the dogs destroyed them.

Anniedeb

I have a combination of blinds, sheers, and drapes. My living room/dining room windows look into the 3 season porch, so they just have sheers. The 3 season porch has bamboo shades for sun/heat control in the summer. The rest have wooden blinds and valances. Blinds for privacy, (wish our neighbors would realize what we can see just by looking out our windows!), and the valances because I just don't like the look of the windows with only the blinds. The basement walkout patio door has a full thermal insulated drape for sun control, and cold weather protection. Even though it is a new energy efficient patio door, when the temps drop well below zero, the drapes really help.

Three Dog Night

I have blinds in the master bedroom and blinds that are built in the slider and front door glass; all the other windows are curtain/blindfree.

Iceblossom

I have allergies and need to limit my exposure. I do have some limited non-fussy and washable drapes that are not opened/closed very much. Was just looking at the valance in my bathroom before this thread . The window is frosted and it is purely decorative and in real need of a bath... think I'll take a claritin and and take that down today.

One of the things I really like about my house is I have no direct backyard neighbors. As houses and additions have gone in, it's no longer as private as it once was but the back still feels like a private place...

SallyS

I have long drapes that puddle on the floor in my bedroom, with 1 1/2" blinds behind them. Love them! They're elegant and require almost no care. On other windows I have only blinds (sewing room/office) to control light and streamline room (already enough going on in there without more fabric). On side doors that get lots of sun and are glass in a wood frame, sheer fabric gathered top and bottom to protect floors from fading. On large slider, nothing so I have the view. In another house I had shutters but prefer the homey feel of fabric.

juliasb

I have both in my home. My sewing studio has light curtains and blinds. We have heavy drapes for the living room.
It sounds like swags would look good to enhance your windows. Just a thought.

sewingsuz

I have blinds with valances I made in all the rooms. No curtains. The glass door to the back yard has no blind, just a valance. Kitchen window above the sink in kitchen has valance only.