What to get instead of those frigging horrible vertical blinds?

[affafantoosh]

Looked at wooden Venetian ones which are cheap and look ok but they'll have to be cut to size and I'm not sure what color to get.

The benefit of awful vertical blinds is that I can have privacy without losing much light. I like the oak Venetian blinds but think they'll be very dark and our living room window is directly onto the street. I'm not sure white is a good idea with pets and children though, and my window frames are wooden.

Anyone got any other suggestions or ideas? Budget is small.

[ItMustBeBedtimeSurely]

IKEA sell roller blinds which let pretty much all the light through. They look very inconspicuous rolled up.

[affafantoosh]

IKEA is bloody miles away (like 170 or something ...) :(

I think they can be put up outside the recess but I also have curtains which I wouldn't do without in winter. Hmmmmm.

[fresh]

Window film? Have a look here.

[ouryve]

We just use voiles at the front of the house. They do the job and soften the light that they do let in, quite nicely.

[affafantoosh]

So voiles are OK? I thought they were lumped in with "net curtains" and not the done thing. I have no taste though. I have had these horrible vertical jobs since we moved here an embarrassing number of years ago and it has just struck me that we don't have to keep them. We've never had the cash to do anything to the house at all really, so it just was a case of putting up with everything and now I am realising if I am careful I could actually make it much nicer!

[snowgirl1]

I'd vote for white wooden venetian blinds. We got ours made to measure from an on-line company (www.blindsuk.net, I think but can't be sure!). Just had a quick look and you can get a 1m x 1m bespoke blind for 45

[affafantoosh]

I lean towards oak/wood because the frames are natural wood, but I think white is more modern looking. Not sure if they would look ok with the frames though?

[strongandlong]

Are the window frames oak? if they're not, I would go with white Venetians or window film (plus curtains)

[burnishedsilver]

Another vote for white wooden venetians.

[GladitsnotJustMe]

I have white wooden venetians. They're nice, but a bitch to clean and show the dirt terribly!

[Mini05]

I went from wooden venetians to verticals!!

The venetians are a pain as glad says, they hold the dusts and it settles on the top leaving a layer.
Also if the window is open you get rain marks on them.
It's an every week clean thoroughly, mine were very wide had 2 off them and a small bedroom window.
Never again.

[foreverforaging]

Sheer roller blinds

You can see out but people can't see in (during the day). John Lewis sell them ready made and quite a few of the online blind stores sell them.

Like nets but nicer...