nstitches4u

I prefer blinds. You can adjust the amount of light you want and keep the sun from shining right in your face. Curtains tend to block light. I have 7 windows and a door with a window in my quilting studio, so I can alway adjust the light perfectly.

caspharm

If you can afford them, I prefer shutters. It is easy to control the amount of light and they won't break. It does make it harder for a cat to look out, but mine managed.

sulyle

I have blinds and a valance.

gale

I wish I could. From what I've priced online, it would be over $400 for shutters, and that's for the cheapest models.

gale

Question for those that have blinds. Have you found that using something like a swiffer duster weekly is enough to keep them clean? Or do they need more intense cleaning than that?

Rose L

I have had the white 2" faux wood blinds throughout my house in the past. I loved the light control on the southern and western windows but never closed those on the north and east sides. I didn't ever find it necessary to pull them all the way up unless I was cleaning windows. They collected so much dust just as a general rule and though I dusted them frequently I needed to wash them slat by slat with a wet towel at least twice a year. In my sewing room the dust from the fabrics was twice as much!! In my new house I am going with lace curtains so I get plenty of diffused lighting, can throw them in the wash when needed and I'm adding plain white roller shades so I can close them when wanted for light block out or privacy. The best of both worlds in my opinion. I think the blinds look fabulous but I'd rather sew than dust! Good luck with your choice.

Candace

I have white roller shades made out of a mesh type material that were custom made and our windows are film treated to cut out UV rays. The mesh roller shades still allow 'brightness' and light to enter the room but block out too much light as my room is south facing and it can get so hot. And I just roll up the shade with the chain during the winter days to allow the full light in. I decorate minimally and like clean lines. I'm not a curtain person and I would tire of the same fabric over time. And any curtains I've ever seen get sun damaged and bleached out.

qltgrose

I like the 2 in faux wood blinds. If you fold them flat and go over with a soft brush, they do pretty well and then in the spring/summer, you can take them out, lay flat on grass and hose them off. I like the way they control the light, especially if you have lots of windows. If you only have one or two, pleated shades with 2 layers are nice, light blocking layer on top and a lace/semi sheer layer on the backside.

maxo

I have shutters which are not wood but look exactly like wood. And they are really great for letting it the light you want and are so easy to clean. I live in an area where there is a lot of dirt in the air so cleaning is very important to me. All I do it wipe them down with a damp cloth and the water doesn't bother them at all.

petthefabric

In my sewing room is a blind. the window is 6'x4'. The house sits South and a few degrees East. The sewing room is on the North side. Late in the day in summer the sun shines in the window. I close the blinds then. I don't have a privacy issue, so usually they're pulled up out of the way. To everyone's shock, I've not cleaned them in 5 yrs & I'm OK with that. As someone else said, I'd rather be sewing than cleaning. Some of the blinds in the house have been dusted with a wool puff duster. There are curtain side panels that I've not decided what to do with, so they're folded up over the rod to keep them out of the way.

We're finishing a room for my LAQmachine. The windows are part of doors, blinds are hard to pull out of the way to allow the doors to open. One faces south with deciduous shade trees. I plan to put a security screen door on it so I can open it for air. The other is a large double door that goes into the garage. The only time I'll want the windows covered is when the room is used for guests, so they can have privacy. So I got some simple drape panels that hang on a rod with clip-rings. Most of the time they'll be pulled back.