Picture 2. All the old hardware still needs to be removed.

I have never been fan of solid blinds, vertical or horizontal. They seem hard and cold to me. They also obscure outside views, give a cluttered appearance, and are dust catches. But that's just my opinion.

I think you're home would look so much better with curtains :)

Errant...I soo wish I could just have curtains. My family room has only curtains. My road is fairly busy and you can see in esp at night and I dislike the lack of privacy. So I need something but I really dislike the cluttered appearance, esp from the outside.

Do you have a before picture?

To go from sheers and verticals to 2 inch blinds is a big change. Did you have the verticals pulled back during the day?

You'll have to pull your furniture back from the wall a bit but I think curtain panels will soften things up and add some color. Target has some reasonably priced panels. What colors do you use in your decorating?

You could start another post and see if someone could photo shop some panels for you.

I never had the blinds opened & the sheers were always over them. Here is before pic.

This post was edited by zoey75 on Fri, Jan 16, 15 at 15:57

It's all so subjective. I tend to dislike the fuss of drapery and love your blinds even from the outside. Of course, just side drapes will soften and add color if you feel you need it.

Zoey, I much prefer the horizontal blinds. I personally think they look neat being the lines follow the lines of your siding.
As for the inside I think panels on either side would soften the look and give the windows a more finished look.
We have both blinds and roman shades in our home and I much prefer the blinds for both privacy and aiming light. Nothing, in my opinion, is more versatile.
Yes, they get dusty, but that's what vacuums are for.

From the outside it's pretty classic-neutral.

Thank you all so much! I feel so much better.

Here is a before inside...

I really like how the after looks. It might take your eyes time to adjust to seeing them.

Sorry to disappoint you, Zoey, but I love the horizontal blinds. And since your house is a Cape Codder, they're actually the "correct" style as well. They are, in fact, the blinds of choice on Cape Cod, probably because they can be adjusted as the sun moves across the sky while still being able to see outside and let light in.

I've got them in my bedroom, and they are among the very few things I knew, without question, I was going to put in when I bought my house. I think they're clean and crisp and beachy, add texture to a room.

However, as always, it's what you like. Is it the change you're reacting to, or is it actually the blinds? I'd say live with them for a while.

I do really dislike change it is so hard for me, so that could be it. Not sure what a cape codder is (sounds nice), but we have a small older ranch built in 1955. We did do a small addition of a master bedroom/bath & family room in 2008 and now it is about 1600 sq ft. Thanks all soooo much. I really appreciate all your honesty.

Hi Zoey, I too like the blinds. You may be used to looking through the sheers and with the blinds closed or almost closed it seems more wall-like. I would open them as wide as you feel comfortable during the day. Also what window treatment is on the other of the front door. Sometimes it nice to see the same treatment on similar windows. If you hate them after a while you could probably sell them on craigslist.

I think they look 100% better than the verticals/sheers combo!

Cape Cod Style house. Your style of Cape Cod, the ranch style, is ALL over Cape Cod.

I really like the look with the new blinds.

Tibbrix ...Love New England!! Thanks for the info :) That does look like my house with out the picture window (which I am not a fan of).

Cran...there is a wall on the other side of the door. And the next room is a bathroom with a Hunter Douglas top down/bottom up pleated shade. And the window after that is a bedroom with the Hunter Douglas top down/bottom up pleated shade too. Actually all my bedrooms and bathrooms have the Hunter Douglas top down/bottom up pleated shade. My family room had pottery barn curtains.

Bathroom shade

Family Room

I think it's a nice improvement. They look good. Getting the old hardware down, and putting new panels up will be even nicer!

One more voice added to the "Yes" column. I much prefer the horizontal blinds to the vertical blinds. You'll get used to them in no time at all.

I think you made a good decision. I've been trying to find a room where vertical blinds actually look good, I am not sure that it's possible. They get visibly dirty, mis-shaped, and mis-aligned-- not a good look.

Although I did see some with "fat" slats that looked pretty cool, but I've never seen them in person.

We did panels in our son's LR.

And how it looks from outside with them closed. He doesn't have a lot of money right now, so this works for him.

"Your style of Cape Cod, the ranch style, is ALL over Cape Cod." Tibbrex, Whaaaat? LOL, a ranch is a totally different architectural style from a cape!!!!
But count me in with Tibbrex and others who suggest you give yourself time to adjust. And to maybe consider the softening effect of interior side curtain panels. Also agree with Justgottabeme that the blinds lines pleasantly echo the horizontal siding.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate all your opinions.

prairiemom your pictures were so very helpful. I plan to add panels to soften the look. I would really like to only have curtains but feel like I am in a fishbowl without more. I would love to see how his furniture placement is, since the rooms are so similar, always looking for ideas :)

:) So far he has a sofa and an end table! Not much help there sorry! He does have a nice area rug, and I had him pull the sofa out from the big window and anchor the front legs on the carpet. TV will go on the long wall. He has another family room with a sectional and another TV.He's renting a room to a buddy so they mostly use that. These guys are just a couple years out of college, getting out of apartment living and trying to figure out this house thing. I love helping him, but it's going to take a bit of time.

I much prefer the new blinds! Get the old hardware down and put up some side treatments if you so desire. Your eye will adjust, but I totally get it. It can take a while. Did I read correctly that you never open the blinds? Not even during the day?

Kiwigem ...The old hardware will come down and be patched and painted. I have some fabric swatches on the way for side panels :)
I had the vertical blinds tilted in a way that let the light in during the day and gave us privacy at night. And I left the sheers over the blinds for additional privacy. So technically I never opened or closed them but we were not living in the dark, lol.

The new blinds look terrific! So clean and crisp, and they add tasteful style to your home's exterior. Yes, maybe some simple panels on the interior...maybe. You'll enjoy the light control of the horizontal blinds. Sometimes it's nice to tilt them so the sunlight bounces off the ceiling -- a pretty, soft white light.

Tangent: Around here (eastern Mass.), we just call them capes, not Cape Codders. And the simple difference between a cape and a ranch is that a ranch is one floor (ignoring basement), while a cape at a minimum has a walk-up attic, but usually a finished second floor, often with dormers. Either way, the result is that the cape is taller, with a steeper roof. (And due to land values, I think they're dying out on the cape.)

Otherwise, I agree with the sentiment here. Vertical blinds just don't look right, while the horizontal ones look great.

Love your new blinds, both for adding more view and light to the interior and continuity with the siding to the exterior. May I suggest that you consult with other GW members regarding the sheers as side panels. I think you need a fabric with more "heft" to balance out the weight of your upholstery fabric. Hang the panels floor to ceiling just on the sides so that they just barely cover the ends of the blinds. Also, adding a fabric with pattern would bring some interest and life to the room. These suggestions may be out of your comfort zone but please check out houzz and gather opinions. Home Depot and Lowes are other options that have nice ready made side panels.

I really like them, too!