Vertical bllinds: Instyle or Out-of-date?
Trying to decide if I should get rid of the vertical blinds on our slider and would love your option.
Comments (37)
erinsean
13 years agoI know they are dated, but sometimes verticals are the best solution for the windows you have. I have them in our TV room and like the convenience of being able to adjust for light.
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13 years agoI really hate to say that anything is "dated", but my mind automatically reverts to the 80s whenever I see the term "vertical blinds."
arcy_gw
13 years agoThe first time I saw them was at my MIL's. It was 1988 they were THE NEW THING. I thought then they are cold, ugly and I don't get it. I still think that today. I never did warm up to them. I never purchased them, but they were in two of the three houses I purchased. In my present home I hung stationary drapery panels over where they stack,to hide them when not in use which is 99.9% of the time. I saw no reason to waste money replacing them.
justgotabme
13 years agoIn my opinion, if you need them for light control, no I'd not get rid of them. In our last home I also found they helped reduce the heat that came with the late afternoon sun. If you don't like the look than what about adding a pretty rod and some sheers in front of them?
Pal recently told me they now come in wood. I found a visual of them on You Tube if you're curious...
Here is a link that might be useful: Wood Vertical Blinds
deeinohio
13 years agoI'm with arcy. I have never cared for them, even when they weren't considered "dated". They are strictly for function and don't really add anything decorative. Arcy's solution might work for you, but I would prefer panels stacked on the sides of the door, to be pulled shut when needed.
Deesusieq07
13 years agoThey make all kinds now and awesome..luv mine plan to keep em too, however in brms, I do have drapes 1 panel and valence on top, curtain pulled to one side..
blubird
13 years agoI hardly think that a very useful form of light control would be considered dated - any more so than blinds - (remember 'venetian' blinds?). In many situations they are the perfect choice.
I have dogs - sorry those lovely but fragile silhouette blinds would be in shreds quickly, not because the dogs would destroy them, but because they couldn't handle the frequent opening and closing of the slider. Some of the people opening and closing said sliders are not delicate and dainty about it.
Frankly, I consider silhouettes 'creepy' (just as lovely a word as dated-perhaps some people feel insulted, but so do I when people declare 'dated'!) because I've seen bugs get in them, not to mention dust. But some people love them and that's fine, too.
While I'd love a sweep of drapes over the sliders, they just wouldn't be practical for frequently opened and closed openings.
There's room out there for a whole lot of decorating options. I guess I'll just have to disinvite those 'friends' who hold their noses when they see my verticals ;-).
Helene
mjsee
13 years agoIf everyone is saying something functional is dated...wait a bit and it will come BACK into style.
I have venetian blinds...wide slats. I'm EVER-so-glad that the previous owners didn't have the money to update them when they did the rest of the house with duette/silhouette shades.
Seriously...if they work for you, keep 'em. You can replace them with whatever the new hotness is if/when you put your house on the market.
cathyinbothell
13 years agoI am just getting ready to buy some for our remodel. Would LOVE to have many other types of window coverings but our two cats stick their heads in the blinds at night to see if there are any squirrels or raccoons passing by. This way we won't have bent or damaged blinds or constant scratching on wood shutters or others that can't open. I'm not really thrilled about it but it is the most practical in the long term for us.
thankurnmo
13 years agoI agree with the consensus here- they ARE dated, but they are so functional. I have them and am itching to replace them..... but they ARE functional with sunblocking and with pets... I keep looking at the newer alternative panels but I just don't get them and I don't see where they are any more attractive than the 1980s verticals. I wish I did like them better but I see no advantage. I do like the curtain panels as an alternative or the really nice plantation shutters I have seen for doors but those are just too much $$$.
annzgw
13 years agoI have to agree with Helene & the others that they have their place as WT's. I have them in my FR, fabric only, and the same color as my walls. When fully open it appears I have nothing on my windows, which is the look I love. They were the best solution for a TV room with several tall windows and a SW exposure. Plus, they're not the dust catchers my horizontal blinds are!
The rest of my house has either drapes or faux blinds. Use what works best for your lifestyle.
franksmom_2010
13 years agoEh. We had them in a rent house with double sliding glass doors. They were totally practical, could be taken down and hosed off to deep clean them, complete light control, cat proof, and inexpensive to replace when one got damaged. If we had owned that house, I'm not sure if I would have replaced them with something else.
hopeful
13 years agoAre horizontal blinds out of date? I'm partial to roman shades, but I'm currently doing my guest bedroom, which is on the front of my home, and roman shades can be hard to manipulate if you're not used to them. I'm thinking about Hunter Douglas (2 in.) silouettes. Are they (or other horizontal blinds) in-style?
gsciencechick
13 years agoRegardless of if they're dated, they can often do the job. Our french doors had no privacy or security when DH bought the house, so he installed vertical blinds. It was the only thing that would fit the space. We could open them up during the day when we were home to let in natural light. When closed, they're opaque.
We just had new french doors installed with the blinds between the glass, so no more vertical blinds. I tried to donate them to Habitat Re-Store, but they wouldn't take them.
sewwhatsnew
13 years agoI would take verticals down and replace with a one way draw drapery panel on rings. Much nicer IMO.
izzie
13 years agoHave them. Yes dated. they do have some nicer custom ones that don't look so bad, I have the cheaper in stock ones from a big box store, Home Depot. For me they are just practical. Have been considering hanging some light sheers to soften them that would be easy to wash. I have 2 cats and two large windows that need curtains, which would get hair on them too much to clean practically.
dianalo
13 years agoMine are on order, so I guess I am for them, lol. I ordered roman shades, pleated blinds and one set of verticals. They are for our front bay window and I wanted to be able to put seasonal display items out front (mostly Halloween and Xmas) so we could not do inside mounts up by the windows. We also like being able to peek out to the front door while not really being seen. Drapes are too much of a blank wall from the outside when closed.
I did remove the verticals from all our other rooms, so my vote is a yes, but in moderation. In our defense, we removed the vinyl kind from the POs and replaced the one set with fabric. Hopefully, that is less '80s....kelpmermaid
13 years agoPersonally, I don't care if they are "dated". They do serve the purpose with light, and they are clean. The don't get dusty or harbor smells like drapes, and with a pet bird, they are practical. There may be softer finishes, but I like clean lines. I do have plantation shutters on the front windows of the house, though. If I ever get around to replacing the windows on the back rooms (bedrooms), then I'll look at options. For now, they are staying.
pamela928
13 years agoThere are new verticals made of sheer fabric with the vertical plastic ribs inserted into pockets in the fabric. I thought they looked very good...like drapes when they're open and completely opaque when closed.
I may choose them because I have waterfront windows that need directional sun control, but we still want to somewhat see the view. And we need total blackout in bedrooms. Drapes allow too much light leakage for me.gsciencechick
13 years agoI concur on the advantages with pets! With our horizontal wood blinds on the windows, I occasionally have to replace a slat when one of the cats gets too aggressive with trying to peek out the window at something and a slat cracks. Luckily, I saved extra slats when I shortened them.
Also, easy to clean.
With the blinds between the glass, we leave them up a tiny bit at the bottom so the cats can see out.
pjtexgirl
13 years agoI personally never really liked vertical blinds or sliding doors. I like french doors with curtain panels secured to the door.
However, it's YOUR house. You know what you live with and what goes with YOUR taste in design. It would be easy to draw the eye away/blend in functional venetian blinds with the right layout.
I'm going to tear out some laminate counter tops in the kitchen and install 4" ceramic tile in beige with a light colored,sealed grout. I KNOW it's dated. I don't like wood, stone, concrete,or solid surface. I love the classic look of tile. I want it in a neutral color so I can change the color of the walls and my rather loud taste in wall art/pieces on a whim without worrying about matching. When I'm done the counters will "disappear" into the design I have planned. I second guessed myself until I looked back through my kitchen design pictures I'd collected. A lot of them had 4" tile and looked anything but dated! I only noticed the tile after I went looking for it through the pics I'd already saved.
If venetian blinds go with your design they will look good. If you throw them up with no thought or care, they will look like a cheap apartment. Look through some pictures and see what you like. You might be surprised what you find.jjam
13 years agoDated, yes, but we have them all over our beach house. With 4 sets of sliding doors, and a need for intense sun control, (plus the fact that they came with the house) I'm so glad to have them. I honestly don't even mind the way they look there, but then again, I like my vinyl floor in the kitchen, laminate countertops, and laminate cabinet doors there too. At the beach it's all about what looks clean, fresh, and uncluttered, and I like the way they can disappear totally or let in as much light as you want. On a sliding door, I don't know of anything else that will allow you that much flexibility.
pricklypearcactus
13 years agoPersonally, I do not like them. I had them on my large sliding door from my family room to my back yard. The ones I had were decent: fairly heavy and covered in some sort of woven material. However, they were frustrating and (in my opinion) ugly/dated. We have a large dog and she goes in and out through that door. They were forever getting shut in the door, or spun around and tangled so they would not close. They were always dirty from the dog and people going in and out through them. Visually, they did not add anything to the room.
I replaced the vertical blinds with machine washable grommet drapes. I actually selected outdoor drapes because they are supposed to be stain resistant and easy to care for.
{{!gwi}}
The grommet drapes are easy to slide back and forth on the rod, so they are very easy to open and close; much easier than the vertical blinds. They can go in the washing machine and dryer so the few times my dog has been able to get something yucky on them, I have been able to easily take them down and throw them in the washer. They are thick enough to provide light control, privacy, and keep the heat/cool in during the winter and summer. The grommets allow the drapes to fold up tightly when pulled back away from the window to let in all of the light.kswl2
13 years agoThe question was, Are they instyle or out?
Not whether they are functional.There's no question vertical blinds are out of favor/style right now. But if you have them, they serve a purpose and you like them, there's no reason to be offended by the question and the honest answers, imo.
I have a brass chandelier in my DR that is most assuredly "out." I like it and don't take offense at the many posters who consider bright brass an affront to decorating, lol! :)
catkin
13 years agopricklypearcactus, where did you find your outdoor curtains with grommets? Thanks!
susanjf_gw
13 years agolol last year i still had my mini blinds (omg they were 20 years old) thanks to a neighbor with an annoying light, they're finally gone!
mjsee
13 years agoI have a brass chandelier in my DR that is most assuredly "out." I like it and don't take offense at the many posters who consider bright brass an affront to decorating, lol! :)
But brass is making a comeback...which was my point. If one waits long enough...it all circles back again.
Mary Mercer
8 years agoSorry, I've had horizontal blinds for many years before the vertical and they are a pain. Not only do they collect dust, the cords tangle and the slats twist. I really don't care if verticals are currently in "vogue", every style comes and goes.
erinsean
8 years agoI am with Mary....took down all of my horizontal blinds. Have verticals in one room and love them......Would not hesitate to have them in other rooms also.
debo_2006
8 years agoGot rid of our verticals years ago. I, too, felt they were dated. I put up two heavier curtain panels that have grommets. They slide open and closed extremely easy and look good as they tend to hold their folds as they slide (or perhaps I've trained them well). It's simple and inexpensive, and works for our kitchen. Also, I am able to close one side and leave the other open based on my and privacy needs.
cupofkindnessgw
8 years agoIt's very good, that's for sure. Love the idea of grommet curtains over sliding doors/adjacent windows, for example.
forhgtv