Whats the big deal about having your curtains open/shut?

CharlieRabbit01

Every window on my ground floor flat is located where anyone can look into them either by mearly walking down the road or past our windows to access the block, so my blinds are only ever open when we are cleaning the windows.

We're moving house next week to another ground floor flat and people (friends, family etc) have comented that since our windows are further back with a patch of garden between them and the road we'll be able to open our curtains now!

I'll open them if I like. With the horrible wooden windows and single glazing I anticipate keeping them closed most of the colder months to keep the heat in.

celyn90

lostinrates wrote: »

Personally, I would also be wary of knocking the door at a house with closed day time curtains, as I would wonder of the person were sleeping and might not want to be disturbed.

Me too - I would assume they were working nights and needed to sleep.

It's touch and go if I bother opening them or not though. If I am working in the lounge, they will be closed as the light bounces off the laptop screen. The room is south facing, so it gets so horribly hot too.

marisco_2

I lived in a house years ago that was along a village street and we would get many passers by. Some were quite blatant in the way they looked in. My ex and I got pickled one night and lay in wait for the next person to peer in and have a stare. Along came a right nosy blighter and we jumped up and shouted boo! I have never seen someone look as if they had taken off with shock before :rotfl:In the end we got fed up of feeling exposed and installed shutters.

In my current property we have few people going past. I have a large front garden so dont feel overlooked. I close the blinds at night because it makes me feel cosy. During the day they stay open though as I like to let as much natural light as possible flood in.

jackyann

I can't see any comments from anyone who was brought up in a very hot, bright environment.
I am of the generation that was brought up to shut curtains for bereavement; and many neighbours use the open curtain as a signal that a frail elderly person living alone has got up that morning. So I see why someone would worry about curtains being closed in the day.

I have, however, visited many houses where people (especially those from Africa) would keep their curtains closed all day so as not to fade the furniture. I found the rooms unpleasant, with closed curtains and the electric light on; however, these were nice people who liked their home! So I examined why I found it so unpleasant and realised that it was both my association of closed curtains with death and illness; and that in the UK we mostly want as much natural light as we can get!

Of course, I don't think one should pass comment on how other people do things. However, if someone who likes to keep their curtains closed is aware of why others are disconcerted by it, it might not hurt to mention:
"oh, I work shifts" or "I know some don't like it, but I prefer it to passers by seeing in". Some people who comment may be interfering busy bosies, but some may simply be concerned neighbours - my family were very grateful for the neighbour who, on her way out to work, always checked that my elderly father's curtains were open.

kate1976

I keep my curtains closed due to having a stupid mutt who if the curtains were open he'd just sit and bark at anyone who 'dared' walk down the street, bark at trees blowing in the wind, bark at cats/dogs/ants so yes it's easier to keep them closed, plus nosy neighbours also keep them closed.

Alchemilla

Curtains closed so one can see the tv. Or if persons/people are naked downstairs.

busiscoming2

Personally I only have curtains in my bedroom and the spare room. Ours is a townhouse and so not necessary in the Lounge and DS2 has a blind which he hardly ever closes.

I hate curtains closed unless someone is in bed or can't see the tv etc properly.
I always think the people who have curtains closed during the day have them closed for these reasons.

System

Always closed

I get paranoid people can see me, and have accidently walked in naked before..only to realise there is a bus/tram full of people outside.

Though my mum has always had them open during the day and closed at night.

thunderbird

Norma_Desmond wrote: »

We've got wooden venetian blinds that are kept sort of half-and-half; our house fronts on to a little lane that leads to the coast path.

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That sounds idyllic!


As for curtains - always open during day light. Seems weird not to.

Lagoon

It looks like I'm one of very few people to prefer curtains to be closed! I can't relax with them open. My house is my private space and I don't like the idea of other people being able to see in. Our lounge curtains and bedroom curtains are closed constantly, though I do have the curtains open in the office because that's not a space I'm relaxing in anyway, and the sunlight is preferable to artificial lights and glowing PC screens.

I have thought about it a few times, actually. I do wonder how it looks to neighbours when we have our curtains constantly closed, but I know that on the occasion I do go to stand at the window just to enjoy the view, my eyes do end up drawn to windows and I don't like the idea that others are looking in even if they're not deliberately doing so!