Obscuring glass

[Cerise]

We’ve had all the downstairs internal doors changed to coordinate. We would like to increase privacy at the front so this door needs something done to it. It didn’t come in a frosted glass version unfortunately.

Film? Spray? Any recommendations? TIA!

[Cosmopolitan]

I've used film on a bunch of windows and it's cheap and very easy to apply so maybe give it a try first. Literally just a spray of water and a squeegee thing to put it on.

[Cerise]

I looked into buying manifestation film which can be applied straight on to the glass when we replaced our front door and surrounding glass, but in the end didn't. You can get lots of different designs to suit. I don't have a recommendation for a company, and you may want to get someone to apply it for you because air bubbles would drive you round the twist. I was going to get my mum to do it as she spent years putting sticky back plastic on textbooks .

I almost bought the same light fitting you have there, but A vetoed it in favour of something a bit plainer. Hmmph.

We’ve got the bigger one upstairs.

[Flora Poste]

We had the film on our street windows (inherited from when we bought the house) and it looked ok, but over time it started to look really grotty round the edges. It then discoloured really badly in direct sunshine (it went the sort of yellow-ish colour that looked like we were a bunch of heavy smokers) and was a total nightmare to remove as it had pretty much welded itself to the glass.

There may be better ones out there as I have no idea what the previous owners used (but I can pretty much guarantee it will have been the cheapest option)- but I'd be tempted to get the glass replaced instead for a long term fix.

[Froozy]

I put purlfrost film on my bathroom window in the last house and it was really straightforward. I’d add a credit card to Cos’ list to ease out any bubbles

[Pippedydeadeye]

I’ve got Purlfrost on my bathroom windows. It’s really good.

[Cosmopolitan]

I’d add a credit card to Cos’ list to ease out any bubbles

Yes! This is a good tip as well. B&Q have quite a few types of film and I've seen some lovely patterned ones on the internet as well so you can always choose something quite interesting.

[Cerise]

Brilliant, thank you! I have ordered a patterned one.

[Cerise]

Ta da! Thanks for helping!

[Squirrel]

I really love that. What was it like to install?

I may get it for our front door (WHICH IS BEING FITTED TOMORROW ) and possibly also for the door in between the kitchen and utility, where I'd like to still have light coming through but don't particularly want to look at the things that I have purposefully built a room in order to be able to shut away .

[Cerise]

It was really ok. I was quite nervous but the first one went on well and that made me feel better. The third was a bitch though.

I had them cut to size for me.

Oh and YAY! for a front door. When do you think you’ll move back?

[Cerise]

Discount!

[Squirrel]

Oh thank you! I would definitely get them cut to size too. Being extremely cack-handed as I am, trying to cut it myself would be a false economy.

We’re still a long way from moving back in unfortunately; it was meant to be April but long story short, we parted company with the builder so that delayed things. The new builder is refusing to commit to a date, which is probably sensible of him . Today I have ordered wallpaper and door knobs which all makes it feel like we may actually get to go home one day .

[Froozy]

That looks great, Cerise.

As a side note I didn’t get mine cut to size and it was surprisingly simple to do it myself. It comes on a gridded backsheet so is easy to cut down to slightly too big. Then you fix it in place and use a cd case and a stanley knife to slice the edges to the exact edge. I thought that was a safer approach than me measuring up

[Squirrel]

As a side note I didn’t get mine cut to size and it was surprisingly simple to do it myself. It comes on a gridded backsheet so is easy to cut down to slightly too big. Then you fix it in place and use a cd case and a stanley knife to slice the edges to the exact edge.

This actually doesn't sound too bad!

Our new front door is in and I think I want to go for plain frosting with a gap around the edge. Do you (all) think that it would look weird to only do the four lower windows, ie up to eye level, and leave the top unfrosted? Ideally I'd like to leave the top two unfrosted for light reasons. I guess we could always do the bottom four then decide later.

Our house with new door:
Knob and knocker to be attached tomorrow.

House front.jpg

The kind of frosting I mean:

someone else's door.jpeg

[la Fée Verte]

That looks really good, Cerise.

This is the view from my kitchen window after putting some film from Amazon over it; I really love it. It was super quick and easy.

[ParisGal]

How lovely! It's like a modern interpretation of an impressionist painting

[la Fée Verte]

It's also kind of like when I look out of the window without my specs on.

[Pippedydeadeye]

It’s a Monet! I love it. I had a Monet calendar that I cut all the pictures out of and blu-taked all over my bedroom.

[Shoe]

Ooh, I love that Fee.