The Best Light Refracting Window Covering Trends

WINDOWS are wonderful – letting light into our homes and hopefully also giving us interesting views to enjoy.

But, of course, if we can see out, others can potentially see in.

And depending on what we use the room in question for, that may not be especially desirable.

How do we make the trade off between enjoying natural light in our homes while also keeping private affairs away from the eyes of passers by?

Window film provides a great – and surprisingly affordable – solution to this trade off, giving us all the benefits of natural light bit also providing a screen of privacy, ideal for the bathroom.

Styles range widely for privacy films and include fully opaque, frosted tinted and mirrored. Each have their pros and cons – tinted feature a variety of shades of black, mirrored is reflective, creating a two-way mirror, frosted is translucent, allowing in light but blurs shapes, and opaque blocks light and shape.

The film is also easily and conveniently cut to size, meaning you have a lot of choice about how to use it – perhaps covering whole windows in a downstairs restroom or only part of the window in an upstairs one, to obscure shape lower down but have full natural light entering the room higher up and away from the danger of unintentional exposure.

And, of course, film adheres to any glass style surface, so it is not restricted to just windows – shower screens are also popular choices, especially in bathrooms used by many people.

Film allows discreet coverings where curtains are not appropriate, or blinds take up too much space.

Reflective films allow you the choice to see outside but prevent others from seeing in by creating a two-way mirror. But – and there is a catch – these work by exploiting different brightness levels between inside and outside. So, during the day, with brighter light outside, you see out and others cannot see in. Flip to nighttime, with brighter light inside the room, and the effect is reversed – you cannot see out, but others can see in.

Unlike curtains, which will absorb all the moisture present in a bathroom and potentially become a breeding ground for bacteria, or blinds and the dust they catch, films are very low maintenance. They are unaffected by steam or water, and do not mold or mildew – and are super easy to clean just as you would glass or a mirror.

With modern printing technology, films are eminently customizable and come in a huge variety of colors patterns and textures including etching, cutting, sandblasting and more – allowing you to create the perfect custom look for your room. Installation is as easy as a spray bottle of water and detergent and a squeegee to get a nice bubble-free contact. Some films even include protection from ultra-violet light, screening it out to protect your skin and cutting back fading on other materials in your room.

Films are pretty cheap and very flexible in their application and design, and a great practical alternative for privacy in rooms where curtains are not the best option.