Door & Privacy/Lighting Problem! Any Suggestions For a Non-Decorator?

[ranchhand]

Time to face the music and admit it in public....
I am the world's WORST at decorating a home! There, I said it.

I am real big on functionality, but all my taste is in my mouth, (as Mom always said).

We have a gorgeous, huge, mahogany front door with a leaded glass insert. All of the insert is clear textured and beveled glass. The door is on the north side of the house and under an 8 foot porch overhang. The whole front of the house is pretty dark. I work in the LR the majority of the time and the fact that anyone coming to ring the bell can see all through the house really bothers me. Because when you look through that door window you can see me and the rest of the house!

After several encounters with uhm, unsavory and/or unwelcome characters at the door, I want to block their sight. DH wants the light coming in and so do I. So the parameters are as follows,

Light transmission
Fastened at top and bottom, don't want something swinging all the time.
Privacy from potential viewers.
Hopefully no long term damage to the door. (in case we sell someday)

The best I can come up with is a really busy patterned lace curtain, shortened, and fastened top and bottom. But that will mean holes in the door to hold both rods! The house is a 110+ year old sharecropper's house, very rustic. The door was a later addition. The freakin' storm door has a bar right through the middle of the leaded glass, too. Ick.

We like the rustic, but there are some odd pieces of furniture mixed in, I inherited Mom's Queen Anne style stuff too.

Yeah, mixes real well with rustic Texas stuff...... NOT!

Anyway, all suggestions welcomed and appreciated!

Here's the problem door-

 

[silkiechicken]

Sorry I'm not very constructive... we just taped white paper over our door windows at the condo. LOL

Good luck!

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:

I thought about it! My sister did it at her house, I think I heard Mom scream in the distance.......

 

[Katy]

I have the perfect solution......take it off and send it to me!!! Then I'll send you my butt ugly door to replace it.

Seriously tho....I'm no good at decorating either!

 

[WingingIt]

I'm not much good at this either. The only way I can think of to block it without putting any holes in the door itself would be to install a long curtain rod on the wall above the door and extend it out several inches on each side. That would let you put up a full size curtain (but it would cover the entire door, not just the glass) and then slide the curtain over to one side or the other to open the door.

Now, watch. Someone with talent will come along and present a perfectly logical, easy and brilliant idea.

 

[Amyable]

Window film. This is what DH does for a living; he uses top-grade 3M films. They make opaque decorative films that give a frosted glass look. It still lets in light, but you cannot see through it. It won't harm the door or the glass, and it's removable. There, problem solved

 

[AllTheseCreatures]

Regarding the full size curtain, my great grandmother had a curtain like that on the outside door to her parlor, but it's purpose was to reduce the draft. A big, heavy curtain she swiped to the side to open the door. It looked nice. It had a brass rod and brass rings and the curtain was velvet. The only marks would be in the wall from the hanging the rod. The curtain could be pulled all the way to the side so the hinges didn't mark the fabric when the door was opened. In the summer, the curtain was pulled to the side all the time to let the light in. You could do the same thing with shears or your busy lace.

You can buy privacy window film. But it wouldn't work so well when the lights are on inside at night and it would be tricky to install on that lovely glass.

 

[wildeflowers]

I have a few ideas!

I agree with the window film. That stuff is wonderful. You could cut pieces to fit the glass that is not opaque. I'm not sure if it would be tricky to apply to bevels, which from your pic, I think you have. There's also a frosting spray. I've used that in the past. You could tape off what you don't want frosted. It is tricky to apply, too, but the good news is that it wipes off if you do it immediately, so if you have any overspray you can get it off. Also, there is a way to remove it if you ever choose to restore the door to it's original glass.

You could replace the screen door on the outside with a full glass one, just get one that is completely frosted. Unfortunately, you will not longer see the beautiful door from the outside.

I thought I had another idea, but now I can't remember. Geez, I must be getting old.

 

[Whispering Winds]

Isn't there some stuff you can spray, sort of like the Xmas snow, only its opaque? Cleans off with vinegar. . .go to mileskimball.com and see if she has anything in her catalog. She sells all sorts of weird stuff and that might be one of them. The sticky frosty stuff if great, but don't know if it peels off well.

I was going to suggest a magnetic curtain rod for the busy lace but the wood door takes care of that!! The curtain over the door might be a thought. Only in use when you are working . . .I am the same way, want NO one able to look in my door. I want my blinds shut too, cannot stand the thought of being watched unbeknown. No reason, no lurking childhood horror, just like my privacy to the fullest extent.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

What about something like decoupage--mod pougae. Just paint it over the clear parts of the door in a swirly pattern. Let it dry. TADA! Light gets through, but you can't really see through it without thinking you need glasses!