Most people are not keen on having outsiders looking in on their living room or kitchen.  In our family privacy is important, so we have always placed emphasis wherever we reside on our need for privacy from the outside world and security for our family. One thing that has been a great help in this over the years is privacy window film! 

There are some times when we've moved into a house, even on a fairly temporary basis, and we've needed to do some quick cover-up of windows and glass doors. Thankfully we've always been able to come up with some type of opaque privacy window film fairly easily, which has made our goal of maintaining privacy for our family easy to reach.

I remember the days when you were very limited as to the type of opaque privacy window film you could find, but nowdays there are absolutely gorgeous designs available. This means that not only can you have more respite from prying passersby, but you can also really decorate your windows and glass doors with some really fantastic designed window film.

There's really no limit to the type and style of privacy window film on the market.  One of the most popular, which has been around ever since I can remember, is the opaque privacy window film.

This is usually measured according to how much light the paper will let back into the room through the window.  The more opaque films naturally let in less percentage of sunlight.  White frosted opaque privacy window film generally lets in around 70% of the light and is the hardest of the opaque window films to see through. Thus it's an ideal choice for areas such as front glass doors, bathroom doors, windows and even showerstalls, etc.  If you're looking for something that will still let in a fair amount of somewhat muted light, yet keeps your privacy at an optimum level you could try this type of paper.

Plain frosted window film, on the other hand, let's anywhere up to 90% of the light in. It's still useful for especially windows or doors where you want optimum light coming into the room but still a measure of privacy.

Another popular type of privacy film is the reflective privacy window film that, when applied to a window reflects like a mirror while still allowing people to see what's going on outside. This type of privacy film is also often used on car windows (when legally allowed) in some countries.  An added benefit to this type of window film is that it can also filter out a lot of UV rays, up to 95% in some instances, and acts as a t ype of insulation too as it filters out actual heat rays.

Not only is privacy window film great for giving you added privacy, but it is often used for more decorative purposes also.

Some of the film itself is beautifully designed. One style is to have an opaque film with a different colored pattern on the paper. My favorite is where the colored pattern blends in well with the window film and enhances the appearance. I'm not fond of gaudy or overly bright colored patterns on the window film, unless you're going for a stained or pattened glass window effect. But something subtle, a mere accent or hint of color can really lift the appearance of an otherwise drab window.

Then there are the privacy window films that have designs, still in the opaque film, on them such as beautiful flower designs or other scenic type patters. These are not as intrusive as the window film with colored designs, but they can really set off a window or door.

Some of the more creative decorating I've seen done with privacy window film is using cutouts to decorate a part of a window or door, for example as a trim around a window. Alternatively, occasionally only the bottom half of a window needs covering, and the rest can be left as plain glass.

So, don't be limited in what you do with your privacy window blinds. Have fun and decorate, be imaginative and creative.  Why have a drab window, when with a little creativity and planning you can turn your window into a decorative feature window in your home.