How to choose the best sidelight window treatments for pets and privacy is a simple and practical DIY solution to your front entry door with side windows that anyone passing by can see right into your home at night when the lights are on, and these are the same front door with side windows (often misspelled as side lights on a front door) that your pets love to look out of and basically rip down any sidelight window treatments you put on the window panels on the door sides!
Products were provided by Blindster.Com, DIY Project and images are my own.
*Please note, due to lighting, change of window coverings, sunny and not sunny days, nighttime photoshoots, and daytime photo shoots, the colors on these images will all be different. It would be impossible to get the same lighting on any day. I did not alter any of these photos, I wanted you to see the real deal. Lighting is just lighting.
It all comes down to a one thing for homeowners who have front doors with side windows yet their pets crave a view outdoors while the homeowner craves privacy and that is known as options!
Our quest today is based around finding both a privacy solution for your front door with sidelight panels and at the same time the best option for pets who like to look out the sidelight windows.
Trust me when I say that the front door with side light DIY window treatment idea I am about to share is an affordable, easy DIY and the best option for pets who like to like out the sidelight windows and homeowners who want light by day and privacy by night are simple window treatments that offer both privacy at any time of the day and the ability to allow your dogs and cats views of the outside so they can bark, purr, snarl, and run around with excitement!
Why You Need The DIY Window Treatment Solution For Sidelight Windows
- when you need clothes that are downstairs and you have to pass by the front door but want to stay undressed to grab them
- your kids run around without all of their clothing on
- you deserve privacy from the outside world but if the lights are on and the sidelight panels on your front door are not covered you have zero privacy
- for the times you want to pretend you are not here (sometimes we all do this!) and the doorbell rings, the person at the front door can see right in, ugh!
- to allow your cat, cats, dog, or dogs to look outside when they please
- you’ve tried using other window treatment solutions (sheers for side light windows and blinds for front door side windows) but the pets rip them down and they are then destroyed as it is a never-ending battle
Why You’ll Love The Best Sidelight Window Treatments for Pets and Privacy
- a very easy DIY
- can install this sidelight treatment for your front door in about an hour
- no special tools really needed
- once installed it truly offers a perfect privacy solution for your front door with sidelights
- cats and dogs will have no issues looking out the windows while you will have complete privacy on demand
DIY Window Treatment Solution For Sidelight Windows: Material Needed To Solve The Privacy and Pet Issues
- a drill to drill the frame into place
- tape measure to properly align the frame and sidelight shutter
- pencil
- about an hour – about the time it took us to actually hang the sidelight plantation shutters
- a mini vacuum (for the sawdust) to clean
What Items To Purchase To Have The Best Sidelight Window Treatments for Pets and Privacy
- visit the Blindster.Com online store for fabulous window panels on the side of your entry doorway
- purchase faux window plantation shutters
How To Add The Best Sidelight Window Treatments For Pets and Privacy
Go into this DIY with a game plan, meaning learn the colors, how the faux wood plantation shutters work to create both effective privacy for you and your family on your side panel windows of your entry door and how wonderful the shutters constructed from faux wood are for pets to see out of without being ripped down!
Step 1: Order Samples Of Color Options On The Wood Of the Faux Wood Plantation Shutters
Order samples from Blindster to make sure the color options would match our existing window wood slats.
Once the samples arrived, we chose the color and then worked online at Blindster.Com to submit our simple measurements, it’s that fast and easy as well as painless!
If your next question after ordering is, “how hard is this really going to be to install?” don’t worry it was our first thought too, but being honest, if you can wield a drill and a level, you’ve got this!
Step 2: Arrival Of The Entry Door Sidelight Window Coverings
When the boxes arrive set the contents on the floor and begin assembling the frames for the sidelight shutters made of faux wood for the side windows on your front door.
To construct the frame of the shutter itself takes just 15 minutes after you unpack them plantation shutters made of faux woods.
The shutter frame is super smooth, not rough, and I was already thinking about how I would clean them (with a Swiffer)
Step 3: Hang The Faux Wood Plantation Shutters On The Side Windows of The Entry Door
You will need 2 people to hang the shutter frame, one to hold it, and one to do the drilling and leveling.
You may even be making adjustments as you go as we did, but that is fine, it is all part of the process.
Step 4: Putting the Pins In The Sidelight Plantation Shutters
See the hinges on the left?
We have pins for them and we will place the shutters in there. Get ready this DIY is almost done!
You do want to know that in order for the shutters to function properly or have the right ‘fall’ you’ve got to get the frames on level, otherwise the door won’t open and close properly.
We placed one pin in at a time and then retested it to make sure it was both level and plumb.
Other Failed DIY Window Treatment Solutions For Sidelight Windows that Failed Miserably
I am not perfectly skilled at every DIY and well, I tried a lot of things to cover those side panel windows on our front door but they all failed, see if any of these sound familiar.
- Using holiday decor to try to cover the door with side windows did not work, as there was minimal coverage
- Trying to use sheers turned out to not be the best option for pets who like to look out the sidelight windows because our pet actually ripped them down!
- We also tried stained glass to cover the entry door sidelights but that was a no go as well.
Honestly, at best, the seasonal stuff provided minimal coverage, but it was a start and as I reflect on it now, really, we might as well have just let the front door open as well and said, “welcome world!”
Nothing was covering those windows enough to block out the lights at night and that is ridiculous.
There had to be other ways.
While the sheers were a great attempt I have to tell you, I had no idea a cat could be so destructive as she literally figured out to jump on the bottom rail and used her claws to move them out of the way.
But, as with any attempt at a DIY, I look for better ways to do things and I struck gold when I found the sidelight shutters for my entry door.
Before + After Best Sidelight Window Treatments for Pets & Privacy!
There’s nothing more telling in a DIY than the before and after photos, don’t you agree?
Don’t pay attention to the color of the photo our LED lights at night are what make the difference but I was taking photos as we did this DIY and I wanted to share them with you.
The change is dramatic and I really think it has a more clean, pulled together and overall private feeling.
Pet Owners Triumph the Versatility of The Best Sidelight Window Treatments for Pets and Privacy
- The lever in the middle opens and closes the shutters.
- There are 2 panels, and the 2 panels are ONE solid piece, allowing us to choose to open both, or we can open one and shut the other!
- You can open the whole shutter and let the pets look outside during the day and at night, CLOSE the panels for privacy.
- If you want daylight in open the levers and allow the light to shine
- Keep the shutters closed on days that the sun is too strong to keep the front hall cooled
Your privacy solution for your front door with side windows has been solved becuase you can adjust your levels of privacy every hour of the day, every day of the week!
Pets will LOVE the new DIY you install with the sidelight window plantation shutters made of faux wood becuase if they slobber on or near them they know their ownders can easily clean them by wiping so not a big deal and the best part of all is the shutter itself.
The sidelight window faux wood plantation shutters can be opened so they can see through the windows without ripping anything down for their doggie viewing pleasure!
Our Cat & The Sidelight Plantation Shutters
Little Bella is thrilled and as soon as I open the panel during the day so she can look outside and be nebby.
Of course, I do not always open it, but it gives her the freedom to watch the chipmunk while NOT destroying my window treatments.
Cats will love the ability to see outside without having to rip through blinds wiht their claws or rip down sheers that are just in their cat nosiness way!
So whether you have a cat or a dog, or you are craving privacy from your front door with side light window panels, the best solution are these fabulous sidelight plantation shutters that have mutliple options for allowing the light to shine in and pets to see out of!
I love this feature and so will you if you have you have a cat or dog who loves to look out, and you’ll soon understand why these are the best window treatment solutions for pets and privacy once you install them!
Make Sure To Come Back and Tell Me How The Best Sidelight Window Treatments For Pets and Privacy Work For You!
This is the part of my job I love the most, hearing from you.
So many people tell me how things worked for them, how they used the ideas and what it helped or did not help, it’s feedback and I love it!
Hope to hear from you soon. ~ DANA xo
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