I was meeting with my window coverings vendor at a client's loft in Portland's Pearl District. We were measuring for shades to cover the floor to ceiling area of glass sliding doors with transom windows above them. I told him that my client wanted shades for the doors, but that so far I had been unable to convince her to also have shades made for the transom windows above, even though right across the courtyard of her building, other higher floors had a clear view down into her living room through the upper windows. He just shook his head and said, "I can't tell you how many clients have told me that they are completely unconcerned about anyone looking into their high-rise condo, only for me to see their pair of binoculars sitting on a table right by the window! Do they think they are the only ones who have those?"

So, you have floor to ceiling windows and a wonderful view, but unfortunately, so do your neighbors across the street. How do you afford yourself some privacy when you need it without giving up your light and your view? Although this posting is by no means an exhaustive list of ways to handle this, I want to share with you a couple of ideas that I absolutely LOVE!!

In this first photo of a bedroom in the Belmont Street Lofts, my client wanted some privacy while still being able to enjoy light and the view of those awesome leaves even when he was in bed. Look carefully at the windows. There are roller shades installed at the top of the windows where you would expect to see them ... but he also has a roller shade installed on the crossbar above the LOWER window. That way he can pull that one down, but leave the upper ones open while he is lying in bed. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of the shades closed ... sorry, this was taken before my blogging days started. :o)



This next loft also has roller shades. They have separate ones for each window. Notice that the one on the left is closed, while all the others are open. That's because the corner of their neighbor's loft juts forward. If their neighbor goes to stand there, it would be as if they had someone standing right outside their window, even though they are on the 8th floor! With the semi-transparent shade, they have light coming through and the neighbor cannot see in.



These lovely drapes in the Streetcar Lofts are on rods fixed on one end that can be swung open or closed without having to pull the drapes back and forth. There is a sheer drape and an opaque silk drape. Both can be gathered together at the center with a fabric holder that snaps, thereby exposing the view softened with the fabric, or the sheer can be left hanging down with just the silk portion gathered, which gives some privacy while admitting light. If both the sheer and silk drapes are down, they have total privacy, or the rods can be swung away from the windows opening up the view entirely. Quite a bit of versatility!

 

Another type of window treatment I love for contemporary spaces are the sliding window panels. These are high-end Chilewich brand panels, photo courtesy of The Shade Store. They can be slid independently to close or open as much of your window as you like. Ikea also has the hardware and panels for a very affordable option.

The last option I want to show are the shades that slide either up or down. These come in varying styles, both translucent and opaque. A set of these combined with opaque drapes would give you all sorts of options to block out whatever portion of your window you like. Photo courtesy of The Shade Store.

I hope you've enjoyed these. Again, there are lots of options out there to meet every need.

By the way, I have been receiving emails requesting decorating advice, due to these posts. Since this is what I do for a living, I am delighted to be able to help people who find me here. So, I am offering a 20% discount off my normal hourly rate of $75 per hour for my "Virtual Decorating" service to ActiveRain members only. Please view my website at Pangaea Interior Design, Model Home Decor and Home Staging to see more of my work.

Please see my related posts at:

Defining Space, Not Dividing Space - Home Staging & Interior Design Tips for Lofts / Open Plan Homes -Part #1

Soaring Ceilings ... What on Earth to Do With Them?! - Home Staging & Interior Design Tips for Lofts / Open Plan Homes -Part #2