Tips and Advice

The experts share home privacy tips, so no more awkward eye-meets with the neighbours

Article by Your Home and Garden

Follow these home privacy tips to avoid over-sharing with your next-door neighbours

Your home is a sanctuary where you can completely relax, free from public view. But with sections getting smaller, home privacy is at more of a premium than ever. Without living in the dark, with permanently drawn curtains, how can we protect our privacy?

1. Window dressings

The first and easiest solution is window treatments.

“Sheer curtains have come a long way since the days of scratchy netting and lace, says interior designer Nikki Burnet of Kurio Design. “Either on their own or layered on a double track behind lined curtains, our favourite sheers to use are finely woven linen (or linen-look for high sun areas); styles that are free of pattern and embellishment, and have a soft, organic feel without any sheen.”

In a more modern home, you can achieve a similar effect with blinds – light-filtering roller or honeycomb blinds can be paired with block-out drapes or blinds. If the privacy issue is only through the lower panel of windows, consider cafe curtains to maximise light.
Nikki also loves shutters, which work in period and contemporary homes. Shutters offer a balance of privacy, light and view, and can be adjusted as you like.

“There are opportunities to look into window screens and shutters – think Moroccan timber screens, Japanese shoji styles, rattan or laser-cut metal panels,” says Nikki.

2. Glass houses

Think beyond clear glass in places where privacy is essential but views are not. “Reeded glass has had an enormous surge of popularity in the past few years. Stippled and pixelated glass styles are also great options, particularly well-suited to homes from the mid-20th century where patterned glass would not be out of place,” says Nikki.

For older homes, stained glass is entirely appropriate and a fabulous opportunity to express yourself with a unique piece of art.

As with curtains, Nikki suggests, if the window transom allows, you can use patterned or stained glass on the bottom section only, leaving the top part clear to maximise light.

A double-sided shelf unit can provide some privacy from passersby

3. Line of sight

If your home privacy is only impacted a little bit, or from a very narrow and specific angle, the solution might be as easy as rearranging the furniture. Try positioning lounge furniture so it’s angled inwards, avoiding accidental eye contact with passing strangers on the street, or move your desk so your computer is facing the wall and not the window.

Strategic screening can help close a narrow privacy gap, too. Position a tall and leafy palm as a filter, use bookshelves as a mini dividing wall, or close off a long line of sight (for example, from the front door to the backyard) with sliding doors.

Words: Shelley Trustin Photography: Are Media Syndication