(Source: McClatchy/Tribune)
DEAR MI-LING: I recently moved into a new home and my bathroom window faces the street. The windows in my bathroom are large and covered with wood blinds.
When the blinds are closed, it's fairly dark and it doesn't allow me to take advantage of the natural light or the view of the woods from the street.
Is there anything I can do to bring in more natural light and still maintain privacy? The thought of someone being able to see me in my bathroom feels kind of creepy.
_ Shy
DEAR SHY: I can totally relate to your situation and I find it interesting that a builder would place a master bathroom window facing the street.
It's a little weird when you pass a home that has a front-facing window with a bathroom and you see the silhouette of someone.
You can do a couple of things to solve this problem.
Install a pair of blinds that can be lowered from the top and raised from the bottom. This will allow you to take advantage of the morning sun without allowing someone to gaze through your window.
However, this idea won't work if your neighbor has a view from a second-floor room.
You could also install glass-block windows with solid wood or metal frames for a no-mess, no-grout option.
The beauty in the glass blocks stems from the fact that you can design a pattern that will suit your design style. Most are available in 6- or 8-inch blocks, with triangles.
However, these options will not allow you to take advantage of the view of the street. One option that will still give you a view: Use a safety film that will appear to be blacked-out from the outside, though you can see the view perfectly from your bathtub.
I hope that's not too creepy.
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To contact Mi-Ling or listen to her radio show "Mi-Ling's Comfort Zone" visit www.ComfortZoneRadio.com.
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(c) 2009, Mi-Ling Stone Poole
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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