Small Home Gazette, Winter 2024
Letter From the Editor: Why Rich People Don’t Cover Their Windows
The Atlantic magazine recently ran a piece titled “Why Rich People Don’t Cover Their Windows.”* The reason, the writer asserts, is that well-off homeowners want to show off; show off their possessions—chandeliers, huge televisions, artwork—and show off how nonchalantly safe they feel. Who cares if passersby see your valuables when you have state-of-the-art security systems? Also, larger homes have more rooms, enabling occupants to retreat deeper into the interior for privacy. And when the hot summer sun beats in, people with money can afford to run air conditioning nonstop.
Reading this caused me to do a little introspection, because I like to pull the shades and curtains away from my windows—at least some of them, some of the time. My living room’s “piano windows” (the band of three windows at standing eye level), are never covered. I’m writing these words in my “office,” which is my bungalow’s four-season front porch. The small room has five large windows on three sides, all of them uncovered 24 hours a day. I spend a lot of time here, looking out. And passersby often look in.
I leave windows exposed for many reasons. The most obvious is that it’s nice to see the outdoors. After all, the Arts & Crafts philosophy entails an appreciation of nature and touts blurring the line between indoors and out. And, of course, there are well-documented health benefits from daylight exposure.
But I don’t leave windows uncovered because I want to show off. Or do I?
I admit to sometimes leaving my living room curtains open after dark because I think people might appreciate a glimpse of natural oak woodwork; of walls painted colors more soothing than stark white; and of period-appropriate light fixtures and lamps. None of this is expensive, but I hope others will see how nice bungalow interiors can look if you work with their intrinsic aesthetic instead of against it. If that’s showing off—guilty as charged.
But I also think open windows can be a subtle, but important, part of creating a sense of community. Sitting at my desk, I watch comings and goings on my street. When Marisa next door emerges to walk her dog, she may glance over and wave to me. Heck, sometimes her dog spots me and barks happily. I’ll stick my head outside to greet a neighbor I haven’t seen in a while or to compliment a neighbor’s garden as they tend it.
And I confess to enjoying a stroll at dusk while curtains are still open. (Admit it, so do you.) While there’s a fine line between an innocent glance and snooping, I find it reassuring to glimpse a domestic tableau, or a nicely outfitted interior, or a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.
I also like unshielded windows because they contribute to security. If people sense there are eyes on the street, they are less likely to snatch packages off porches or engage in other transgressions.
So, I have convinced myself that I leave my windows uncovered for healthy, purely altruistic reasons. And if I happen to be walking by one evening and glance into your window, I’ll be thinking the same of you.
*tinyurl.com/mts5n889, subscription required
