A Dilemma

photo at right via Whitehaven

The lot next door to my house has been sitting empty for a year now. There was a bungalow there that was torn down. A new house is finally starting (a work crew arrived today at 7:30am - it's going to be a difficult summer for my teens who like to sleep late!)

The dilemma I am facing is what to do about privacy in my eating area off of the kitchen? The new house will be built toward the back of the lot, and it is possible that the main living area of the new house will line up with my eating area windows - if so, it will be like sitting in a gold fish bowl. I will know more in the next few weeks when the foundation gets poured and the framing begins, but I like to be proactive and problem solve before the situation is unpleasant for us. We eat so many meals in the eating area/breakfast area off of the kitchen.


photo via Whitehaven

There are four options open to us:
1. Leave the windows bare, they are beautiful and who cares if our neighbors watch us eat?
2. Install woven wood blinds like the ones in my office area (they are not inexpensive though (last estimate I had was $2000 to cover all of the windows and I lose a lot of light).
3. Install cafe curtains on the bottom half of the windows to provide some privacy but keep most of the light (plus I can make these myself - I sew. Probably around $600).
4. Do nothing inside and plant Italian Cypress trees along the property line to provide a green screen. But this option is expensive, I haven't priced the trees, but I'm thinking at least $3000 b/c I need seven trees.

Would love to know what you all think? The windows are just so pretty and the light is so beautiful, but privacy is privacy...

Thoughts?

Option 1 - leave the windows as is:


Option 2 - Woven wood blinds like these:


image via Mrs Howard Personal Shopper


image via hgtv.com

Option 3 -Cafe Curtains:


via window blinds



image via Martha Stewart

Option 4 - Italian cypress trees:


Source