Some folks don't care for it as they like to be able to look out. Have you looked at top down - bottom up shades?

I have a similar window, Long & narrow, in my master bathroom. I had obscure glass installed, never missed having the clear, can always open the window if I want ( which is most of the time due to our very mild climate. I like it.

Experiment with a piece of cardboard. Perhaps you would be happy with clear glass on the top third of the pane. Privacy film gives you (and possible future owners) choices.

I love to see outside. But I didn't want to scandalize the neighbors. I sort of stooped until my eyes were at the height of my shoulders, looked through my window to their window, and noted where that hit on the tile around the window. Used privacy film up to that point, clear glass above.

when working out window treatments for my bathroom, i put a line of tape on the window at the 1/3 down mark and walked around all the places in my bathroom to see what neighbors windows i can see. turned out there was no place in my bathroom that they still couldnt see down into my bathroom from their homes. and one day a bunch of guys were working on their roof! granted that doesnt happen often, but...!

Because this is a casement window and a small one at that, it's either get the obscure glass on the whole window or get it in clear glass and then add privacy options later. Sure, various blind options, stick-on window film, and the like are absolutely options. I personally don't care if it's all clear glass because of where it is and my height, but, again, since I'm spending a boatload of money on windows that will probably be here long after me, wanted to see what the consensus was on a permanent option.

Sounds like most people would want the option to see out, at least in part, so clear glass is the right choice, and then let future owners decide if they want to do blinds or stick-on privacy film? Even if I live here for 10 or 15 more years, we're talking high-end Pella windows here, so a future owner wouldn't need to replace them quickly, if at all, if the house turned over 2 or 3 times in 20-30 years...

^And, let's be frank, I live in a city, and people just tend to move more. Today, I think I'll be here for at least 7 years, maybe 10 or more, but I really don't know whether the future holds an awesome job opportunity in another city 3 years from now or destroying my leg in some way and having to move to a place where you don't have to walk a flight of stairs to pee (each floor of my house is only 580 ft2! That's the city for you!). I'm happy to make inexpensive decisions that suit me (like something I prefer in an appliance or a light fixture or what color the floors are stained (I have an awesome handyman who will refinish the floors into something more "normal" for ~$1000)), but things like windows are a commitment! This is certainly the cheapest of the windows, but whether or not to do the obscure glass I'm leaving up to a popularity contest.

I think your analysis is correct. Go with the clear and add window film or a window treatment rather than having obscure glass. Initially I thought the obscure glass would be the better solution, but with the ease of adding removable window film and/or a window treatment clear is as good an option.

And, actually, being totally ignorant of how far things are away by eyeball, I misspoke about how big my yard is. Apparently (according to the Google Maps measure tool) my back yard is *85* feet deep, then the alley is 16' wide, and the neighbor's yards across the alley are about 45' deep. So the total distance from my neighbor's windows to mine is ~150 feet. I didn't even realize a parking spot is almost 20' long, and I have a large yard with a parking pad at the end of it, while across the alley they have parking pads and large-ish decks. I suppose that all makes sense since my lot size pushes 2500 ft2, the footprint of my house is under 600 ft2, and I know it's ~21' wide.

I highly recommend the privacy type glass. If you are replacing your windows, then do it right now. A lot of builders don't pay attention to things like that, unfortunately. I have seen a standard window in a shower wall that faces the front of a brand new high dollar home. Really!! You might not mind it being that way, but your guests will feel very uncomfortable with it. Once that is done, there is not need for window treatments.

It doesn't matter how big you yard is, it should be a privacy window.

I think you're right, Denita. Leaving it as clear glass provides a ton of options, from blinds to valances to privacy film to nothing, where making it obscure glass is a final decision until the window is wholly replaced. I was comfortable making that choice for the front lower-level window (at eye level and only 11' from the sidewalk...every home on the block has obscure glass, privacy film, or curtains in that window), but the bathroom window is more of a question mark. If I were to sell and someone complained about it, I could always offer to install a durable privacy film, which would only cost a few dollars...

And then Teresa comes along with the counterpoint... I live in DC. Many homes for sale are builder-grade flips. Those builders don't pay attention to the fine details, and the way for an owner who renovates their own home to set their home apart on resale IS to pay attention to those fine details, especially those that will stick around long-term (windows, doors, systems, etc.). I get the benefit of better stuff while I live here, I get to market the better stuff when I sell down the line.

And I can still sell for less than a flip and make a profit. ;)

I need to make a decision by Friday...

And, for context, here is the bathroom. Don't focus on all the renovation that needs done to make it swanky, that will come (I can s***, shower, and shave in it now, so it'll do for now!), just to give you perspective on where the window is and how big it is.

That inset is really beautiful! Of course we have to have screens here in DC (not only required by code, but practically unless you want your house full of bugs if you open a window at all), but the flexibility of doing an inset, a film, a curtain, a blind, or nothing is what makes me lean toward just doing clear. The cost is so low as to be irrelevant, in perspective (less than half a percent of the project cost), but it just kind of squicks me out to be making a decision that will probably be in place for so long.

In the condo I last lived in before buying this house (which I sell this Friday!), I had a window IN the shower and it just had privacy film on the lower portion (it was a double-hung...bane of my existence since the top would slip down and I'd have to put step stool IN the bathtub to put the top back in place!). It worked fine for over 5 years, through all the humidity and direct sunlight (unobstructed southern exposure, so it got direct sunlight ~7 months/year), and I didn't mind it.

then you could prob get a vintage framed stained glass piece and just hang it from the ceiling to cover the lower part of the window. you'd have to position and hang it just right. there's many ways to do it, but it just depends how cute you want it.

I put a window film in my downstairs half bath as it was right near the front door. I opted for the film because I didnt know how i’d like it, or how my wife would either, and it was on a current window. It was like $20 so if I hated it, it would be an easy removal. I originally installed it over the whole window. I liked it, but strangely enough, my wife didnt because she could no longer see out the window. So i then trimmed it about 1 1/2” all around the edge for a reveal and the ability to see outside and now she likes it, and i think I like it better that way too.

I went with this film and we really like it. Good luck!

I regret getting privacy glass for my bathroom. It lets in less light and from the outside, it makes it very apparent which room is the bathroom.

its obvious enough which window is the bathroom... its the one with the person showering and brushing their teeth in.

anyway, my advice for EVERYONE is to go outside at night and have your spouse stand various places in the bathroom "and see what you can see". walk across the street, and imagine the view from upper windows across the street.

its nice to be able to see out during the day, but if you can see out in daytime, someone can see in at night. its that simple.

ninigret, well said.

Steve J, I looked at that company's films, lots of choices! Especially interesting are:

1) Looks like Silhouette blinds:

https://www.amazon.com/Rabbitgoo-Patterns-Privacy-35-4in-78-7in/dp/B010NBQRGG/ref=pd_sbs_107_22?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B010NBQRGG&pd_rd_r=22KXX11J9E02J8732ZCC&pd_rd_w=Jl394&pd_rd_wg=DjAKr&psc=1&refRID=22KXX11J9E02J8732ZCC

2) From the outside, looks like curtains:

https://www.amazon.com/Rabbitgoo-Privacy-Decorative-Non-Adhesive-Control/dp/B01LZLR4XF/ref=pd_sbs_107_16?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01LZLR4XF&pd_rd_r=22KXX11J9E02J8732ZCC&pd_rd_w=Jl394&pd_rd_wg=DjAKr&psc=1&refRID=22KXX11J9E02J8732ZCC

Very cool!

My two bathrooms almost face the street so not having obscure glass was not an option . I just had them installed and love them. I did the glass with the Vertical

lines. Its lovely! Glad we spent the extra money.