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The Old House Remodeling Design Dilemma

Privacy glass door for city condo backdoor replacement

last year

Hi friends,

I'm embarking on a major remodel of my San Francisco condo. It is a 2-unit 130 year old Victorian buildling, so I have decades of odd patches, additions, and shoddy repairs to smooth out. The 'HOA' is just myself and the one other unit upstairs, so I'm not constrained by rigid HOA rules about exterior doors. I can mostly do whatever I want.

My back door is right next to my bathroom, since this place was built before indoor plumbing and the bathroom was added to the back of the building, super common here. Right now, the backdoor is solid on the bottom and has a big window on the top. It opens out onto the back stairs, and if the folks upstairs are walking down the backstairs they can't help but looking straight into my place, including the bathroom if the door isn't closed. So our eyes can meet in the mirror if I'm drying my hair and they walk down the stairs take their garbage out, etc. I have a white cafe curtain on the current door window for privacy. The backstair case structure shelters the view from any other neighbors seeing in. In terms of my view out of the door window all I see in the upper stairs coming down, I can't see my garden from that angle, so I'm not missing out on a pretty view.

New Door: I think I want one that is mostly glass, one big window pane, as this is a dark corner. But for privacy I'm thinking some type of pebbled glass, rain glass, etc. Has anyone done this? Am I bonkers?

Comments (4)

PRO
Sabrina Alfin Interiors
last year
You could simply get a single Shaker panel painted door with a frosted glass inset panel. It will give you the privacy you want but still let the light in.
Fori
last year
I think it's a great idea. I have a (clear) glass door and it does feel like it lets in more light than a half lite door.

I have bathroom windows with a pebbled rain glass and it's private enough. It might be too casual for an old Victorian. Seeded or reeded or some other more old school "pattern" might work better, especially if you just want to obscure the view instead of blocking every trace of movement...I suppose insetting a stained glass panel is kind of ridiculous if you just want more light. :)

(For now you should put some window film on your current door.)
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Ha, if only our dog liked to be on his own in the backyard---he's a big wuss (shh, don't tell the robbers!) and gets anxious and cries if he has to stay outside by himself when we're inside. He practically had a meltdown earlier this week when we had to shut him in the garage for two days straight (only during the working hours, of course!), since it was pouring and the guys plastering the kitchen wanted to come and go through the front door since it chopped off a bunch of walking-around-house-in-rain time...having the dog underfoot complicated that plan, so out he went. He also, more problematically, knows how to open our garden gate and has been known to come to the front door to ask to be let in if he thinks his whimpering at the backdoor is not being heard (read: is being ignored) so I would be a little nervous leaving him alone in case he took off completely to find us, too. Ah, well. Someday I will have a dog who likes to sleep in a dog house and will wait patiently for me outside the grocery store...but it's sure not this one! :)
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No venting windows, and none needed. There's a 220cfm exhaust fan to get humidity out. In Texas, I just can't imagine any reason why I would want to let hot air and bugs in, either.
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Ghostly vision, I used gallery glass crystal clear and leading strips as well as the liquid lead. It was super easy. Just google it and you will see some very easy tutorials. I am super sloppy. If I can do it, anyone can!
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The back doors to my house goes out to a private patio that is only accessible through a locked gate.The amount of privacy each choice gives me is on their scale of a 7 but the house beside us is far enough away that they can't see into my house and their is a large fence as well so the large gass panel won't be an issue We were just looking to change things up a bit as well probably more from the interior perspective Thanks for all the opinions .Appreciate the time you all took to respond
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PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
Do it. As sabrina notes just get a full light door with the pebbled or etched glass- it seems textured glass blocks some light and you might as well get all you can
Ally De
last year
Window film. I love the stuff. :)

It can be a DIY project if you are handy, or you can have it installed if you're not. There are approximately a million patterns and various layers of transparency, etc.

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