What with all the inspiration online, it's easy to spend hours immersed in beautiful photos, but I've recently been trying to slow down, pay attention, and find muses in the real world. Consequently, I've realized that my daily walks through my neighborhood inspire some of my best ideas, and it's often these glimpses into other people's homes that give me the best insight into my own.
Last week, Tess posted about mooching off neighbors' holiday cheer, and a few weeks ago, Jenny from Little Green Notebook wrote about getting inspiration for her new chandelier from a neighbor's lilac beauty. And I'm certain that they aren't alone in their curiosity; I'll be the first to admit that I've gotten plenty of ideas just by paying attention to the homes of others while I walk or ride my bike around the neighborhood.
Since I've started writing for Apartment Therapy, I've thought a lot about the acceptable limits of voyeurism. Some people would probably find it strange to look into other people's homes, but for me, I think it's an entirely natural impulse to take in one's surroundings and to be curious about the ways that other people live. I would never advocate intrusive or prolonged snooping, but the split second that it takes to glance at curtains or a striking paint job can be truly eye-opening.
To my mind, when you pay attention to homes in your neighborhood, it really gives you a sense of how the community lives. Each city or town has a distinct look, color palette, or approach to life, and in many places, these can even vary radically by neighborhood. While playing a bit of "quick open house" certainly feeds my curiosity and love of interiors, I also like to think that it gives me a better feel for how my style and home fit into their surroundings. Furthermore, given that I live in an area where many apartments share significant architectural features, it's really helped me think about my home within a particular context, as well as to realize just how diverse the spaces within that context can be, despite a lot of architectural similarity.
Do you share this tendency to peek into windows (in a non-creepy way, of course), and if so, have you gotten ideas from it, or is it just a means of satisfying curiosity?
(Image: Carolyn Purnell)
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I absolutely agree.
I live in a 5 story building where our tiny apartments (400 sqf) have the same layout. As chairman of the co-op new owners visit my apartment to sign papers and I them from time to time. It's a good way to swop ideas for small places like ours. Somehow we always end up talking interior design and the use of our tiny space :)
i definitely peep into windows, in the non-creepy way. i'm not walking up to their bushes and looking in, but when i go on an evening run and there are no curtains in the front room but interior lights are on, i definitely notice the colors - the furniture - the architecture. i live in a historic neighborhood in my area, so i definitely love seeing what the inside looks like!
My neighborhood has a Holiday House Tour every year. It is a great way to see the interiors of some of the best home in my historical neighborhood as well as meet some of the neighbors.
OmG, thank you Carolyn for helping me realize that I'm not alone! I just moved to Texas into an apartment complex with basically NO furnitture. Since I'm starting over and pretty much everyone in my bldg has similar floorplans, I can't help but be a peeping Tom each time I take out the trash! I've gotton so many ideas because of my non-creepy peeping. :-)
If you live in a row home, you should expect your first floor to be peeped into (by me!).
I used to live in Old Town Alexandria (DC area) and none of those gorgeous houses have blinds on the first floor so to me the assumption is that you're meant to look in and admire. My husband always makes fun of me for it and calls me a voyeur.
I took down all the blinds on the first floor of our townhouse (not in OT, too expensive) when we moved in. On winter evenings when everyone is coming home from work you can see in easily, but it doesn't bother me at all. You just have to remember to put on yoga pants if you need laundry from the basement. We got a new light fixture in the dinning room a month or so ago and my mother's comment was that from the outside "it really makes you interested in what else is in your house." Hopefully not in a stealing sort of way. :)
Living in the country has it's pros and cons. Pro: nature, space, tranquility, fresh air, etc. Cons: peeking into your neighbor's windows can get you shot, barking dogs, roadkill, etc.
My style does not fit in my surroundings, and that's perfectly ok. I don't get inspiration from my neighbors because judging from how most keep the outside of their homes I don't have anything to gain from getting an inside peek. When I scan the real estate listings for homes near mine (gauging home values) my suspicions that wood paneling, golden oak and wall paper borders are still in style around here are confirmed, even in homes built in the last 10 years.
It's so jarring to be looking at the realtor.com pics for a gorgeous $300k home down the street built in 2005 to have wallpaper border and golden oak cabinets. The outside looks smashing and the inside looks like 1995.
I don't poke my nose up to the window but I'll look into windows as we drive by. If you don't have curtains, you're probably fair game.
I love peeping in other homes to see what they've done with their place.
Aren't we all on AT because we love peeping into other people's houses?
I know it can take some chutzpah, but don't be afraid to ask if you can see someone's place. They just might say yes!
New to our neighborhood, we asked a neighbor if we could see their kitchen when they mentioned they had done something we were thinking of. Their version is better than what we had thought of, so we said, "We're stealin' this!" They laughed and encouraged us to do so, which we will.
Oh, and they showed us the rest of the house, too, and we got another good idea from them!
I trip all the time bc I'm trying to look into windows. I'm fascinated by the way other "real" people decorate.
Here in the burbs, it's all about going to your neighbors' Open Houses. We all have the same 1951 floor plan, so it's fun to see what everyone has done in the intervening years.
Any open curtains at night are going to get a good look from me. We have no close neighbors so it's just a drive by kind of peep. Sometimes I see things and wish I knew what they were. Lots of old farmhouses and make-do type ones that are really interesting. Would love to see the whole insides!
If I notice any houses go up I check Realtor.com or the local rental company for photos.
I think all peeping is kind of "creepy". It's one thing to scope out ideas from homes open to your visit: friends, neighbors, real estate open houses... even strangers if you have the chutzpah to ask. But it's unsettling to me to think of folks randomly gazing into my (or aonybody else's) windows without knowing they are there...
So I'm not the only one who likes when people leave their dining and living room curtains open at night?
I usually do my peeping online on real estate sites like Redfin, (aka home porn), but I do also look into the windows of all my neighbors houses as much as I can get away with while walking the dog. People do it to my house all the time, and even come down the driveway to get a better look (which is, in fact, a little creepy).
Thank God I don't live on the ground floor. Geez, you guys. Peeping is peeping, and it's weird no matter why you do it. Looking for people in their panties, or trying to see someone else's artwork...it's all a violation. And, people with open blinds are not "fair game". Get a grip.
I too peek into windows to check out their style and if their ideas can translate to mine...I don't take any ideas to the exact but will modify it if I really like it so it's mine.
It's not creepy..I think most people do it without even knowing. Creepy is being sneaking and wanting to look at more than furnishings!! YIKES.
The first time I ever thought of my dad as a person rather than just my dad was when I was in 6th grade and my family was living in London for a semester, after a whole childhood of living in a small town with no apartments or sidewalks. I noticed that my dad liked to look in windows (not a creeper!) while walking through our neighborhood, so I started doing it too. He told me that he thought of every little domestic scene he saw for a second as the beginning of a short story (literature professor, what can you do). It's a habit I still love.
My partner and I just moved into our new house, which is one of about six Spanish-style homes built around a hill that were identical when they were built in 1929. Of course, 85 years of renovations, decorations and earthquakes have led to unique changes in each of them. I was thrilled to see one of the other houses featured on Apartment Therapy last month (Alex and Sarah’s Traveler’s Home). So I got a totally non-creepy peeping experience, and inspiration about what to do with our front windows.
Gotta recommend DC's Georgetown--both sides of Wisconsin Ave.--for high-quality home peeping, especially at holiday time. Am I the only one who finds 100% of the interest to be architectural details and decor and hopes no humans are visible when I pass uncurtained windows? (I'd never approach a window on private property, but I don't see a problem in turning to look into a lit window in passing if the occupant chooses not to cover it with greenery, shades, curtains, or even frosted film.)
I do this all the time, when taking walks around the neighbourhood I love looking at peoples rooms and also the houses, there are some interesting houses in my neighbourhood and I love to study them and see how people use them. I also love taking walks in the winter time especially around christmas and look at all the decorations, it puts you in such a festive mood.
I think that I've walked every one of my immediate neighbors through my house. We tore out a wall and have made loads of other changes since we moved in and when talking about it, it is just easier to invite them over.
My neighbor and I have daughters the same age and I've showed her how we organize and make the room feel grown up while keeping all of the articles of childhood that she isn't ready to outgrow. We share sources, ideas and talk about flooring options pretty regularly.
If you don't want people looking in your windows, don't leave the curtains or blinds open. If they're open it's just a natural reaction to take a peek as you pass by as long as you don't stand there staring or get right up in the yard. I live in a basement with 2 big windows that look out on an alley. There used to be a lot of privacy but since the ugly chain link fence replaced the old wooden one my place is fully on view if the lights are on inside. I can hardly wait for the ivy to grow over the fence so I won't have to close the blinds so often. It did prompt me to keep a bit tidier though.
When I lived in Old Town Alexandria, VA, I adored peeking in windows for inspiration(all under the guise of taking my twin babies for a stroll). And in turn, I fully expected others to do the same outside my home. I wasn't remotely interested in what was going on inside the home-just the decor and on a few occasions I shewed myself out of the view of those checking out my homes interior. Hope they liked what they saw.
I think it's quite natural for people to want to take a peek into how other people live, especially when homes have a similar layout. I moved onto a street with mostly 1940s semi-detached homes, and it is interesting to see how people renovate and decorate them. As the notion of decorating in a certain style is new to me, getting glimpses into how other people live creates a baseline for how I want to live and decorate as well!
It's impossible not to "peep" while out walking the dog in the evening. Lights are on and blinds are open. Your eyes are immediately (even unconciously) drawn to that. I live in a neighborhood of townhomes where there are just a few varieties of housing, and I love looking in (Not to spy on people! I hate when people get in the way!) and getting ideas for decorating and whatnot. The ladies in my group of homes also just decided to start a book club, and I hosted the first meeting. We definitely spent the first hour of the meeting chatting about our homes and sharing ideas. I'm proud to say that they loved how we'd set up the living room and liked our wall art and furnishings. I'm looking forward to the next meeting and getting to see someone else's house!
My husband doesn't like going on neighborhood walks with me, because I spend so much time glancing into other people's windows to spy on their furniture placement, paint colors, etc., that he finds it a bit embarrassing. :-)
And, to echo the person who suggested asking for a peek inside -- I once was invited to check out the inside of a home featured as an AT house tour, via asking about it in the comments section (the homeowner is a wonderful person, and we've since gotten together to do craft projects). So yes, it certainly never hurts to ask!
soooooo happy others do this! I always look in my neighbors windows for decor ideas and my husband thinks I'm so weird.
as a person who loves my own windows open, i hope my neighbors like my style!
Been doing this since I was a little kid--never to look at people per se, just at how they use their space.
My mom recently added an outdoor living room that has gotten quite a few looks and complements from her neighbors. The only problem is that we sometimes get the odd person(s) who we've never seen before stop in front of our house and start discussing their own renovations. Sometimes they even bring their contractors or architects along.
In short: pass by and look=acceptable;
stop in front of someone's house for a few minutes = weird;
taking photographs of someone's house without permission= creepy
Oh Ive done this since I was a child, Ive always been interested in what other people's homes look like. I live just off a very posh square in central london and whereas my building is split into flats, many of the homes on the square are still single family dwellings. Our next door neighbours for example have a huge crystal chandelier in the foyer and the most amazing art in the lounge. I also love sitting on the top deck of the bus because first floor flats are almost always exposed. That sounds so wrong!
Only thing creepy is when you think you see your brownstone on ApartmentTherapy. Which street did you shoot that on, Carolyn?
I've heard that in the Netherlands it is pretty accepted to leave one's front curtains open so others can see in and admire your design.
It's only creepy if you're pressing your nose to someone's window like you're casing the place. The natural inclination when you're driving by or walking the dog is to notice when people have their blinds open. It's the opposite of wanting privacy.
I shot it on my street, so maybe we're neighbors. It's part of Humboldt Blvd./ Sacramento.
I live on a block of identical town homes. Whenever one of them goes on sale (which has happened a lot recently), I check out the pictures on Trulia or go to the open house.
I too love to flash peep into windows. I can't help myself, I love seeing the photos on walls, the bookcases, the dining tables. I spend time by my kitchen window, looking out at the people passing by, and I'm amazed at how few of them are looking back.
Haha I thought it was my old street - Pierce, in Wicker Park. None-the-less it's VERY Chicago. I always used to look in the rennovated mansions on my street. Such an eclectic mix of new and old!
@eliz and @hrhprincessfiona I used to take the train home from Manhattan to Queens sometimes and my favorite part, especially in winter, was to watch the lights go on in homes all along the way, to look at the people and imagine stories about their families. Trains are a great way to see how other people live and imagine...
One of my late aunt's favorite activities was to go driving through residential neighborhoods in the evenings to peek into houses lit up internatlly with the curtains open - especially during the Christmas season.
gosh I'm so happy that I'm not the only one.
I love peeping into people's homes as I walk by just to see how others live in their space.
My favorite part of travel is to see how locals live by peeping through their windows (in a non-intrusive way). It's fascinating to me.
One of the few things I love about the time change in the Fall is that it's dark after work when I'm outside walking the dog. I love looking into people's windows from the sidewalk to see how they've decorated their places, especially during the holidays.
Oh I TOTALLY check out other people's houses when I'm walking the dogs at night. If it's 10pm & someone has their lights blazing & all their curtains wide open then that means they WANT others to see their homes. If someone spends that much time on decorating & creating a beautiful environment then why not let others see? However, I think it's begging for trouble if someone is displaying all their expensive camera equipment, laptops, etc. in full view. But I always get design ideas from other people's homes. Especially if you're interested in decor that is in keeping with the local culture & customs, seeing how neighbors decorate when you first move into a new area of the country is a good way to gather ideas. I've even met a few people because I've looked in their windows from the street. During the day I may run into them while they're putting out their trash or getting their paper & I'll strike up a conversation. "Was out walking last night & couldn't help but notice that gorgeous lampshade in your window..." Most people are thrilled that you took the trouble to notice & compliment. Those who aren't forever after shut their curtains at night. I didn't want to meet those snobs anyway!!!
As an acknowledged and shameless voyeur of neighborhood interiors, I have spent many years admiring and collecting ideas from how others live in their spaces. As an artist, I have taken pieces of what I have seen and created what I call "archiscapes." Just as a portrait requires careful examination beyond the facade of the face, my archiscapes require careful examination of city homes beyond their facades. When I lived in San Francisco, it was a true visual feast as many home owners left their bay windows completely undressed with a light on so the passerby could enjoy the view unobstructed. I'm ALL for taking peeks... short or long.