The Privacy Paradox: How to Balance Views and Seclusion
One of the most common hesitations homeowners have when switching to cable railing is the fear of exposure. You want to see the sunset, the lake, or the mountains, but you do not necessarily want to see your neighbor’s patio furniture. And you certainly do not want them watching you eat dinner.
This is the Privacy Paradox. The very feature that makes cable railing so desirable, its transparency, is also its biggest perceived weakness.
However, privacy and views are not mutually exclusive. By treating your deck design as a series of zones rather than a single uniform box, you can enjoy the best of both worlds. Here is how to create a private sanctuary that still feels wide open.
The Hybrid Railing Approach
Who says your railing has to be the same on all three sides?
A smart design trend is the hybrid approach. This involves installing Keuka Cable railing on the side of the deck that faces your primary view while using a different, more opaque material on the sides facing the neighbors or the street.
For example, you might use our 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel cable railing for the rear facing section of your deck to maximize the sightline. Then, on the side walls, you can frame out privacy screens using horizontal wood slats, frosted glass panels, or decorative laser cut metal sheets. Because you can install our cable hardware into wood posts, it is easy to blend these two styles seamlessly. The wood posts provide a consistent architectural rhythm that ties the open view and the private wall together.
Strategic Landscaping
If you prefer the look of cable railing all the way around, you can create privacy barriers that are green rather than structural.
Planters are an excellent way to block sightlines without closing off the space. By placing tall, rectangular planters along the railing sections that face your neighbors, you create a biological screen. Plants like bamboo, tall ornamental grasses, or dense boxwoods can grow high enough to shield you from view while allowing light and air to pass through.
This technique is especially effective because the thin stainless steel cables disappear behind the foliage. It creates the illusion that your deck garden simply merges with the outdoors, whereas a solid wood railing would create a hard, boxy visual stop.
The Angles of Privacy
Privacy is often just a matter of angles. You rarely need a solid wall to feel secluded.
Often, simply pushing your seating area a few feet away from the railing or changing the orientation of your furniture is enough to break the line of sight from a neighbor’s window. Cable railing actually helps this by making the deck feel larger. Because the boundary is transparent, you do not feel the need to huddle in the center of the deck to avoid feeling enclosed. You can utilize the entire square footage of your outdoor space, giving you more flexibility to position your lounge chairs in the most private "pocket" of the deck.
Control Your View
Ultimately, the goal of a great deck is to control what you see. Traditional pickets or glass panels that get dirty can dictate your view for you. Cable railing gives you the freedom to choose.
By combining Keuka Cable’s invisible durability with creative privacy screens or landscaping, you ensure that the only things you see are the things you want to see.
Ready to design your sanctuary? Browse our project gallery to see how other homeowners have balanced open views with private comfort.
