If you live on a busy street, privacy is most likely a concern. But if your house is nestled behind hedges, a tall fence or — in this instance — a protective courtyard, you may be completely comfortable with uncovered windows.

No matter where you live, your desire for privacy is a totally personal decision and will be the primary factor that informs your choice.

So let’s say you opt for privacy. What’s next? Stack (also called stack back ) is the amount of space required at the side of a window for the curtains to be fully open, hanging completely off the window. Stack is critical, because the more your fabric drapery covers the window, the less light will able to enter. And let’s face it, folks: Most of us like to let light in.

In this living room, there is plenty of wall space on each side of the window to allow the fabric to stack completely off the window. Thus, no light is lost. Plus, this fools the eye into thinking that the window is much larger than it actually is.

By contrast, you can see how this homeowner chose to partially cover the windows, even though there was plenty of room for stack. It’s all a question of personal taste, and there usually is no right or wrong. Proportion and a desire for more wall and less window were clearly factors in this choice.

When there is no room for stack off the window, but there is a need for privacy, try using some kind of shade or blind behind the stationary panels. (We’ll talk about the bewildering array of shades, blinds and shutters in another ideabook.)

Even if there is room for stack, a blind or shade behind stationary panels is often a more budget-friendly option. Imagine the cost of having to use three times the fabric of a stationary panel — not only for the drapes, but also for the lining. Add to that the cost of longer rods or traverse rods, as well as substantially more labor, and you can see how the costs add up.

My clients are often shocked by the price of window treatments. But when you consider the miles of fabric and hours of skilled labor required, it shouldn’t be surprising that they can be one of decorating’s big-ticket items.

Honestly, unless I have a client with very deep pockets, I always opt for stationary panels with a separate privacy solution behind.

This homeowner chose operable draperies for the dining room. They open and close to permit use of the beautiful French doors. But imagine how heavy these hummers are!

Weight is the last factor in your decision process. If your chosen fabric is a medium-weight print like this, you should be OK. But if you’ve chosen a heavier woven, and have had it interlined, weight will be a real issue. Not only might you need to be Atlas to draw the drape, but it’s likely you’ll have to significantly beef up your traverse rod to handle the load.