A 2013 study found that 11.5 percent of households making $20,000–29,000 a year, and 19.9 percent of households making more than $150,000 a year, had no window coverings.

It is almost admirable how much Michael Waters is able to make of this data in the Atlantic. “Uncovered windows have quietly become a fixture of high-end homes across America.” “The choice to draw or not draw the curtains is in part driven by class.” “These curtainless windows have become one of our subtlest statements of privilege. They demand our attention, not only because they give us a peek inside beautiful homes, but also because they project the type of confidence and stability that few of us can dream of replicating.”

Those households making $20,000–29,000 may not have had a lot of income, but 11.5 percent of them dared to dream.