Answer

The shotgun house is not good for privacy, air circulation, traffic, or beneficial feng shui. A barrier that diverts traffic and airflow is the usual remedy.

Homeowners are often quite inventive in their remedies for small spaces, such as using small shoji screens, hanging plants, and fabric suspended from the ceiling.

Few houses are so tiny that owners cannot think of a way to divert traffic and airflow. If you fall into this category, consider that this house style is common in poorer neighborhoods — reinforcing the stereotype that the layout of the house keeps people poor.