Wonderful Window Design

Studies have shown that natural light improves moods, reduces eyestrain and even creates the illusion of spaciousness. A home filled with natural light not only appears bigger but is more pleasant to live in. Short of building a glass house, how do homeowners facilitate as much natural light in their homes as possible?

Windows are a fantastic way of allowing sunlight to in but the window design you select is key. Some window designs are better suited to the facilitation of natural light than others so it is important that you keep this in mind when discussing your plans for the inclusion of new windows in your home.

Window Design Styles

There are several styles of windows from which to choose here are a few of the most popular:

Bay - These large windows are traditionally made of three windows, one large window flanked by smaller windows. A window seat under a bay window is heavenly.

Double-hung - This classic window design style has an outside sash that slides up and down and an inside sash that slides up. This style of window allows a lovely breeze in as well as facilitates natural light.

Casement - Casement windows are usually hung in pairs and mounted on hinges that allow the sash to swing in or out (depending on what you prefer).

Bow - These windows are similar to bay windows but have more than three panels which join to form a gentle curve.

Tilt-turn - This window design is popular in Europe, these unusual windows tilt in towards the room at the top and also turn a full 180 degrees - excellent for easy cleaning.

Jalousies - This window design is comprised of many slats of glass that open and close. Jalousies windows are extremely similar to Venetian blinds.

Skylight - This window design is perfect for small rooms where normal windows would be overwhelming. Skylights are essentially windows which are fitted at an angle rather than vertically, usually through the ceiling or roof.

Fixed - As these windows can not be opened their sole purpose is to allow light in.

Stained glass - This window design is popular in Victorian inspired homes around the world. Patterns are made from different pieces of coloured glass and the sparkle of different coloured beams of light has a wonderful effect.

Window Design Considerations

Before finalising your window design ideas you need to take a few things into consideration.

The design of your home - you'll want the design of your windows to fit into the overall design of your home. Rounded windows may look a little obscure when fitted into a really tall wall just as overly large windows may be inappropriate in a small home. Select a window design that can be used through your home to achieve a consistent design theme. Incorporating a large variety of window designs may be overpowering. Window design should be complimentary never overwhelming.

The climate you live in also has to be taken into consideration - if you live in a cold or noisy area you may want to fit double-glazed windows but not all window designs are well suited to this type of treatment. Make sure you get all the information you'll need to make wise window design choices from your window supplier.

Letting the Sun In

Filling your home with natural light is easy with the correct window design selection. Another way of facilitating natural light is to always keep your windows clean. For homeowners who don't fancy spending weekends balanced on ladders Pilkington Activ(TM) Self-Cleaning Glass is a definite must. Self-cleaning glass is making life far easier and is giving home owners many reasons to use glass in the construction of their homes. What could be better than bright, open rooms with excellent outdoor views facilitated by huge glass sheets, without having to spend your days cleaning the glass?

Having been in the glass industry for 180 years, Pilkington is recognised as the world's technological leader in glass. Out of all of their innovative products, Pilkington Activ™ - the world's first self-cleaning glass is one of their greatest products and is an ideal material for all window designs.

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Fooling the Eye Design Tricks - Solutions for Difficult Windows

At your wits end about how to handle those oddly placed windows? Does that new breath taking view come with a wall of windows and no privacy? Many of these awkward architectural design dilemma's can leave you stumped and exasperated, but fear not, there are perfectly good designer solutions for about any window, regardless of its location, size or style.

A window treatment that is cleverly designed can easily disguise any awkwardness of any window and shift the focus of the problem to an eye-catching window treatment. In deciding how to come up with a satisfying solution, we'll need to assess the problem. Is it the shape and the size of the window causing the problem? Some windows are too tall and narrow and some windows are too short and wide. Occasionally, mismatched windows end up alongside each other or on adjacent walls. Perhaps the window is just in a difficult location? Is it too close to the corner or does it the window abuts the ceiling? Does it have an unusual shape or design that doesn't facilitate a typical window treatment? There are a whole host of problematic possibilities, but once we identify what they are, we can come up with a clever solution.

The next important consideration is to determine your window needs? Is there too much light in the room? Not Enough? What is the windows function in the room? Is it privacy that you desire? Do you have an undesirable view you want to obscure or do you just want to enhance or modify some architectural feature of the room? Once you know your needs, we can address each issue with imagination and skill.

Poor proportioned windows can throw off an entire room's entire design. Fortunately, window treatments are great at camouflaging flaws.

Visual Tricks

Tall and Narrow: As desirable as they are, some are just too high and appear too narrow, adding an unwanted element to your room's design. For windows that are too tall use a longer, fuller top treatment such as a cornice or a valance that have points or lines that pull the eye downward, in essence, visually lowering the length of the opening. If your window is too narrow, extend the curtain past the window frame covering some of the wall. Use a low tie back on curtains to add width visually. If using blinds, mount them on the outside for a wider affect.

Short and Wide: To visually make a window appear narrower use fabric the same color as the wall, hang side floor length panels within the frame and use fabric with lines to break up the horizontal line of the window. Mounting blinds and shades inside the frame of the window will emphasize the actual size of the window which will make the window also seem smaller. Another trick is to mount the curtain rod high on the wall, and hang floor length panels on both sides of the window, allowing the eye to be drawn upward, offsetting the short window. To visually reduce the horizontal lines, use Roman shades or cascading shades that adjust at different levels.

Mismatched Windows: These are windows that are different in size, that are in the same room and that lack any architectural focal points. If the size difference is too great, installing a valance above all of the windows at the same height will visually make the windows appear more alike in height. Mount shades or blinds directly under the header. If the shapes are mismatched you can choose a different treatment for each window shape but use the same exact fabric. Link them also by using the same hardware.

Difficult Location- These are those windows that are in a hard-to-get spot. If the window is too close to the corner, chose a treatment that doesn't have a stack back. Use blinds with a swag or a curtain that is tied back to one side, this will offer a functional yet decorative approach. Another great idea for windows where two windows meet in the corner is to treat them as though the windows were adjacent to each other on the same wall. Place panels on the outside of each window and then one panel right down the middle in the corner. Try pulling outside panels back with tie backs for added interest.

Windows Close to the Ceiling: Mount hardware onto ceiling and cover with a cornice. Keep the style simple and fabric light weight because hardware won't be able to handle heavy treatments. This will block the top of the window and visually lower the window height.

Sky Lights: To reduce any glare or the amount of heat that is sometimes created by a sky light, a cellular shade with side tracks will be your best option. They are held in place and flush against the window by the side tracks. They also offer insulation and can be moved by hand or remote if too high to reach.

Large Windows: With large windows such as, cathedral and Palladian windows, you can leave them untreated or framed with a swag. Other possibilities are to run curtains on a traversing rod or curtain rod across the lower half and leave the transom unadorned. Try using vertical blinds and topping them with a swag or valance. For the transom, use a cellular shade or a shirred curtain that is anchored at the top and bottom of the window by rods.

When dealing with bay or bow windows you need to decide how or if you want them grouped together or treat them individually. For individual treatments try matching shades, shutters or blinds which create a clean, modern look. Adding tie backs will give them a softer style along with mounting curtain panels down spaces between windows.

Glazed Doors: (French doors, sliders or door windows combinations) the primary function of these treatments is to allow a passageway through the openings. If there is little space on either side of the openings, don't use a heavy fabric. A gathered curtain with a lot of fullness that is too bulky can block access. Use a medium or light weight fabric that will stack back tightly. On French doors or doors that open inward or out wards pose different problems and need to have a treatment that are secured above and below the glass on the doors such as blinds, shades or shirred curtains on a pair of rods. Sliders are best treated with vertical blinds or curtains on a traverse rod and topped with an optional cornice or valance. Door window combinations are to be treated as one large unit using same guidelines as sliders.

With these easy to follow guidelines for difficult windows you are now prepared to tackle any troubling architectural dilemma with a number of ways to treat them.

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Design Beautiful Windows for Your Home

What are Windows?

Designed to allow light and air in through solid walls, windows are a staple of any basic architecture. Most homes and businesses have windows for both practical purposes of light, as well as for aesthetic value. Windows can be made from a variety of material, including glass, plexi-glass, plastics, and more.

How and Why Do Windows Allow Light In?

Daylight needs to be both allowed and controlled, and many windows are designed to allow for customization of the amount of light that goes through. Skylights and open windows allow for the radiance of the sun to get into the room, while sills and overhangs often prevent daylight from getting into the structure.

Commercial contractors often struggle with allowing ample daylight through the window. This is because many local and national governments have established minimum energy codes that contractors must meet. The preservation of energy is important to most established nations, and it is often much more difficult - and energy deficient - to maintain temperatures in rooms with large windows that allow a lot of light in.

How Do We Use Windows for Décor?

Whether or not most homeowners realize it, windows play a pivotal role in the overall décor and atmosphere of their home. Although even standard square windows can act as a design element, many windows are of a unique design and composition. When establishing the décor for a room, the room layout and the windows are a great place from which to start. Living room windows are often great décor elements if they are designed horizontally to allow ample light and to take up plenty of design space on an otherwise empty wall. In bedrooms, many people choose to place sitting areas and furniture near windows for reading, writing, and relaxing.

Why Did We Ever Start Designing Windows?

Warmth and safety were the two main reasons why windows were established on housing designs. Allowing the sun through the windows provided warmth in the home, while the window also provided a way to watch for potential attackers. Early on, windows were nothing more than holes cut out of the structure. Eventually, people began added an early shutter system that allowed the windows to be opened or closed to allow or prohibit light from getting in.

It was not uncommon to see paper windows in most lower class homes around the world until the dawn of the 17th century. Until that time, it was mostly nobility alone who had glass windows.

How are Windows Classified?

As previously mentioned, windows come in a variety of styles and designs. These include casement windows, which are cranked to open and close them. A user turns the crank to open the window, and turns it the other way back to close the window. Most casement windows also feature locks so that, once fully closed, the window can be secured against being opened from the outside. The hinges on these types of windows are designed to allow for easy operation of the crank handle.

Gliding windows are, as their name suggests, windows that glide along a horizontal system. The ease with which these open and close make them quite popular in residences. While gliding windows are popular for their functionality, other windows are popular for their design. These include bay windows, which feature angles at the wall and ceiling to provide an additional design element.

Other popular windows include sash windows, round top windows, polygon windows, and others.

What Color Are Windows?

Although most windows come in standard neutral colors like white and beige, more and more windows are featuring a wide spectrum of colors. These windows allow homeowners and business owners to design their rooms around the décor of the window. If, for instance, a bold room is desired, the window may be painted bright red or black. These allow the designer to then create the rest of the décor of the room around the color of the window. Whether you are seeking cool colors or hot passion in your décor, the windows that will complement your designs are available.

What Design Styles Are Available for Windows?

The style of the window largely depends on the architectural design of the structure. For instance, a modern, contemporary home or business would likely feature contemporary windows with straight lines, few or no panes, and clear class. Colonial homes, likewise, would feature many-paned sash windows. And grandiose homes might include windows with remarkable embellishments and lavish designs such as stained glass or unique shapes and colors.

Mary Amos is an interior designer who loves to blend color and style to create beautiful and unique homes. Learn more about creating your dream home with windows and discover more window design tips at Window Design [http://www.justwindowsweb.com], and learn how to design creative window coverings at Window Coverings [http://www.justwindowsweb.com/coverings].

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