Similarly, if you know in which direction the prevailing wind blows, you can increase the amount of operable glass in that area, allowing for more passive ventilation and cutting down on air-conditioning bills. For instance, windows facing east and west accept the very low angle of spring and fall sunlight, which can often be blinding - especially troublesome in a room used for watching television or working on a computer.įor windows on those walls, you will need shades or curtains, or to set the sill more than 4 feet off the floor to reduce glare. What works best on the outside to give your house a sense of scale and visual identity isn’t always ideal on the inside, where windows should respond to how rooms are used and the orientation of the house to the sun and wind. If you give that outsized window its own wall, and keep the trim and muntins simpatico with those in the rest of the house, you can enjoy your big view without compromising the integrity of your home’s design. The big mistake is to treat windows so differently that something is clearly “wrong” - say, a plate-glass window set directly adjacent to a double-hung eight-over-eight Colonial window. If your windows are consistent in the way they are treated - basic type, grille patterns, and trim - they can handle great variations in quantity and style. But the pattern of windows on the front of your house doesn’t have to be repeated on all the other sides. For many people that means a traditional, symmetrical approach, especially in a neighborhood where existing homes set a style you would like to respect (or is mandated by code). The front of a house should be friendly to visitors and convey a sense of the home’s inhabitants. The Front Doesn’t Have to Determine All the Other Sides (Fortunately, many street-scapes aren’t worth bringing inside.) 2. In most traditional homes, that means away from the street-facing facade. It’s not wrong to think about big windows facing wonderful views in even the most historically “correct” houses - you just have to pick your spots wisely. Does that mean that only modern houses can feature large expanses of glass? No.
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