Planning Window Placement

We share what to do (and not to do) when deciding where to place windows on your house.

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Windows play a critical role in the three most important aspects of home design. The first is appearance. Next to the shape of a house (Colonial, ranch, Cape Cod), windows are the most significant factor influencing how the place looks to the outside world. The second element is site embrace. Windows capture views and make the connection between the indoors and the natural world beyond. Last, windows are about comfort. They let in light and air and protect against extremes of weather.

How to decide where to place a window

The power of windows is often most evident when the size, type, or location is miscalculated. Then rooms are either glaringly bright, depressingly dim, or stultifyingly stale. But if planned right, windows can be the key to enjoying your home’s ambience, inside and out. Here’s how to think about them.

3 Rules for Choosing Windows

1. Don’t Be Bound by Tradition

Most people think of their houses — and the windows that go in them — as representative of an iconic «type,» like Colonial or Queen Anne. But it’s important to remember that virtually all traditional house styles have window designs that originated at a time when walls were not insulated, there was no central heat, and glass didn’t come in pieces bigger than a dinner plate. Early builders didn’t forgo picture windows by choice; the technology simply wasn’t available.

More on Windows:

Does that mean that only modern houses can feature large expanses of glass? No. 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. In most traditional homes, that means away from the street-facing facade. (Fortunately, many street-scapes aren’t worth bringing inside.)

2. The Front Doesn’t Have to Determine All the Other Sides

The front of a house should be friendly to visitors and convey a sense of the home’s inhabitants. 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). But the pattern of windows on the front of your house doesn’t have to be repeated on all the other sides. 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.

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 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.

3. Keep Comfort in Mind

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. 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.

For 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. 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.

Today’s windows are far superior to their older counterparts in terms of blocking unwanted drafts, but you still need to take into account radiant heating and cooling. No matter how well insulated, large panes of glass will suck heat in winter and invite it in during summer. For maximum comfort in cold climates, it may be necessary to have large areas of glass directly washed by a heat source, such as convective heat from a radiator or blown heat from a forced-air system (just know that this will raise your heating bill).

On the flip side, the best way to guard against heat gain in warm weather, especially with south-facing windows, is to shade the glass with long overhangs so that the high angle of the sun during summer cannot penetrate deeply into your room. Curtains and shades are another defense.

Do’s and Don’ts for Mixing Window Styles

When adding new windows to an existing wall, the trick is to keep the treatment consistent, with compatible trim, grille patterns, and muntin style. A modern plate-glass window looks out of place in a perfectly symmetrical antique facade.

Match the Window to the Room

Different areas of the house have different requirements for windows. Here are a few guidelines for thinking about windows on a room-by-room basis.

Living Room Windows

The living room is typically one of the largest rooms in the house and therefore can accept the biggest windows, but that makes sense only if there’s something to look at. For example, if your living room faces a tight cul-de-sac, the view of other people’s cars might not be the best use of a large array of windows. Big, south-facing windows can fill all the spaces feeding off the living room with bright, ambient light; just be aware of the potential for overheating in summer. Many living rooms also contain glass doors to decks or patios. Ganged together, windows and doors can create a sense of openness and bring in the outdoors in a way that makes a home seem larger than its actual size. Integrate them by aligning the tops of the openings and using coordinating trim.

Dining Room Windows

Windows in the dining room should be thought about with a great deal of circumspection. Most dining rooms are used at night, so do you really need a giant window to look through when it’s dark outside? An increasing number of homeowners are choosing to put dining spaces in areas with few or no windows, relying on art, a fireplace, or even furniture to create more valuable visual interest when the sun goes down.

Family Room Windows

Given the variety of activities that go on in a family room, window placement can be a challenge. For instance, high light levels and low sun angles interfere with TV viewing — and if you’ve invested a lot of money in a plasma screen, you certainly want to be able to watch it. So if the view from your family room is fantastic, you may want to opt for big windows and relocate the TV and computer. If homework or other desk work is to be done in the room, think about which side you’d like the natural light to come from: For right-handed people, light from the left is best; vice versa for lefties.

Kitchen Windows

Double-hung windows over sinks are tough to open and close; casements are the best choice when you have to reach over a sink or counter to get at them. Windows and cabinets often compete for wall space in kitchens. For the best of both worlds, create a walk-in pantry for storage and have larger windows over the counters, where you tend to spend more of your time.

Bedroom Windows

While bedroom windows admit light and views, their most important function is to allow for sufficient air flow on warm nights. Casements give the most operable area, awning windows can remain open even in light rain, and tall double-hungs can have both the upper and lower sash opened. Bedroom windows are also subject to some safety considerations: If you have a second-floor bedroom and don’t have a back staircase, building codes require that the windows be of a certain size and sill height to allow you to escape and firefighters to get in.

Bathroom Windows

Privacy is key. Transom windows, skylights, or even glass block can give you a fair amount of ambient light without compromising privacy. However, it’s a real benefit in most bathrooms to have operable windows, rather than relying solely on a fan.

Match the Window Height to the Space

How tall is a standard window?

The vast majority of windows in American houses have their heads set to the standard door height of 6 feet 8 inches. With a standard wall height of 8 feet, that leaves a 16-inch gap between the top of the window and the ceiling — perfectly sized for standard headers and plates, and accommodating of even the biggest window trims and cornice moldings. But in a room deeper than 12 feet, that band of wall pinches the view, and it’s silly to keep the top of the window at 6 feet 8 inches with newer 9- and 10-foot ceilings. Don’t be afraid to set the top of the window clear up to the cornice trim. In fact, the cornice can even function as the window’s head trim, if you plan properly.

What is the standard window height from the floor?

There are a few structural issues to consider when raising window height. Set a window closer than 10 inches from the ceiling and odds are you’ll have to raise the header up into the structure of the floor cavity or rafter space above (called an «upset» header). That type of construction costs extra, especially in an existing home, but the additional head height can make all the difference in a large room.

Similarly, many windows can be set lower than the common height of 3 feet above the floor. Traditionally, that height was meant to allow the placement of furniture under the sill. But if nothing is in front of the window, lowering the sill will increase ventilation (the more operable glass, the greater the air flow) and allow you to bring in more of a great view. Note these safety considerations, though: In a child’s bedroom, a windowsill lower than 2 feet will need a window guard, and any window with glazing lower than 18 inches off the floor must be safety glass.

Window Placement

Window placement is critical to the success of your window design and overall home design.В The window arrangement can contribute to the style, function and enjoyment of your home or work against it.

When the windows are right we hardly notice because the windows blend with the other design elements to make an appealing overall design.В When the window placement is wrong it’s really noticeable.В It just looks off.

The placement of your windows presents an extra challenge because the window position needs to work from the perspective of each room both from the exterior and interior of your home.В So that’s how we’re going to tackle this — firstly from the exterior perspective, then moving inside to the interior.

Window placement when viewed from the exterior

In this section we’ll be looking at window placement from the exterior perspective.В There are a few subsections in this section.

Skip to interior window placement if that’s what you’re more interested in.

The window placement of windows on the street facing facade of your home are particularly important as they contribute to the all important kerb appeal of your home.

For windows visible from the street make the frames and placement consistent with the style of your house.В Each style has a sort of window rhythm.В This is much less important at the back of your house where you might want to include more modern big glass windows.

Window placement — amount of window compared with amount of wall

On any particular facade of a home, particularly the street facing side, there has to be the right amount of area given over to window and wall.В The proportions of solid (wall) to void (window) that will suit your home depends on the style you’re trying to achieve.В In the pictures below we look at a traditionally shaped house with different amounts of window to wall.

First — too much window.

Now — too much wall.

Window placement — line and proportion

Preserving vertical and horizontal lines

Generally the design of most styles of homes, both traditional and contemporary will be enhanced by lining up the windows vertically up and down the facade and horizontally across the facade.

If there aren’t clear vertical and horizontal lines, the facade of the house is somehow harder to read.

Sometimes it might not be possible to line up windows exactly.В If that’s the case think about aligning the center of one window with the edge of another.

Keeping a consistent shape

Windows on any particular facade of a house should be of the same shape in the main.В It can be a nice touch to vary the shape of windows to add interest provided that this technique is applied in the correct proportion in terms of size and number of windows.

If there are too many windows that are a different shape, there is too much going on visually with the facade.

Preserving proportion

What is proportion?

The proportion of an object is the relationship between two dimensions.В When we talk about the proportion of windows or lights (the smaller panes of glass if a window is divided) we’re referring to the relationship between the height and width.

For traditional house styles it’s best that a consistent proportion is used throughout the design.В The proportion can be applied to window openings, window lights, shutters etc.

In contemporary house styles it might be than not preserving the proportions of the windows creates the effect you’re looking for.

Let’s have a look at some methods of preserving proportion in a lighted window in a traditional style.

In the image below, in the right hand set of upper and lower windows, the proportion is preserved by making the window lights the same size.В The lower level has five rows of lights and the upper level has four rows of lights.

On the left the proportion is preserved by setting the opening of the upper level (the opening of the whole window) to the same proportion as the individual window lights on the lower level.

Obviously you wouldn’t use both these methods right next to each other.

The other thing to decide on is the proportional emphasis of the windows in your home design.В Are the windows going to emphasize the horizontal (landscape) or the vertical (portrait) direction?В For traditional house styles, the emphasis is usually vertical.

If the home style you choose has a vertical emphasis, what happens when a window opening with a horizontal emphasis is required?

The answer lies in using lights to divide the window up into panes that have a vertical emphasis.

The art deco style has a horizontal emphasis and the same principle to change proportional emphasis can be used in the opposite way.

Window placement — window spacing

With this principle we tackle how to decide on the space between windows.В We’ll look at a few different things.

• Check that your windows aren’t too close or too far apart.
• Use window spacing for horizontal emphasis
• Use window spacing to differentiate between stories

Too close or too far apart?

Let’s start with an example of well spaced windows.

Now if the windows are moved towards the center just a touch you can see that things start to look a bit off.В It’s like the house is a bit cross eyed.

At the opposite end of the scale, if the windows are moved to the outer walls of the house our eyes don’t quite know where to rest.

Using window spacing for horizontal emphasis

The horizontal spacing between windows and doors can be used to create emphasis on different parts of elements of the design.

To start with, here’s an example of window placement with no horizontal emphasis.В The center points of the central door and windows and the other window bays is equal.В This arrangement looks fine but can feel rather static.

Now if we make a fairly subtle change and shift the outer bays of windows out from the center, the central part of the house is emphasized.

This can also happen naturally as in a house this size the width of the central hall would need to be wider than the door itself while still allowing for symmetry in the rooms either side.

Using window spacing to differentiate between stories

It is good practice to decrease the size of windows on the upper floors of a house.В

In the first example, the windows are the same size (in particular the height is the same) and placed evenly vertically.

Now if we decrease the height of the windows on the first floor this gives more emphasis to the ground floor and the overall effect is somehow more visually pleasing.

Window spacing for houses with variable depth facades

As the size of a facade increases, a common way to add interest to the facade is to vary the depth of the house along the facade creating areas of the facade that ‘bump out’.

In the examples given below the house has a central bay.В The principle discussed in this section applies equally to other arrangements of varying the depth of a facade.

The most obvious way to decide on the window placement for the outside ‘wings’ on the house below is to place the window centrally in the wall of the wing as viewed from the exterior.

The better way to place the windows in the outside wings is to place the windows centrally from the wall on the interior.

This positions the windows slightly more towards the center of the house.В I think it makes the house look more solid and grounded.

The view from the outside in

We’ve already talked about the way windows look from the outside with respect to decoration.В That is, the impression the windows give as part of the overall design when the whole or majority of the home is viewed from a good distance.

When we’re up closer to a home we can actually see into the windows and that’s what I mean by the view from the outside in.В It’s another way of saying that privacy needs to be a consideration in your window design.В Think about what people can see from the street and what your immediate neighbors can see from their homes and outdoor spaces.

If privacy is an issue, consider t he type of window glass you use in your window.

Remember that privacy doesn’t just apply to rooms where you might be in a state of undress.В Are there any windows in your house (eg into the garage onto your car) that might be best obscured from prying eyes?

A few examples

Here’s a Disneyesque chateau example that demonstrates some of the principles for window placement we’ve been discussing.

Can you spot the window that’s a different shape, just to add a bit of interest?В Hint — look on the turret on the left.

This house below has a split level design meaning that the rooms on the ground floor have varying ceiling heights.В This means that the second floor has different floor levels.В You can see how it’s caused a few problems with the front facade of this house.

Window placement from the interior

So, now we’re ready to move inside and look at windows from the interior perspective.В There’s several sections to have a look at:

Window placement for capturing light

Intuitively we all know that for everyday living, a room with plenty of light is more pleasant to be in than a dark room.В Here’s a few ways to make sure the main rooms in your home have a great quality of light.

Light from two sides of the room

In your main rooms which are greater than about 8ft or 2.5m deep, aim to have windows on two sides of each room to let light in from different directions at different times of the day.

Apart from the obvious fact that the room will be brighter with more light penetrating deeper into the room, having light from two sides.

• prevents glare and shadows around and objects and people, especially their faces.
• prevents the window housing the wall appearing very dark which can affect how the same paint color looks on different walls.

Friendly faces

There are studies which show that facial expressions are more easily understood when there is a light landing on the face from more than one source.В Being able to pick up on facial cues is an important part of human communication and if we find ourselves in a situation where we need to make more effort to communicate this sends subliminal signals that make us feel slightly uncomfortable in the space.

5 More window placement ideas to let more light in

If it isn’t possible to have light on two sides of your larger rooms here’s a few ways to mitigate the problem.

The light from two sides need not necessarily be from two walls.В It could be a window and a skylight.

2 — Have windows high in the walls

Raising the ceiling height and placing a window in the extra height means that light can penetrate further into the room.

Window placement in Georgian houses

At the moment I’m living in Dublin and there are lots of Georgian town houses.В They are built in long terraces which makes having light on two sides of every room a challenge.В The light problem is solved by having high ceilings with tall windows which allow light to penetrate as much as possible in the room.

In addition to this the front and back room are usually separated by folding doors which allows light to come in from two sides when the use of the rooms is such that it’s possible to open the folding doors.

Introducing a mirror will reflect the light from the window around the room.В It’s almost as if there’s a second window.В Mirrors are a great way to increase the amount of light in your room.

4 — Consider bay windows

With a bay window, the shape of the window will let in light from different directions.

5 — Make good use of window reveals

Ensure the surfaces immediately around your windows, also known as the ‘reveal’, are designed to their full advantage.В Your window reveal design can really add to the character and function of a window.

Window placement on interior walls

In this section we’ll look through a few ideas for window placement viewed from the interior.В Some of the window placements are more suitable for traditional styles and some are more suitable for contemporary styles of home.

What size of window would suit the scale of the room and help contribute to the atmosphere you’re trying to create?

Windows can be placed in the center, or off-centered.В Would a group of windows look best?

Windows can be placed at the corner of a wall.

What if the windows extend the whole length of a wall?

You might find yourself asking how to balance the appearance of your windows from the inside or the outside.В When you’re trying to strike a balance, consider the following points:

• How long will you be spending inside the room?В Will you be using the room for hours a day, or is it a hallway where you’ll be passing through various times a day?
• Will the window contribute to or detract from the kerb appeal of your house?
• Will you spend long period in your garden looking at the window from the outside?

Mary Beth’s kitchen window design

Mary-Beth moved into a house with a dark kitchen located at the back of the house.В She worked with an architect to remodel the back of the house to include a much bigger window for the kitchen.В The first solution suggested by the architect focused on the appearance of the window from the garden which meant that there were some structural elements that were not ideal from the inside.В Mary-Beth had the architect revise the plans switching the focus to how the windows worked for the people in the kitchen.

This was the right decision because:

• The climate means that her family will spend far more time inside the kitchen rather than outside looking back at their house.
• The kitchen window was at the back of the house so it made no difference to the kerb appeal.

Window Height

Window height is dictated by the height of the lintel (top of the window) and the height of the sill.В It makes more sense to talk in terms of the lintel and sill level rather than the height of the window.

The level of the window lintel will be dictated by the ceiling height of the room.В The taller the room, the higher the lintel.

Lintel height should be kept consistent within a room unless you’re looking to make a specific design statement to the contrary.

The level of the sill depends on a few things:

• The level of privacy that you want the window to provide.В A higher sill will provide more privacy.В
• The furniture planned for the room.В In general it’s best not to have furniture pressed up against glass.В This is especially relevant for the kitchen and bathroom.

Let’s see two rooms of different heights — 8ft and 9ft.

The view from the inside out

Some rooms have an internal focus or focal point such as a fireplace.В For other rooms, the view out of the window is the focal point.

Naturally if there’s a great view you’re going to want to take full advantage. Try to place the window so that you can enjoy the view when you’re using the room. That is to say, we don’t tend to stand at the window and admire the view for long. Make sure you can also enjoy the view when you’re doing the main activity in the room, eg from sitting down at the kitchen table, or washing up at the sink, from the bed in the bedroom or from the sofa in the living room.

Different views can be compelling in different ways.В A view of a city street can be impressive and interesting as much as a view of a landscape can be beautiful and peaceful.

If you’re reluctant to put a window in because of an ugly view the solution could lie in the type of window glass you use.

п»їHere’s a few other suggestions for dealing with an undesirable view.

• Orientate the windows away from the ugly view.В Basically, is there another wall you could use for the windows?
• Do what you can to make the view better, eg planting, decorative security grill, painting an ugly wall facing the window with a beautiful mural.
• Try several smaller windows rather than one big window.В That way, the eye focuses on the rhythm of several windows rather than what’s beyond the windows.
• Place the windows higher up or lower in the room or at the side of the room so that the sight line does not land on the eyesore.

Window placement for different activities

Here’s a few things to take into consideration for window placement in relation to the different activities that go on in the rooms of your home.

Watching TV

No matter how much money you spent on your TV if the level of light in the room is really bright or there’s a sun beam coming through the window and landing on the screen, your TV viewing experience is going to be compromised.

This issue can be overcome in a few ways:

• Think about when you usually watch TV and figure out where the light will be in the room.В For example, we watch TV mainly in the evening so our TV is in a position that avoids the low evening summer sun shining onto the screen.
• Select appropriate window treatments (blinds / curtains) to control the brightness and direct light.
• The TV is often placed in a living space that is likely to have big windows which may be a focal point.В It makes sense to place the TV in a position that makes it possible to either watch TV or admire the view.В Placing the TV with it’s back against the main windows or with it’s back perpendicular to the main windows will achieve this.

Working

If you’re working on a computer the points made above for TVs also apply to computer screens.В

If you’re working at a desk or table then it makes sense to make the best of natural light.В If you’re right handed, position the desk so that the natural light comes in from the left and vice versa if you’re left handed.В The basic principle is that you want to light up whatever you’re working on without your body creating a shadow.

If you work with a computer at your desk make sure there’s a window treatment to filter or block the light if necessary.

The above two points are a bit at odds with each other.В Think about how you spend the most time working (with or without a computer) and plan accordingly

Sleeping

Obviously when you’re sleeping you’re not looking out of the window but if it’s a warm night you’ll definitely want to be able to open the windows to keep cool.

Codes and bedroom windows

You local building code will stipulate rules for the maximum window sill height and minimum window size.В This is to make sure that you can get out if there’s a fire.

Our window design ran into trouble in this regard.В The wall opening was easily big enough but the window is divided into sections and the sections were too narrow to be a safe fire escape.

The problem was solved by making the one of the mullion posts removable.

Eating

For everyday eating a light filled space is ideal.В If your home design includes an additional eating space or dining room for more formal occasions which tend to be at night there is no need for a large window.В The focal point is the table and the atmosphere is created by lighting rather than daylight.В As such a formal dining room can be placed in a part of the house that does not have much natural light.

However, if you’re dining room does double duty as a homework table this ‘no need for a window’ clause doesn’t apply.

Preparing food

Windows and over counter cabinets compete for the same wall real estate in a kitchen.В If you think you’re going to be short on natural light, two possible solutions are:

1. Create a walk in pantry to take care of the storage to free up some of the wall space for windows.
2. If you are planning an eat in kitchen, place the eating area near the exterior windows and move the sink and storage to the interior walls.
3. Consider running windows between the countertop and the wall cabinets.В Think about how this will look from the exterior.В It’s a more contemporary look from both the inside and outside.

For windows that are above kitchen base cabinets, make sure the opening mechanism of the window is within reach taking into account the fact that you’ll be reaching from a position behind the countertop.В Can you open the window above the sink when you’re standing in front of the sink?

Bathing

Bathrooms often have higher sills which automatically create privacy.В The other thing to consider with bathroom windows is even though you have a fan it’s nice to be able to open the window from time to time.В So make sure the window is specified as opening on your plans.