All these ideas about bigger windows and more light are awesome – I love a bright house – but I do have a practical concern: the heat. Our living room has a large west-facing window that gets brutal afternoon sun. The light is beautiful, but the heat is not. We end up closing the blinds for a few hours every afternoon which kinda defeats the purpose of a big window.
For those of you who expanded windows or have huge panes, how do you handle the extra heat? Is it mostly about the glass (like getting the best Low-E or a tint as discussed)? Or have any of you incorporated design elements to mitigate it, like an overhang, awning, or landscaping for shade?
We’re considering adding an awning over that window or maybe some solar film. I want to enjoy the light and view without turning the living room into a sauna. So any tips on balancing the desire for light with Tampa’s intense sun and heat would be appreciated!
@dennis_rogue – That’s a great question and something we dealt with too. For our big west-facing windows, the number one help was indeed the glass itself. We made sure to get windows with a high-quality Low-E coating and double-pane insulated glass. Since upgrading, the living room is noticeably cooler in the afternoons compared to when we just had single-pane clear glass. So if you’re replacing the window, definitely invest in the best glass tech you can (most impact windows come with good Low-E as standard now).
Beyond the glass, a few design tweaks can help. On that side of our house, we installed a simple pergola over the patio which casts some shade on the windows when the sun is at its angle. Even some well-placed landscaping (like a small tree or tall shrubs) can cut down on direct sun hitting the glass. You mentioned awnings – that’s a great idea too. Some people here use Bahama-style shutters (hinged at the top, propped open) which act as shade during the day and can be closed for storms; that’s a more permanent architectural look if it fits your style.
Inside, we opted for light-colored window treatments that reflect heat. We have honeycomb cellular shades that we can pull down during the hottest hour; they’re white and translucent, so they still let light glow in, but they block a lot of heat. So you don’t have to fully darken the room. It is a bit of a dance between wanting the view and handling the sun. But with the right glass and some shading strategies, you can have both. Since you’re in Tampa, definitely make the heat reduction a priority in your window choice – your AC bill will thank you.
One trend I’ve noticed in newer homes around Tampa (and maybe this is more a door thing, but it relates to windows) is the use of large sliding glass doors or foldable glass walls that blur the line between indoor and outdoor. We did something like this on our last renovation: replaced a trio of small windows in our family room with a big 12-foot sliding glass door that opens onto the patio. When it’s closed, it’s essentially a giant window that lets in a ton of light. When it’s open, well, it’s the party zone!
For us, the design challenge was making sure the style of that big slider didn’t clash with our windows. We ended up going with a white frame on the slider to match our white window frames. Also, we removed the grids from the nearby windows to keep the look consistent (the slider is just clear glass). Now the back of our house has a more contemporary feel with the expansive glass, whereas the front of our house still has grids on the windows to match the neighborhood style. It’s like two personalities to the house, but it works.
If you have the opportunity to open up a wall with more glass, it’s definitely worth considering. Our living areas feel so connected to the backyard now. Just remember to coordinate the design elements like frame color and any grid patterns with the rest of your windows, so it all feels cohesive.
For those who want a blend of traditional and modern, I’ve seen some creative combinations. A neighbor of mine has a kind of modern farmhouse style – they did something interesting: their windows are white, but they installed thin black muntins (grids) inside the glass. So from afar, the windows have a distinct black grid pattern against white frames. It sounds like it might clash, but it actually looks really good. The house has black accents (like black light fixtures and a dark grey roof), so the black grid ties into that, while the white frames match the white trim.
It’s kind of a twist on the usual black window trend. Instead of full black frames, they just added the black detail inside. I think they achieved this by ordering the grids in a different color than the frame (some manufacturers let you do that). It’s a cool custom touch I hadn’t seen before.
I’m considering it for my place because I like the classic grid look but also the contrast of black. Has anyone here done dual-color like that (one color frame, different color grids)? I’m curious if that’s something you have to special order or if it’s become more common now.
I haven’t done the dual-color grids, but I took a different approach to get a mix of modern and traditional. My home is contemporary, and we didn’t want grids at all. But to avoid the windows looking too plain inside, we actually painted the interior window trim (the casing around the window) a contrasting color. We have white window frames and our walls are a light beige, so we painted the trim a soft olive green in one room and a slate blue in another.
It sounds odd, but the effect is that each window kind of becomes an accent feature without needing grids or dark frames. The colored trim acts like a border that complements our decor. From the outside, you still see white frames so it’s uniform (we kept all exterior white in our case), but inside each room has its own vibe.
This might not be a common thing, but it’s an idea for those who stick with white windows but want a bit of color or personality in the interior. Paint is easier to change than committing to a frame color or grid pattern you might tire of. And if we ever sell, we can just paint the trim back to white if needed. It’s a low-risk way to be creative with window design on the interior side.
Living in Tampa, I also had to think about hurricane protection when considering window design. We really didn’t want to put up external hurricane shutters because, let’s face it, most of them aren’t pretty (those corrugated metal panels or accordion-style shutters can really mess with your home’s look). So we went with impact-rated windows too, like a few others mentioned. The plus side is we get protection without adding anything on the exterior, so our home’s appearance stays clean.
That said, we did consider some of the more decorative hurricane solutions. Have you seen Bahama shutters? They are those louvered shutters that hinge at the top of the window and sort of prop open like an awning. They actually look nice – very tropical and coastal. I’ve seen some Key West style houses around here with bright colored Bahama shutters and it gives a lot of charm. They also provide shade and privacy when propped open. In a storm, you bolt them closed over the window.
We didn’t end up using them, mainly because our house’s style didn’t suit it and we had already invested in impact windows. But I’m curious, has anyone here installed Bahama shutters or other decorative (yet functional) window shutters for hurricane reasons? Do they add to the look of the house? I always worry things like that might block too much light or view on a daily basis.
@zeldabarkley276 – I have Bahama shutters on two windows in my home (one on a bathroom window and one on a bedroom). My house has a bit of that island cottage vibe, so they actually fit the look perfectly. Mine are a nice teal color which contrasts nicely with the white exterior. Design-wise, I love them. They definitely give off that laid-back coastal feel and have even become a defining feature of the house’s facade.
Functionally, they do double duty: they’re rated for hurricanes, and I can latch them down if a storm’s coming. Day to day, I usually keep them propped open at about 30-45 degrees. That angle still lets in a fair amount of light (it’s a diffused, filtered light through the louvers) and from inside you can actually see out decently if you’re close to the window, though the view is somewhat obstructed by the slats. It’s kind of like having permanent wooden blinds on the exterior. For the bathroom, that’s actually a pro (extra privacy and shade). For the bedroom, I’ll admit I sometimes wish I could see straight out, but it hasn’t been a huge issue – I get plenty of sun in there while keeping the glare down.
One thing to consider: if you love looking out a crystal-clear window, Bahama shutters will interfere with that when they’re open. But if you’re okay with a trade-off (beauty and shade for a slightly obscured view), they’re awesome. Also, when closed during a storm or for security, they will darken the room completely like a boarded window, which is to be expected. Overall, I’m happy with them and visitors always compliment the style. It’s definitely a specific look though, so it needs to match the home’s design for it to shine.
I know we’re mostly talking about main windows, but I want to share a small interior-exterior design win I had with a decorative window. We added a stained glass transom window in our upstairs bathroom during a renovation. It’s a narrow horizontal window, about a foot high and three feet wide, placed up high on the wall. The stained glass has a simple geometric pattern with blue and frosted glass pieces.
From the outside, it just looks like a nice little detail – you see a hint of color glinting in that window, which sets our house apart a bit (in a row of similar houses, it’s a tiny unique touch). From the inside, it’s wonderful because it splashes a bit of colored light into the bathroom when the sun hits it right. And it provides privacy naturally, since it’s frosted/art glass, without us having to add blinds or shades.
Now, stained glass isn’t everyone’s cup of tea design-wise, but for a Victorian or Craftsman style home or really any home where you want a pop of artistry, it’s something to think about. You can even get modern patterns in stained glass to suit contemporary homes. We had ours custom made by a local artist and installed into a wood frame. It’s one of those little things that make me smile every time I see it.
Haha, I love the fancy designs, but I want to bring up a more mundane aspect: cleaning. When we bought our house, it came with these pretty French pane windows - you know, the ones with lots of small glass sections (true divided lites). They look charming because our house is cottage-style, but cleaning them is such a chore. Each tiny pane needs to be individually cleaned, and there are like 8 panes per sash. I practically need a Q-tip to get into the corners of each little square. 🥴
We eventually replaced a couple of the worst windows (they were drafty anyway) with modern ones that have the grids inside the glass, so at least now we have a flat surface to wipe. Visually, the internal grids aren’t as 3D or authentic looking as the old wood muntins, but honestly unless you’re inspecting closely, it still gives the effect of a divided window. And my sanity on cleaning day is restored!
So my two cents: if you love the look of grids and a traditional window, maybe opt for the ones with grilles between the glass or removable grids. From a few feet back, they’ll look fine, and you can pop them out or just wipe straight across the glass without obstruction. Future you will be grateful when it’s time to clean a dozen windows.
@tim_carpenter – I feel your pain! We have a 1910s style home and absolutely wanted to keep that classic grid look too. We did exactly what you suggest: got simulated divided light windows with the grids inside the panes. In our case, we opted for a pattern that only the top half of each window has grids (like a 4 over 1 design). The bottom half is a single pane. This way we kept some of that historic character but also got a larger unobstructed view out the bottom, and cleaning is easier on the big pane especially.
The internal grids we chose have a contour to them (so they’re not just flat strips inside the glass, they have a little bevel which makes them catch light and look more solid). That helps them look a bit more real. We also have the external grid option for the front windows (like a snap-in muntin that we can attach when we want ultra realism for curb appeal and then remove if needed). Honestly, 99% of the time we leave those off and nobody notices.
So yes, totally seconding your advice: there are ways to get the aesthetic without the old-school maintenance hassle. It’s one of those modern compromises I’m very okay with!