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!
It's interesting reading all these different approaches – it shows how many variations are possible. I’ve been following home design for a while, and I’ve seen trends come and go. Remember when everyone was covering up or removing old stained glass or ripping out true divided light windows to put in solid panes for a “modern” look? Now we have people installing grids and adding character back because mid-century modern minimalism isn’t the only style in town. And black frames were considered too stark until recently, now they’re the rage.
My take: Trends are fun, but you really have to consider your specific home. A trend that looks amazing on a new build in South Tampa might look odd on a 1910 bungalow in Ybor City. And vice versa. For example, I love black frames, but our house has a very traditional red brick and white columns look – black windows would have been too harsh, I think. We kept white frames and it looks cohesive.
On the flip side, a friend of mine has a contemporary townhouse and they replaced their windows with these big black-framed ones and it elevated the whole look – totally Instagram-worthy now. So, I always say: let your home’s architecture and your personal taste drive the decision, and use trends as inspiration, not law. That way, whatever you choose will be more “timeless” for you. 🙂
One trend or design movement I see (especially in custom homes and remodels featured in design magazines) is creative window placement. People aren’t sticking to the standard “two windows symmetrically on each side of the fireplace” formula as much. For instance, I’ve seen long, narrow windows up high (like clerestory style) in living rooms to let in light and create an interesting design element, kind of like User11 described with awnings near the ceiling.
In our home, we got a bit creative in the kitchen – instead of the typical backsplash window that some modern homes have, we put in a long horizontal slider window right between the upper and lower cabinets, stretching over the counter. It’s about 4 feet wide but only 1 foot tall, and it acts as a functional backsplash that brings in light. It looks really modern and we can slide it open for a breeze while cooking. Plus, it’s so high that nobody can really see in, so privacy is maintained even with no covering.
I’ve also seen corner windows (like a wrap-around glass corner with no pillar) in a friend’s house – that was a wow factor and made for a panoramic view. Another friend put a tiny triangular window in a staircase for a quirky detail. Stuff like that turns windows into architectural highlights, not just utilitarian openings. Of course, you have to make sure any crazy idea still fits structurally and stylistically. But if you have a plain wall and are doing a reno, it might be worth asking, “could we put a small window here for light or design?” The results can be really fun and unique.
I love all these ambitious ideas, but I want to add a real-world factor: budget. When we remodeled our place, I had grand ideas of floor-to-ceiling windows and maybe enlarging some openings. Then I got the quotes for doing that – yikes! Creating new bigger openings means you might need a new header or structural support, which can get expensive. We ended up scaling back a bit.
For example, in our master bedroom I wanted to replace two small windows with one big picture window. To do that properly, the contractor said we’d need to widen the opening and reinforce the wall, which added quite a bit of cost. So instead, we chose a middle ground: we put in a larger window, but not as huge as I imagined – basically the biggest we could go without major reconstruction. It still made a noticeable difference in light and view, just with a more standard size.
We also considered fancy multi-slide glass doors (like User24 mentioned), but those were out of budget for us. So, we stuck with a regular sliding glass door, which is still fine. Design-wise, I don’t feel like we missed out too much. Sometimes constraint breeds creativity – we dressed up that sliding door with nice trim and got a chic set of curtains to frame it, and it looks great.
My tip: if your budget doesn’t allow for everything you dream, pick the one or two areas where a splurge will have the most impact (maybe that big picture window in the living room, or the special shape window in the entry), and then go cost-effective on the others. You can always enhance with trim, paint, and decor as others have mentioned.
Agree with User34 – budget often dictates what we can do. We also had to get creative to achieve a “high-end” look without the high-end price on our window project. One thing we did was use standard window sizes but then added decorative elements around them. Like, on the exterior, we installed nice 6-inch wide trim and even a pediment (a decorative header) on top of the front windows to give them more character. So even though the windows themselves were just simple rectangles, the dressing around them made them look special. It was much cheaper to add trim work than to get custom windows with grids or shapes.
Inside, we created a window seat under a big double-window in the family room. We didn’t actually change that window at all (besides the replacement unit itself), but by adding a built-in bench and bookshelves around it, now that corner looks like a deliberate design choice – almost like a reading alcove centered on the windows. It’s probably the coziest spot in the house and it didn’t require any custom window construction, just carpentry afterward.
So if you’re on a budget, think about how to enhance standard windows with surrounding details. A plain window can be made into a focal point with nice shutters, planter boxes, or trim on the outside, and with seating, drapery, or cabinetry on the inside. It can give you that wow factor without the window itself having to do all the work.
This discussion is absolutely gold – thank you all so much! I feel like I have a solid grasp of what's possible now. To update you on my plans: my home is a 1980s stucco two-story, kind of a blank slate style-wise. Based on all your input, I’m leaning toward a transitional design for the windows. That means probably going with a neutral frame color (maybe bronze or a gray) on the outside rather than stark white, to give a bit of contrast without going full black. Inside, I’ll likely stick to white or a subtle off-white so the interior stays bright and flexible with our decor.
For grille patterns, I think I’ll do no grids on the back and sides (for clear views and a modern touch in the family areas), but possibly add a simple grid pattern to the front windows to keep a slightly traditional face toward the street. It seems like a nice compromise many have done – thank you for that idea! I’m also considering adding a new small window in our stairwell to brighten it up (and I’ll definitely align it nicely like User33 mentioned for symmetry). And I won’t forget the practical stuff: definitely going to get impact-rated, Low-E glass given our Tampa weather and sun.
As for next steps, I’m planning to get quotes from a couple of local companies. I’ve heard good things about Karoly Windows and also ProTech Windoors, so I’ll likely reach out to both for estimates and to see their product options in person. I want to be sure the two-tone frame or the bronze color I have in mind is available and looks right. Has anyone gone through the installation process recently? I’m curious how disruptive it is and if there’s anything I should do to prep my house (like will there be a lot of dust or need to repaint walls, etc?). Any final tips on the install phase would be awesome!
@poet45 – Happy to share my installation experience since we did ours not long ago. We also used Karoly Windows for our project, and they were great from start to finish. In terms of the install process: for our house (we had 12 windows replaced), it took them about three days to complete. They scheduled everything, including the permit and inspection, which in Pinellas County is a must for window replacements.
During install, it does get a bit noisy and there’s some vibration (they had to saw out the old frames in some cases). Inside the house, there was a bit of drywall chipping around a couple of window openings when the old ones came out, but the Karoly crew patched it up roughly. I did a fine spackling and paint touch-up myself afterward in a few spots. No biggie. Most of the mess was contained to the areas right by the windows – they put down drop cloths and plastic. Still, I’d recommend covering your furniture and maybe taking down pictures from the walls near windows, just so they don't fall or get dusty.
It was summer when we did it, so we strategically moved from room to room to stay cool while walls were open (they pretty much did one room at a time to minimize open holes). Each window was out and the new one in pretty quickly, maybe in 30 minutes to an hour per window once they got going. And yes, definitely remove any window treatments (blinds, curtains) beforehand and clear the area around each window. I forgot to take down one set of blinds and they got pretty dirty and in the way.
After install, the difference was immediate – quieter inside, no drafts, and of course the new look was awesome. Cleanup was decent, the crew swept and even wiped the windows down for us. I did have to do a more thorough vacuum later for stray bits of caulk and plaster. But overall, not too disruptive considering the scope. Totally worth it for the result!
@poet45 – I went with ProTech Windoors for my home’s windows and had a similarly smooth experience. We had 8 windows and a set of French doors replaced. It took about two days as well. They handled everything from permits to final inspection. One tip: if you have a security system, let them know. Our windows had old alarm sensors on them, and the installer pointed them out so he could carefully remove and hand them to the alarm guy to reinstall later. I almost forgot about that, which could have left our system unhappy when the windows came out.
The installation crew from ProTech was really professional. They actually used some foam around the window gaps to ensure a good seal and then capped the exterior nicely. From a design perspective, I appreciated that they took care to make the exterior trim look neat, because I was worried how the dark bronze capping would look against our off-white house. It ended up looking very clean.
Inside, the only thing I had to do was repaint a few trim pieces. They had to pry off some of the old interior trim to get the old windows out (especially on one large kitchen window). They put it back and caulked it, but nail holes and little gaps needed a quick touch of paint. So have a bit of your interior paint on hand if your job is similar.
Disruption-wise, it was fine. We had one day with a couple of windows boarded overnight because inspection was the next morning, but they were covered neatly and we just slept in a different room (one was our bedroom window). If you work from home, the noise can be a bit much (sawing, hammering), so maybe plan to be out or in a part of the house they aren’t working on. I took the kids to the park for a good chunk of it. But really, in two days it was done, and now we have beautiful new windows to show for it. Totally bearable process.