There are many options for sprucing up the look and feel of your home, but few will transform your living space as dramatically as the addition of an elegant bay window.
Bay windows are window spaces that protrude outward from the walls of your home forming nooks in the rooms where they are installed. Most typically, they feature a larger picture window flanked, at an angle, by two smaller windows.
Bay and bow windows have several advantages over flat planes of glass. They are great for accentuating the view of your living room or master bedroom. They flood your room with additional light, dramatically altering how you see its various colors and textures; and they can add a much greater sense of balance and spaciousness, making them ideal for brightening and opening up previously dark, cramped spaces.
There are a few styles to choose from once you’ve decided to you want to upgrade windows in your home.
The Angled Bay window
This, the most common style, is what typically comes to mind when we think think of bay windows. Its name comes from a design in which the windows side panels are set at an angle.
“The beauty of these types of bays is that they really do reach out to the landscape, bringing in all of that wonderful natural light and views,” Bud Dietrich writes for home improvement site Houzz.com. “While an angled bay that’s large and can be walked into will work magic in a home, a small, preassembled angled bay above a kitchen sink will totally change the dynamics of a kitchen.”
The Oriel Window
This is a type of bay window that doesn’t reach the ground, typically located in a home’s upper stories. These are fairly easy to install, and can be a cost-effective way to expand smaller bedrooms.
“An oriel is typically supported on brackets or something else that gives it the appearance of being hung on the house,” Bud Dietrich writes for Houzz.com. “An oriel window, because it’s located at an upper floor, is a terrific way to expand a second-floor bedroom or study. And by strategically placing the oriel, you can provide a covering to the first-floor entry area.”
Bow Windows and Circle Bay Window
These are bay window variants feature a series of panels arranged at even angles to produce a more even curve. Bow windows are typically larger, providing a more sweeping, convex opening for an exterior wall. Circle bays are usually smaller with a tighter radius.
According to Dietrich, “Bow bays and circle bays are typically all window, bringing a lot of light and view into the interior while expanding the footprint just enough to prevent a space from feeling too small.”
If you’re interested in adding a bay or bow window to your home, Goldfinch Brothers has many options to choose from and the professionals on staff to help!
