Montage: 20 Room Changing Windows

Windows are always good. My first apartment in New York was a grim little one bedroom on a charming, brownstone-lined block, with windows that looked onto an air shaft. Being on the first floor, I had to stick my head out and look way up, in hopes of ascertaining the weather. I remember hanging out an investment banker friend’s apartment to watch the marathon, a sleek highrise with windows all around, and realizing that windows make all the difference.

I’ve since lived in much better places, all with much-improved window situations, though I still suffer from window envy. We have a great bow window with an architecturally appealing city street view in our living room but tour bedrooms are underground. The window situation is kinda dismal down there.

In three of the places that I’ve (c0)-owned, we put in new windows during renovations. I always start out thinking that it’s a boring use of a lot of money, but I guess I’ve since learned a lot about windows. Good windows certainly muffle noise and keep out chill (we had FROST on our windowsill INSIDE when we first moved to Boston). We recently upgraded the living room and family room windows; being able to open the windows, especially in the city, is huge. (Thanks honey for your insistence.)

I’d love to be able to open some of the windows we have high up in the stairwells in the house on the Cape. They are functional double hung windows, though way out of reach. I never really thought about it, but apparently you can get automatic window openers for hard to reach places, from companies like Rocburn Ltd. Perhaps worth pursuing.

Before getting caught up in the boring mechanical details, let’s turn to aesthetics. I’ve posted a bit about windows before, including Tubs With a View and Houses With Colorful Window Trim. Following up on Rooms With Spectacular Windows, here are 20 more spaces with windows that are space-changers. Living with soaring, expansive windows, and all that light would be heavenly.