When it comes to window types, each different option comes with its own features of interest. Choosing a window is easy if you know exactly what purpose you want it to serve, how you want it to look, and what you ultimately want it to bring to the room. When it comes to pure aesthetics, however, one type of window comes to mind before any other. The picture window is a classic, elegant stationery pane of glass that gives homeowners and their visitors a glimpse into a scenic view without any obstructions or compromise. If you’re looking to install the most beautiful types of windows in your home, take a moment to read about the benefits of picture window.

Beauty

Many a website has extolled the beauty of picture windows. From a viewer’s first encounter, there’s no denying its power. The expansiveness of the view offered by picture windows is unparalleled by any other window type. It’s no mistake that this type of window is named for its relationship to the outside world, as well as for its framing of that world. A picture window turns the view outside into a work of art that exists both within and without the home. Known classically as an “extravagant” choice by architects, the picture window has since grown into itself, and can now be found in even the humblest homes, offering an atmosphere of expansiveness and beauty that instantly opens up a room, from a small library to a large living room. Picture windows are fixed and do not come with any ventilation benefits. Yet, their physical attributes more than make up for this. Picture windows are permanently sealed, thus providing little to no possibility of leakage, and can accentuate a home’s character as well as its intrinsic value over time.

History

Picture windows, in addition to their beauty, have a rich history as the “first windows” of civilization. Traditionally fixed as mere holes in the wall, picture windows began to take on a reputation of extravagance and elegant taste in the ’50s, as architects turned more and more towards the large, showy window types as status symbols. Picture windows, especially when found in rows of houses in the suburbs, were remarkable for the way in which they allowed homeowners to look out while outsiders looked in. Both were allowed a clear view. Although homeowners were afforded little privacy by picture windows, that was the point. The window invited onlookers to look inside and marvel at the display. Today, picture windows can come equipped with newer functions that allow for greater privacy. Their magnificence, however, from the inside and the outside, has not been diminished.

Light

When it comes to letting the light in, no window does it better than the picture window. A common misconception, however, is that picture windows only consist of one vertical pane of glass. When it comes to design and spreading out light through a room, picture windows can be used to create different patterns and window types, such as bay windows, which employ one fixed picture window pane in the middle, bookended by two opening double-hung windows. In short, a picture window can be used by itself or in conjunction with other types of windows.

It can be used in a variety of styles and types of paneling and is one of the most diverse window types there is. Picture windows are also one of the most energy efficient types of windows available, due to their stationary design. They keep air inside, spread sunlight through a room, and offer an incredible view to all who pass through. Catching the most light, as well as giving the best framing to an especially breathtaking view, is one of the main reasons why homeowners gravitate toward the picture window as their top choice, especially in large gathering rooms or family rooms.

Space

While other types of windows can give light and depth to a space, none do it quite as well, or as elegantly, as the picture window. With many picture windows spanning from floor to ceiling, the same effect that one gets from visiting a cathedral can be achieved in one’s own home. With vaunted ceilings especially, the installation of one or several picture windows can open up the space while letting the light in fragments. Larger rooms with high ceilings can often seem too dark, making the space seem smaller than it is. A picture window can serve as a perfect illusion, creating a sense of depth, artistic light, and color to a previously closed-off part of the home.