WINDOW UPGRADES

When building a new house or renovating your kitchen, you may pay more attention to the cabinets, appliances, and flooring. However, a window upgrade can also influence the look of a room. Here are four window styles that work well for kitchens.

1. Garden windows

Garden windows, or greenhouse windows, extend out of the wall and provide a great place to grow plants. Four glass sides let in light and fresh air, helping to brighten and open up a room. You can often find these types of windows above kitchen sinks, since this is a convenient place for watering plants and picking potted herbs to use in recipes.

2. Casement windows

A casement window is hung with hinges at the side, letting it open outward. This type of window is well suited for a kitchen because it lets you easily control air flow. Because casement windows open by turning a crank, not by raising the sash, they are a particularly convenient choice for hanging over the kitchen sink. This way, you do not have to reach very far to open it.

3. Skylights

If space allows, a skylight can be a great way to bring more natural light into a room.
Skylights can help you make use of more daylight hours, compared to a window that faces only one side of the house. This is especially helpful for kitchens and other areas that see lots of traffic at all hours of the day. An overhead window can create more dynamic lighting, as well. As the sun passes overhead during the day, it creates changes in light and shadow that can bring more visual interest to the space.

4. French doors

Although they are not technically windows, French doors have glass panes along their entire length, and so can add visual interest, space, and natural light to a kitchen or breakfast nook.
These versatile doors can be used as exterior doors leading out to patios, or as interior doors that separate two rooms, such as a dining room and a kitchen. Because they are double doors that swing in or out, French doors do require more space than standard doors, so that should be taken into account if you choose to install them.