Windows are a very versatile feature of your home. There are all sorts of different window designs that you can go with and an infinite range of ways to really dress them up and decorate them to personalize the windows to your particular tastes. However, in some houses out there, especially older homes, a window can often be located in a very odd area. If you have a two-story home, you may have a window that’s located very near to your staircase, or perhaps even midway up your steps. This obviously isn’t the sort of window that you’re sitting in front of and looking out of. It’s more like that bathroom window, in that it’s just there and let’s some light in, but you have no idea what to do with it.
If you need something like professional window replacement, then your choice is a lot clearer. A professional window company will handle all of your replacement needs to ensure that you have new windows and frames in the home. Though when it comes to decorating that window and making use of it as a feature, things might not always be that straightforward. Here are some design ideas you can implement if you have one of those oddly-placed staircase windows.
Design Ideas for a Window Near the Stairs
Open it Up More
One of the easiest things you can do is just to open that window up a lot more. Many people who have one of these oddly-placed windows decide to take full advantage of it for its natural light, rather than having to get more light fixtures installed or purchasing a lamp. In other words, they just leave it uncovered, basically, and so it’s free to let a lot of light in. Due to the height and the position of the window, it’s not really a privacy concern if you leave it uncovered, at least if it’s not there on the ground floor. It this is the case, you might just want to spruce up the framing with some paint and leave it uncovered for its light.
Hide it Away
A lot of homeowners who are dealing with these windows do have them on the ground floor level. However, it’s not as if they can put a little chair under there and make real use of the space because it’s so close to the staircase. So, what they’ll do is cover that window up. Perhaps with a large hutch or a coat rack or something else that ties in with the rest of the house but hides the window; this is always an option. However, be warned that if you’re having a window replacement done, you still want this window replaced too. Even if you are hiding it away, you don’t want some rotted frame issue to affect you negatively.
A Storage Nook
As we mentioned with the hutch idea above, this can become a little storage nook. Because of this window’s placement, you likely won’t be able to do much to it in terms of a walk-around room. However, putting an end table there with storage, some hope chest, etc, allows you to hide the area’s odd placement by turning it into something small and functional. You can sit pictures and other personal items on any sort of table or chest there, and the focus is on the part of your home’s design aesthetic and not on that window. It’s a really fast, easy and cheap design idea.
Create a Platform
If you have a window that’s midway up your steps, you can also redesign your steps to have a platform there. This will really accentuate your window and this particular space, and it leaves you open to plenty of ideas for design. Turning it into a functional part of the home, at least aesthetically, is a better option for most than just ignoring it.
Windows are very important features on your home, and you should always work to maintain them. However, even the best windows that are maintained well will eventually go bad on you and need replacing. When the time comes, go with a local company that you can trust to do the job well.