If you’re installing windows for the first time or replacing them, this is another detail of your home that you can’t ignore. The best windows will give you a luxurious look, the strength to hold up to the elements and potential intruders, and the ability to offer clear, unobstructed views outside.
Read on for our comprehensive list of the best luxury windows for your home.
Materials
You want to ensure that the window materials you use won’t take away from the rest of the home’s exterior and interior appearance.
Aluminum Windows
This creates an industrial look, especially with black window frames. Many commercial buildings use them because of their strength, but they’re perfect for streamlined, modern residential homes as well.
Aluminum-Clad Windows
If you like the appearance and texture of wood but don’t want to deal with the inherent maintenance wood requires, choose aluminum-clad windows. They feature durable aluminum on the exterior with the wood you love in the interior.
Fiberglass Windows
This is a great choice for traditional homes. However, they’re up to eight times stronger than vinyl and last 50 years longer. They also have excellent energy-efficiency ratings.
CompositWood Windows
Like aluminum-clad windows, this gives you the look of wood that you love but with the maintenance-free qualities and strength of vinyl and aluminum.
Window Types
Buying luxury windows should depend on the structure of your house and personal preferences. These windows in particular offer ventilation and light through a luxurious appearance. Their prices vary depending on the kind of material you choose.
1. Specialty Windows
Specialty windows are those you have custom-made as any shape you desire. The complexity of the design you choose also alters the price.
2. Sliding Windows
Sliding windows are horizontal windows with sashes that allow them to slide back and forth. It opens by moving those sashes from one side to another.
These work particularly well on walls that have more horizontal space instead of vertical. They have a contemporary look.
3. Picture Windows
These are large windows with a single glass pane that isn’t divided by any lines. Much like a picture, they can’t be opened but offer a clear view of the landscape outside. This is a great choice to showcase the landscape outside your home in areas that don’t require you to open windows, such as hallways and passages.
4. Glass Block Windows
Glass block windows are a dramatic, practical application that is great for security and aesthetic appeal. They are translucent, thick blocks of glass that allow light but don’t allow you to see through them.
They’re typically used in shower doors, wet bars, garage windows, partition walls, large exterior windows, and basements.
5. Skylight Windows
Also called roof windows because of their location into your roofline, these are a luxurious option that let in natural light from above.
They’re perfect for open-concept floor plans that need extra lighting in the middle of their vast spaces. They’re also a good choice for areas that don’t have the wall space for windows, such as attics.
6. Garden Windows
These are also called greenhouse windows. You can also think of them as small bay windows.
They’re a fenestration constructed as an exterior projection. This is so that they can offer a display space, usually for potted plants and herbs like their name suggests.
They usually have a fixed window front and two operable sides that can provide ventilation. They’re often installed above kitchen sinks.
7. Casement Windows
Casement windows are able to open sideways with a hand crank. These are a superior option to slider windows and double-hung windows. Sliders tend to get gritty and become hard to open and close. Double-hung windows, on the other hand, force you to fight gravity.
Casement windows give you the option of ventilation with an easy to use crank without the fear of infiltration.
8. Bow Windows
Bow windows have a curved structure, making it appear rounded from the outside. Their semi-circular outer structure gives a Victorian aesthetic. Because of their shape, they can be wrapped around the corners of buildings for a unique shape and better views from inside.
9. Bay Windows
Unlike bow windows, bay windows have more angular lines and flat planes. They come with three windows, usually with a picture window and smaller windows on either side. They protrude far into the exterior space of your home, creating more floor space or the option for seating.
10. Egress Windows
Egress is defined as “a path out” or “to emerge.” With this definition in mind, egress windows are large enough for entry or exit in the case of an emergency.
Their size is defined by local business codes. Under the 2006 International Residential Code (IRC), they’re often required when you’re finishing a basement bedroom, along with steps for easy escape.
Best Windows for Luxury Homes: Variety and Versatility
As you can see, you have many options when it comes to choosing the best windows for your luxury home. While you have to keep in mind the IRC requirements for basements, the windows you choose to install depend on a variety of factors.
Depending on your aesthetic sense you may want bow windows for their Victorian aesthetic. In contrast, a large picture window may be better for a modern, open-plan home that needs a lot of natural light.
You also have a lot of other ways to make sure you are really making it your own. You might look into ordering some custom blinds, so that you can make sure you have full control over how much light is entering the home. Or you might want to think about what you can do to keep the window looking its best.
Keep reading our blog for more ideas on how to customize your luxury home for your personal aesthetic!
