W....is for

Following on again with Toni's A-Z, "a...is for" meme, this week's letter is W.

W....is for...windows.

Windows are an important part of your home or office, they give you something to look out of when the view inside becomes boring, you can glance outside to check the weather, they can be opened to let in fresh air.
And they come in all shapes and sizes, ship's portholes are windows too.


In centuries past windows were small and screens to prevent insect entry were non-existent.

Shutters were very common, opened during the day to let in light, closed at night and during violent weather. I think they are a good idea and should be on all homes where the windows are small enough to accommodate them. Like mine.

I searched the internet for some time looking for photos of even earlier windows that were often just a shutter held in place by a plank of wood when closed, from the days before glass was readily available to the masses. I couldn't find any. I saw such windows in an episode of the TV mini-series Against The Wind, when freed convict Jonathan Garret built his first cottage on his land.


Many windows in the past were made from leaded glass and had a crystalline quality. When light entered through this glass the refractions caused rainbow reflections to appear on the interior walls of the room. Small panes of glass were used and held together with strips of lead in the days before lead poisoning was known about. Now, leadlight windows are still popular and the panes held together with wood or aluminium strips.

Another favoured window treatment was (and still is) stained glass. Here we see stained glass surrounding and as an insert for a front door. There are many varieties of stained glass available, some predesigned and readily available, some specially made to order.
Here are a few>>>





Churches and Cathedrals use stained glass windows too, something to look at when the sermon goes on a little too long perhaps?
Tiffany lamps are another great example of stained glass use. 

The mid twentieth century saw the introduction of plate glass and soon large picture windows were all the rage, some of them just very large within the wall, others, like the one above, being the whole wall.

Louvered windows with slats of glass that could be opened and closed via a lever, were popular, but I don't recall seeing any this size. Most often I saw them in laundries or outdoor toilets

Interior doors sometimes had panes of glass in them, particularly living room doors in federation styles homes. Often they were made of "frosted" glass which was also a popular choice for bathroom windows.

A window box adds extra space for growing small pot plants as well as letting light into a room.

 art deco leadlight




and two more examples of window walls.

Personally, I wouldn't want to be responsible for keeping that amount of glass sparkling clean on a daily or weekly basis. 
And I think the heating and cooling bills would be enormous unless the glass is double or triple glazed.
W....is for windows.








Comments

  1. W is for Wonderful post. I do love windows, and would like some lead light ones. Some day I might do a course...
    You are right about the cleaning though...

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  2. I do love windows they let in light fresh air and you can spy on the neighbours and check out what they are doing, I sound terrible but I am a sticky beak some of the time.
    Merle.......

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  3. As much as I like big windows, cleaning them is a huge job which should be avoided. My fav are those nice small picture windows above or next to doorways. With the light pouring through they are a wonderful feature.

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  4. I'd say W is for Wow ...wonderful series of different windows in different places. I particularly like the cathedral glass with it's pretty frosted effect.

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  5. All the windows you have shown are beautiful, and I agree with you, ceiling to ground windows would be a pain to clean...beautiful to look out of, but a pain to clean.

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  6. Elephant's Child; I love windows too, but for noise reduction and weather protection I wish that double glazing was standard, not an expensive optional extra.

    Merlesworld; we're all sticky beaks now and again. some of us more so than others...

    Kymbo Whitford; I like doorways that are surrounded by stained glass windows. I avoid cleaning my windows even though they are small, I think I do it about once a year or if I can't see through the glass.

    Dianne; my favourite is leadlight with the resulting rainbow reflections. And windows small enough to clean with just a couple of wipes.

    The Wicked Writer; I've lived with large picture windows in several homes, hell to clean in the winter with the condensation that forms overnight. And that has to be done every morning or they quickly grow mould which I am allergic to.

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  7. I like the first two the best for sure. Windows are the 'eyes' of the house.

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  8. I love windows! Especially lighted windows at night. They are like beacons of warmth and promise!

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  9. WOW.... a lot of windows.
    I like the old shutters that really work, not the phony decorative kind I have on my house.

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  10. I would feel very closed in now that I am used to having very large windows. I have heard in some places in Japan that they still have paper windows.

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  11. Wonderful windows!
    And, I agree - double glazing should be standard.

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  12. Delores; I like those too, but they're just a little small.

    Diane Tolley; lighted windows are so friendly and welcoming when walking home through the dusk.

    Manzanita; I LOVE working shutters. I've never had any, but if I get the chance to build or buy, my house will have shutters.

    Andrew; I can imagine you would. I think paper windows would be very cold in the winter, but they are a lot cheaper to replace after a typhoon. or as the Japanese might say tai-fun.

    Vicki; double-glazing would add a bit to the original cost of building, but it would pay for itself in reduced heating and cooling bills, as well as noise reduction.

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  13. Some of those windows are glorious and I too like those lead lighted ones although there is the problem of dust. I remember a house mum lived in had one of those porthole windows that looked out onto the front verandah and it had a beautiful lead light pattern.
    Thanks for sharing such a variety.

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  14. Mimsie; you're welcome. I've seen many porthole windows by front doors and some up in attics too. I don't like them so much. Dust is always a problem, on any window.

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