Window Ideas & Inspiration
Explore inspiring window ideas that will drastically make your home more efficient & appealing.
Filed under:
The Window Woman: Giving Old Windows New Life
In an expansive workshop on the North Shore of Massachusetts, Alison Hardy—a.k.a. the Window Woman of New England—and her small team of skilled workers are meticulously restoring dozens of weathered, century-old sashes.
Replacement Windows Done Right
Tom Silva shows the TOH apprentices how to properly install new double-hung windows at the Newton Project House, with Marvin’s Tilt Pac Sash Replacement System
Treated to the Core: The Technology Behind Worry-Free Windows and Doors
Because windows and doors are constantly exposed to various weather conditions and moisture, wood rot can be an issue for homeowners everywhere. Here’s how an innovative treatment process produces virtually worry-free windows and doors.
What's Their Story? Stained-Glass Windows
Learn about what these colorful windows bring to houses
The Surprising Benefits of Skylights
Skylights are designed to bring more natural light into the home, and they can dramatically up the wow factor in any room. But beyond the aesthetic benefits, skylights offer real health benefits, too.
What's Their Story? Iron Window Guards
Learn the history of the embellished security features
12 Surprising Design Uses for Window Film and Appliqués
Peel and stick this handy material on for utility and decor
Letting the (Natural) Light In | 2020 Cottage on the Cape
Here’s how we flooded our coastal Idea House with an abundance of natural light and fresh air.
Velux Sun Tunnel Skylights
Learn how to "live lighter" with this cost-effective, energy-efficient, and simple-to-install skylight option from VELUX.
How Safety Glass Can Protect You
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva demonstrates how safety glass breaks differently than traditional plate glass.
How to Choose Windows That “WOW”
New or replacements? Double-pane or casements? Here are a few styles and materials to consider to help you choose the right windows for your home.
Beat Drafts by Dressing Windows in Layers
Heat that goes out the window accounts for up to a quarter of heating bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. No need to cloak panes in winter woolens (though that might work). Learn how to cover drafty windows with stylish layers instead.
Enhancing Your Home with Custom Windows and Doors
Use oversized windows and doors, like these from Marvin Windows, to create open spaces for entertaining and gathering, both inside and outside the home
6 Tips on Shopping for Vinyl Windows
Properly installed vinyl windows can deliver major energy savings—and a look that's convincingly like wood. Here, five things to hunt for in a quality unit
Window Trim
Interior window molding does double duty, covering gaps while defining a style. Use this guide to understand what each part does and how all the pieces fit together
Wood Window Styles
Windows are among a home's most distinguishing details. Let the architecture of your place help determine a complementary style
Use Window Treatments to Control Drafts
You probably haven't thought of this line of defense against the chills
Divining Uses for Stained Glass
Vintage windows can improve the look of your interior, block unsightly views, filter sunlight, and more
How to Hang Exterior Shutters
With this weekend project, your home will have all the privacy it needs—plus an extra dose of curb appeal
Victorian-Era Windows
The most interesting windows in American architecture showed up in the decades after the Civil War, when architecture veered away from the Classical and toward ornate details and a nostalgia for medieval- and gothic-influenced early-American house styles.
Window Words
How well do you know your window vocabulary? Here's a quick visual glossary of a few of the more familiar, and confounding, terms that pepper the pros' conversations when they're chatting about fenestration.
Window-Box Basics
Like a corsage on a plain suit, a window box can add spark to a house's exterior—if it's hung and filled appropriately.
How to Hang a Window Box
TOH general contractor Tom Silva shows you how to hang a flower box, and TOH landscape contractor Roger Cook tells you how to fill it and maintain it
Replacement Sashes
Replacement windows are a good idea — as long as the new windows are well made and the old ones really need replacing
The Benefits of Blinds
The right blinds, shades or shutters will provide privacy, control light and spiff up a room.
What to Consider When Buying Skylights
Even a small skylight can make a big difference in a dark room.