Renovation Detail: The Transom Window
Homes may no longer need them for air, but transom windows can bring in necessary light and hand-crafted style
Houzz Contributor. I'm an interior designer, homeowner and founding blogger of the before + after super-site, http://www.raenovate.com/.
Houzz Contributor. I'm an interior designer, homeowner and founding blogger... More »
Nothing gussies up a doorway in quite the same fashion as a transom window. The transom window is attached to the horizontal crossbeam over a door, better known as the transom beam. Originally designed with hinges, the window acted as an elementary form of air conditioning, allowing for a wicked cross-ventilation. But when technology and building practices progressed, HVAC systems and lowered ceilings made transom windows unnecessary.
Nowadays most transom windows are fixed in place, used strictly to provide a dash of architectural pizzazz and let natural light in. You'll often find them over a front door or in a home with soaring ceilings where proportions allow them to look aesthetically pleasing.
I'm itching to install one in the doorway between my living room and kitchen to give the illusion of an open floor plan, and these examples have been great inspiration.
Nowadays most transom windows are fixed in place, used strictly to provide a dash of architectural pizzazz and let natural light in. You'll often find them over a front door or in a home with soaring ceilings where proportions allow them to look aesthetically pleasing.
I'm itching to install one in the doorway between my living room and kitchen to give the illusion of an open floor plan, and these examples have been great inspiration.
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Four-lite transom windows help to make these sky-high ceilings feel even higher.
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As you can see, transom windows work beautifully above both exterior and interior doorways.
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| The transom window above this pantry door allows natural light from the kitchen to enter the otherwise windowless space. |
by Tongue & Groove
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With a thicker head-trim piece overhanging the outside edges of the side casings, this transom window looks classically Craftsman.
Transom windows pair perfectly with other special architectural features. In this dining room, crown molding, wainscoting, a built-in buffet and a seven-lite transom window combine to create a custom space.
| A single lite acts a modern interpretation of the transom window. |
Upon entering this Connecticut home, you are greeted by doorways with transom windows on either side. They make the space feel larger, lighter and more open.
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Sunshine floods this coastal residence thanks to its transom windows.
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| A transom window and side lites combine to beautifully surround this mahogany front door. |
This high transom window with Gothic muntins lets the light shine in, while maintaining the privacy provided by a solid front door.
Tell us: Do you have a transom window in your home? Where would you love to install one?
More:
Transom Windows: Why Use Them and Where?
Tell us: Do you have a transom window in your home? Where would you love to install one?
More:
Transom Windows: Why Use Them and Where?
Ideabook published on May 3, 2012.
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i had them in my 1912 beach house that folded down from a top latch and had period stained glass, they were my favorite part of that phenomenal house
http://www.libbywilkiedesigns.com/2011/01/wall-window-and-some-doors_09.html
marcie
http://custm.co/hz/48