Home Renovation Tips: To Bay or Not to Bay
by Wendy Croix
Home Improvement Ideas Columnist
Bay windows, once the province of classic Victorian architecture, are suddenly popular again--and what's not to love about a bay? This window style brightens any room, breaks down the barrier between a home and its environment, and creates an oasis of light. The bay window is a home renovation idea that can add value to a kitchen or bath as well as space to a larger room.
Bay Window Home Renovation Tip #1: Open Your Spaces.
A bay window adds space to any room, in essence creating a mini bonus room. Says San Francisco home improvement writer Jerome Gagnon, "an angled, three-sided Victorian bay with 6-foot-high, double-hung windows typically projects from 2 to 3 feet out from the wall plane." Design the ever-popular window seat or a gorgeous garden area filled with the sun-loving plants your home might not otherwise allow in your next renovation!
Bay Window Home Renovation Tip #2: Let There Be Light!
Choosing a design for your home renovation means investing in an improvement you'll enjoy for years to come, an improvement that pays off in pleasure now and resale value later. With the new low-e "spectrally selective" glass coatings that reduce UV light by nearly 75%, you won't have to worry about light fading your furniture because of your latest home renovation idea.
Bay Window Home Renovation Tip #3: Think Bay in Every Room of the House.
- A Living Room Extra. In a two-story home, stacked first and second floor bay windows make a home appear much, much larger. In essence, adding bays to the living room and the room above it gives the impression of openness
- The Classic Kitchen Bay. Long the province of the inside herb gardens, kitchens are a popular place for greenhouse-style windows. These all-glass bays brighten the kitchen and open up a room that too-often feels closed in.
- An Opulent Bath. Realtors report that one of the most popular locations for the bay window these days is the bathroom. Nothing updates a bath like a luxury tub set into a bay window.
Talk about design for home renovation that really ups resale value!
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About the Author
Wendy Croix, Ph.D. is a freelance writer, cultural critic and university professor. In her twenty years as a professional educator, Wendy has guided hundreds of students toward the careers of their dreams.
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