LOCATION
So where do you begin? In the words of virtually every realtor on the planet, “Location, location, location.” If it’s true for buying a home, it’s especially true for building. First, select a site. Then, visualize building a home that makes the most advantage of your location.
And while you’re visualizing this dream home, start dreaming about windows. Ask yourself what views you want from your living room, bedroom and kitchen? Picture from which rooms you’ll watch the early morning sunrise or the evening sunset. Imagine feeling the fresh, cool evening breeze while inside your patio reading your favorite book or in your dining room surrounded by friends or family.
A ROOM WITH A VIEW
Windows can help make the most of every room in your new house, and Andersen is here to help every step of the way. We’ll show you how and why choosing Andersen® windows and doors for your new home can be one of the easiest decisions of the entire building process.
Even in the planning stages, it’s hard not to think about the resale value you’re building into your property. We all know there are many factors that go into that equation, but few, if any, give the immediate impact of windows. Windows not only bring light and beauty into your home, they add character and expression to the outside as well. Take advantage of unusual shapes and dramatic combinations to set your home off from the others on the block—or the rest of the world.
Of course, there’s more to curb appeal than what it adds to your return-on-investment. There’s the impression it makes on friends and family when they drop by and, the ultimate payoff, how you feel every time you come home.
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By placing windows in a balanced composition, you can harmonize the architecture of your home with the land that surrounds it.
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Windows around an entry of your home create a welcome feeling for guests, and help brighten the foyer inside.
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By duplicating the size and shape of larger windows with combinations of smaller ones, you can continue a visual theme without running the risk of repetition.
KITCHEN
For many, creating or designing a new kitchen can be one of the most fun and creative phases of the whole project. But before you get carried away with countertop surfaces, stainless steel appliances, or your audio and visual control panel, give some thought to the built-ins that will mean the most in your kitchen—the windows.
You might be tossing pasta, balancing the checkbook, or just taking a quiet moment to look out at the garden, but you’ll definitely be spending a lot of time in your kitchen. These days it’s become a multipurpose workplace and a hub of household activity. So whether it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee or stop and smell the roses, it’s good to know that the right arrangement of Andersen® windows will keep your kitchen bright, airy and comfortable throughout the day.
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Ask anyone who’s washed dishes: it helps to have a beautiful view. But keep in mind that casement windows crank open, which is easier than leaning over the sink and lifting open a double-hung.
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Catch views, light and breezes throughout the day by placing windows into a corner of your kitchen.
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Add a touch of elegance to your breakfast nook by using Andersen art glass panels instead of curtains or blinds. They’ll bring light and color into your kitchen.
LIVING ROOM
Maybe it’s the size of the room, or maybe it’s tradition, but the living room has always held a special status—a place for formal entertaining, intimate conversations, holiday get-togethers and family functions. And since your living room says so much about you, it’s worth paying special attention to the way it looks and feels. Use windows to bring the landscape into your home, and patio doors to let your living room flow outside. Whether they’re cousins or co-workers or college friends, this is the room people come to see. Make sure they can by making a statement with windows.
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A wall of windows can dramatically change the appearance of your home, both inside and out. It has the ability to bring the outside indoors as well as allow natural light to flow deep in to the room.
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You can frame a view without compromising ventilation by flanking a picture window with double-hung or casement windows.
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Use feature windows with shapes, such as curves or polygons, to define a space and set it off.
BATHROOM
It’s easy to get excited about glass-enclosed showers, fancy faucets, and water-saving toilets, but considering that over the course of our lives most of us will spend thousands of hours in the bathroom, it’s worth paying as much attention to the space as we do to the plumbing. Today’s trends shy away from the cramped and crowded “necessary” room and allow for a more spacious master bath.
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Clerestory windows (windows placed near the ceiling) will provide light and ventilation without compromising privacy.
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Add a touch of color to your bathroom with Andersen art glass panels for privacy as well as light and ventilation.
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Venting windows on opposite or adjacent walls will allow fresh air to circulate through the bathroom and allow humidity to escape.
BEDROOM
Why should you think about windows in the bedroom when you spend most of your time in bed with your eyes closed? Because when you open your eyes, it doesn’t hurt to see the sunrise or the moon casting shadows across the room. Your bedroom, or any bedroom in the house, is an escape from the rest of the world, a private sanctuary. Design your bedroom as a retreat from the more busy gathering places in the home. Imagine your own private sitting room with a loveseat that faces your outside view; then imagine how best to capture that view with the right combination of windows. Consider French doors that open in or out from a balcony. When opened along with your windows, they’ll allow even more cool or warm breezes to flow.
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Build bow or bay windows in to your bedroom to maximize the space and take advantage of multiple views.
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Adding a patio door that opens to a deck or balcony can give your bedroom the feeling of a master suite as well as exceptional light.
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One large window or group of windows provides better light distribution than several smaller windows placed apart from each other.