Panoramic windows are those that are installed on the entire wall. Such openings are also called French, since it was in France that panoramic glazing was first used. A window that replaces the wall visually enlarges the space, fills the room with light and decorates the interior with a natural landscape. Most often, panoramic windows are installed in private buildings or in luxury houses overlooking the park area or forest belt.
Pros and cons
The main advantages of such glazing are originality, good natural light, visual expansion of the living room area and natural landscapes, as part of the room interior. However, you will have to pay a considerable amount for such pleasure. In addition, the installation of panoramic windows is associated with a number of difficulties:
Heat loss
The larger the area of the French opening, the more heat of the room is lost. This leads to an increase in heating costs. Or you can install windows with special glasses, equipped with a film that does not allow heat to pass through. But such glazing, in turn, is even more expensive.
Difficulty in care
In order for windows to perform their function properly, they must be kept clean. It is quite difficult to fulfill this condition on your own, and hiring a master will have to spend extra money from the family budget.
Insecurity
Full-wall glazing is especially dangerous for young children, who can crash and get badly bruised on the glass. And to make matters worse, a child may fall out of an open window. Therefore, in order to avoid such cases, additional barriers should be installed.
Personal space
Panoramic windows offer a view of the street not only for the owners of the house, but also for the audience on the other side. Therefore, you will have to hide from outside observation with the help of curtains or blinds, but in this case, the whole meaning of panoramic glazing in principle is lost.
Expensive repairs
Breakage or damage to window parts often leads to the replacement of the opening completely, and this is a new expense.
Among other things, panoramic windows should be installed taking into account the local climate. In the northern regions, such glazing is impractical and should at least be done on the south side.
Varieties of French windows
In the design of the living room of a house or apartment, it is permissible to install several types of windows. Like the usual ones, they are divided into:
- Swing;
- Sliding;
- Folding.
In addition, the windows differ according to the mounting structure. Glasses can be inserted into frames made of PVC profile or installed using special fasteners – thinner and less noticeable.
Finally, the glasses themselves are divided according to the method of manufacture and quality characteristics as follows:
- Triplex or laminated glass is a laminated glass, the layers of which are fastened with a special film or a special composition. They are characterized by increased strength.
- Tempered glass is obtained by exposing it to high temperature and chemicals.
- Tinted glazing involves either tinting or applying a reflective layer. This solution will help protect homeowners not only from the sun’s rays, but also from outside observers.
- Energy-saving glass with a special coating that retains heat.
Each of the glasses is characterized by considerable weight, so no matter what type of fastener is chosen for the design, it must reliably hold the glazing without creating unnecessary interference with the view.
Seamless technology
One of the variations of panoramic glazing is seamless technology, when the structure is a kind of continuation of the wall. Such a solution becomes a necessity, if the view from the window develops into a beautiful natural landscape. However, the transparent counterpart of the wall does not open, so the room will need ventilation or at least another window that can open.
Color solutions
To date, manufacturers offer many variations of colors for frames. Black, white or wood-imitating windows should be installed according to the style of the room.
Wooden surfaces are suitable for the classic style and it is better if the color of the frames matches the color of the furniture. Wooden flooring is combined with laminate and parquet boards.
Black frames should be complemented by details of the same color in the interior. The easiest way to plan the design is with white frames that fit absolutely any interior. But the combination of black and white is one of the most profitable combinations of modern style. Suitable for modern design.
Curtain decoration
The installation of such glazing hardly implied the presence of curtains on the windows. After all, the owners of the living room dreamed of enjoying panoramic views. However, over time, you may want comfort and some kind of protection from the outside world. Especially when it comes to French windows in an apartment in a metropolis.
In order not to spoil the feeling of spaciousness and free planning, it is better to give preference to transparent and light fabrics in light colors. This design, as well as the windows themselves, are suitable for the living room in the style of minimalism. Japanese curtains, reminiscent of blinds, are also in harmony with this interior. Modern technologies allow you to remove them from windows at the touch of a remote control button.
If curtains in the design are not considered at all as an option, then tinting remains the best solution.
Furniture in the living room with panoramic windows
In the design of the hall with French glazing, it is not so much the furniture itself that plays a role, but its arrangement. You should take into account the size of the room, style and number of pieces of furniture.
- Zoning. In the case when there is enough furniture in the hall, it is permissible to place it in groups near each window. In one area it can be armchairs with a table for tea drinking, in the other – a sofa for relaxation, etc.
- Arrangement with the letter “P”. In this embodiment, the furniture is placed along the walls so that it turns out to be facing a picturesque panorama.
- Concentration near the window. The solution is suitable for a room with a small area. Armchairs are located closest to the windows, which can be easily turned to the window openings or deployed inside the living room.
In addition to furniture, in a modern hall with large windows there should be a lot of equipment, at the head of which is a TV. It is better not to install it in front of windows. Choose a wall between panoramic openings or a relatively close niche that protects the screen from the sun’s rays.
It is permissible to decorate a modern hall with a large aquarium or grand piano. Finally, French windows are the case when you can place a telescope in the open space of the living room and watch the stars directly from the apartment.
Panoramic glazing implies freedom of space, elegance of taste and beautiful landscapes. Therefore, do not clutter up the interior with a large number of pieces of furniture or multi-colored details. For a living room with French windows, you do not need accent walls, since the view from the window is the main accent. For this reason, panoramic windows are installed not only in the living room, but also in the modern kitchen, in the bedroom, on terraces and in gazebos.
