Window Proportions
 

I'm installing some fixed windows facing my mountain view and have some sizing decisions to make. Given the tall wall I have 10.5' of potential window height to work with, starting about a foot off the floor (to keep the break above eye level). The tallest cheap size I can get is 6' and I'm going with a 4' width. I want to make the lower ones as big as possible, again to keep the break above eye level. My decision is this: for the upper windows, should I max out the size and go with 4.5', or go for the perfect square and stick with 4'? The 4' ones would be very slightly cheaper and easier to install. I could raise the windows by the 6" difference if I went with the smaller ones. Since you can't see with your knees I think that would make sense. There would be two banks of 3 windows units (3 small above 3 big) and one larger bank of 5 (5 small above 5 big). The rooms in question are of an open floor plan design about 30' deep so you'll be a fair bit back from the windows a lot of the time. Thanks for any input.

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Big windows are GREAT if you have a good view which it sounds like you do. The bigger the window the more people will like it when they see it. Nobody ever said they loved a house because there is a single 12" window to see the landscape.

As far as efficiency goes. Between double pane windows and thermal curtains you should be fine.

I am a little biased by my own tastes tho. I feel that a house should have an open floor plan and that the best view of the house should be to the back with no wall, all glass down the entire stretch.

There's only a 5% area difference between the two options. It really comes down to whether or not an almost, but not quite, square window looks a little odd. I would call the view good but not great (often it looks exactly like a polar bear in a snowstorm). I was going to install thermal shutters, but since I'm selling as soon as I'm done that feature has been cut. The view overlooks a state forest, so short of hikers with binoculars it's pretty private. Sometimes in the winter I look at the ski mountain (poking up on the right) with my telescope just for fun.

Having had a few hours to mull it over, I'm leaning towards the smaller size, since it raises the break further above eye level as well as being a little cheaper and easier.

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If it raises the break to go smaller do it. That'd be pretty annoying.

If you are doing this for a sale go for the cheapest option or the one a realtor suggests.

Spend the money on your own place.

Great view by the way.

Pete.

What direction is the view? If its north definitely smaller windows.