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Seattle Picture Windows
The picture window, also known as the fixed window, is the simplest and yet most versatile element of your window décor, letting in light, but not the elements. Because it doesn't open and has no moving parts (hence, "fixed"), it offers excellent insulation and weatherproofing; its uncluttered simplicity minimizes obstruction of your desired view.
Perhaps the most spectacular example of the picture window is the wall-sized, sometimes multi-story picture window that makes an exterior element -- like a beautiful garden or a spectacular city vista -- an integral part of the room. But smaller picture windows can also be used to great advantage -- for example, set in a curved pattern in a wall to follow the sun's path.
In addition to such standalone applications, picture windows are often used in combination with sliding, double-hung, awning or casement windows. For example, an awning window may be placed above or below a picture window to allow for ventilation without interfering with the view. Other very popular options are the bay window, in which a picture window is flanked with a casement or double-hung window on either side, or a bow window, in which multiple windows are arrayed in a gentle curve.
The fixed window's simplicity, with no moving parts, allows a nearly infinite number of creative treatments: custom shapes, leaded and/or colored glass, artistic insets, and more. You don't have to settle for generic; the picture window is the essential building block for giving your home a truly distinctive look.