The quarrels and leaded cames of these wood-framed casement windows demonstrate a fascination with medieval details, as do this Tudor Revival house's decorative brickwork and distinctive half-timbering. The Elizabethan Look Photo by Nancy Andrews Their diamond-shaped panes, also known as quarrels, reinforce the feel of an era when glass was expensive and difficult to make in large sheets.

Casement and Points Photo by Nancy AndrewsĬasement windows, which swing to the side along their entire length, are reminiscent of the earliest medieval windows. Ribbons or strips of identical windows divided by mullions provided ample light while creating an architectural accent and maintaining an exterior's balanced appearance-unlike the single-pane, storefront-like picture windows that replaced so many of them in the mid-20th century. Leaded-glass windows fitted with clear, patterned, or colored glass were used sparingly, like jewelry. In houses, its use was generally limited to areas where privacy was essential, but light desired (as in the transom light above a bathroom door or the windows of basement-level or alley-facing service rooms). No Peeking Photo by Nancy Andrewsĭesigned to let light stream in while keeping prying eyes out, vintage patterned glass was more commonly used in commercial interiors, such as on office doors, than in residential architecture. The glazing pattern shown here is most common in Queen Anne and Shingle-style houses. Windows that partner a multi-pane top sash (sometimes stationary, sometimes moveable) with a single-pane lower sash are typical of homes built from about 1880 to 1915. Big Panes, Little Panes Photo by Nancy Andrews A Raised Eyebrow Photo by Nancy AndrewsĪ standing-seam copper roof protects an eyebrow dormer placed in a pitched shingled roof. When eliptical windows like the one in this gable are installed horizontally, they are known as 'cameo windows.' Cameos were often punched into the walls along the entry halls of Queen Anne homes. A Cameo Appearance Photo by Nancy Andrews Basic Geometry Photo by Nancy AndrewsĪ narrow lattice window ( left), a pivoting 'porthole' ( middle), and a half-round window ( far right) pierce one's home's thick masonry walls, letting needed light into a potentially dark interior.

1900 Shingle-style beauty, a six-light square brings light into the fish-scale-shingled turret an arched window with Gothic-arched muntins graces a gable and a pair of narrow sash windows forms a bay. The windows found in post?Industrial Revolution homes are nothing if not diverse, displaying an endless array of styles-often in a single house. An Eclectic Collection Photo by Nancy Andrews

Narrow windows on top of house