Although there are lots of designs and sizes of windows, my favorites have low sills, tall heads and deep reveals.

Low sills (meaning that the bottom of the window is nearer to the ground line) produce windows that tend to have the proportions of doors. Therefore, they provide more powerful connections between inside and outdoors. Using lower sills also can make a room feel much bigger.

Tall heads (meaning that the surface of the window is nearer to the ceiling) provide much the exact same visual impact as reduced sills. In reality, a conservatory derives much of its visual impact from the lack of any substantial wall arrangement over the windows.

Deep reveals (shown in the first photo below) enliven a window by providing not only a place to put things but by emphasizing the three-dimensional quality of the surrounding wall. The deep show gives us a sense of their weight and solidity of the wall along with the security the wall provides.

Searl Lamaster Howe Architects

Low and deep sills can be used for any kind of design, from a contemporary design with a group of windows …

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

… into a traditional design of solitary, independently spaced, double-hung windows.

You can put the sill inside inches of the ground line. All that is needed is just a little bit of space for trimming and also to make cleaning a bit easier.

RD Architecture, LLC

An accent wall with low sills and deep reveals can be a focal point and function of art on its own. The big windows keep the accent colour from getting out of control.

Vendome Press

Low sills don’t need to be near the ground. Some sills supply just the right height for the furniture.

Lisa Borgnes Giramonti

Deep sills can supply a resting place for some of your favourite products.

Camber Construction

Deep reveals can be made with some built-ins. The walls, windows and furniture have become incorporated to create a clean and tidy inside.

NURIT GEFFEN-BATIM STUDIO

And extending the kitchen counter to create the window sill provides that out-of-the-way yet nearby space each kitchen needs …

Sutton Suzuki Architects

… and each soaking bathtub can gain from.

Universal Joint Design Associates

Deep reveals in a bedroom can offer display and storage space.

vgzarquitectura y diseño sc

Windows that stretch from floor to ceiling create the wall disappear and blur the distinction between outside and inside …

Feldman Architecture, Inc..

… even when these windows don’t really touch the ceiling.

Only add substantial cut to group and combine the windows, giving the room structure.

Feldman Architecture, Inc..

Insert transoms over if the doors aren’t tall enough. Just keep the transoms tight into the ceiling so that the wall disappears.

More:
Losing Lighting: The Revolutionary Nature of Windows
Skinny Windows: Exclamation Points of Light

See related