Home Improvement I Love Eyebrow Windows And Arches Great Design Ideas

An eyebrow window or eyebrow dormer or even a simple arch can add great character to almost any home. The eyebrow window has a graceful curve that accentuates your home's architecture no matter what style of home you may have. Eyebrow windows offer something for every possible design and purpose. From a grand contemporary mansion as shown above to the classic elegance of an era long before us, from bedrooms to living rooms to entrances to even garage doors. There is an eyebrow window for just about any possible use. Eyebrow windows add a little bit of class without a dramatic change to your architecture. What is wonderful for eyebrow windows, is they make a great and dramatic remodeling project.  The design ideas are simply endless.  Here are a few great tips from attics to garages and much more.

Combining an eyebrow window with a dormer is the ultimate in creating architectural character for your home and may be the most remodeling project dollar for dollar.

What can an eyebrow dormer do for your home? How can it add value. Where is the impact. Let's explore together.

Light Up Your Attic

Using the footprint you already have is a limitation that many a homeowner faces. Having an extra room for a study or guest retreat is often an overlooked addition that can pay substantial returns.

An attic bedroom remodel is stated to return 77%. Adding light and creating a space where walls and roof exist may be a great DIY project. Adding light always returns more dollars. Space is just space, lighted space with natural sun light is where you want to be and where you want to place your money.

Spruce Up Your Home's Facade

Many homes that add that attic bedroom can also increase their curb appeal with the eyebrow window. One eyebrow window goes a long, long way. The great item about the eyebrow window it bridges the gap and usually blends well with many different architectural designs.

Two Arches - Windows and Entrances

The design of having two arches on your front facade is very striking. While not always feasable for a remodeling project, a great design idea for building. The example to the right does a triple play with the two arches and then the added columns - great exterior design!

Add a Stain Glass Eyebrow Window for Both Light and Grace

Ready to spend more money and planning on staying longer, consider adding a stain glass eyebrow window. These great windows provide light with privacy. Wonderful bathroom idea without comprising design. Great too for the dark stairway.

Eyebrow Entrance Arch

Similar in architectural value, the eyebrow entrance arch is something that is rarely utilized. Look how elegant it is! Add some wood for the ceiling and charm simply abounds. Wonderful consideration for a colonial. Change it up a bit for a more contemporary feel.

The eyebrow arch is a great consideration when replacing a front porch. The common circumstance is often adding a roof to the front entrance. Many colonial structures and ranches have no roof over the front entrance. This causes undo exposure to sun and rain. More importantly, IF completed with an eye to the architectural design as the photo sample below details, the added eyebrow entrance arch adds a great design element to your curb appeal of your home.

Patio Door or French Door Arch

The arch above a patio door or better yet, a french door is another way to add charm and character and sunlight to your home. From modern to the traditional, the added window above with the arch is an added cost but also an added delight.

Interior and Exterior Benefits

What I love best of all about the eyebrow window is the benefits from inside and out. From the interior, whenever you add natural light, you create a welcoming living space. From the exterior, you create curb appeal and charm that invites buyers and demands a higher selling price.

Adding a Focal Point to Your Home's Decor

Home ownership is expensive. Remodeling and caring for your home is for most of us are primary investment. Maintenance and care go a long way but adding a focal point to add character will pay dividends over time.

Arch or Full Round

The eyebrow dormer may be either a gentle arch or a full round. The full round is perhaps best left for more modern homes. One of the photos at the right showcases the full round with a Victorian design. While it functions, this design element may be considered disruptive by purists. The design must compliment not take away from your home's character.

Basements and Garages

Two difficult areas to add exterior charm to cheaply. Yet, look at the use of the arches for the garage at the right. Adding the metal roof was another element that surprisingly works very well. Perhaps not for every home's decor but a great idea to start thinking about.

Many Victorians where I live have basement eyebrow windows. Often in old mansions but a another great consideration for remodeling or building.

Add Character to a Shed or Garage

The architecture of the shed or garage is something the homeowner is often "stuck" looking at day in and day out. Adding charm and character to that structure will speak volumes about the care of your home. This is especially true in small compact spaces. Small yards demand special attention. What a great way to upgrade without breaking the budget!

Remodeling

Investing is always demands careful consideration. Remodeling is a major investment. If completed with much foresight and thought with budgets kept in line, designs matching your home's exterior and not out pricing your neighborhood, the dollars you spend will be returned to you not just in showcasing your price of home ownership but also in your resale price. Considering the investment, you must review the buying guide specifically written for this distinctive and very functional window.

For other remodeling ideas, check out the great links provided at the end of this article. Happy and bountiful remodeling to you and your family!

The history of the eyebrows is said to be from medieval thatch-roofed cottages.

Eyebrow dormers were popularized in America in the second half of the 19th century by Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Richardson is noted as the father of the "Shingle style". Originally eyelid dormers, were essentially short windows with an arch. A wonderful addition to large expansive roofs.

The curves of the distinctly arched window created by Richardsonian sine curves can extend to tall half-rounds as shown to the right. The framing and the roofing are more complicated and the cost is significantly more than a standard window. However, the lasting impact and the long life may make this the most effective remodeling project for your family's home.

Essentially, your design options include a dormer window that is a stylish roof addition bringing light to the interior and character to the exterior.  The dormer extension is a larger project requiring the roof joints to be removed and then reinformed to support the ceiling and vertical walls. A dormer extension simply is as the name implies extends further beyond the roof line.

Building Department Review

Some specific regulations covering dormer extensions are required by the building department.  Check with your local authority.  Create a file and detail in writing their step by step instructions. Dormers are high visibility remodeling projects.  Take the appropriate steps to be both a good neighbor and a good citizen.  The effort will pay off for you and your family and your good will throughout the community.

This three piece window offers everything - the ultimate in design and character with tons of much needed natural light for a bathroom - all without comprising privacy!

The design is simple elegance which could easily be applied to most any style of home.

Ending with my favorite overall design. From the front arched entrance with white classical columns to the room addition that houses a dining room addition with more the flair of a sun room with the large eyebrow window for added sunlight. Imagine the interior dining room with cathedral ceilings, crystal chandelier and the natural light from the eyebrow window. An amazing design idea that readily allows for the formal chandelier that is fitting for this classical colonial home.

In appreciation:

photo courtesy of:

http://www.remodelingcenter.com/replacement-windows/distinctive-window-ideas/?catref=rem65&page=21