WINDOWS

An inset glass box is used here to capture the reflected light of an outdoor Zen garden and to bring it indoors along the floor. The wall becomes a glowing prism of light during the day, and a glowing alcove as seen from the outside at night. Simply beautiful.

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Last, finish the door by painting the frame with one or two coats of paint. Tip: With the paint and brush handy, take the opportunity to do a little touch-up painting around the house where you've used the same paint color.

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Apply sealant to the inside and outside edges of the frame pieces, fill any nail holes and wipe off any excess. Let the sealant dry.

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Put the pieces of the frame back in place and secure them with nails. We used ¾-inch finishing nails.

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Carefully place the new pane into the opening. Use painter's tape or have a friend hold the glass in place. Apply sealant around the edge of the pane.

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With the glass removed and the opening clean, measure the dimensions of the opening. Order a replacement piece of glass from your local glass shop or hardware store, or cut the glass to size using a glass cutter and a straight edge. The new pane should be cut up to ⅛ inch smaller than the opening, which will allow for the wood door to expand and contract with changes in the weather. Note: Safety glass is required for new doors but was often not used in older doors. We chose to replace the broken pane with new safety glass, which is thicker than the original glass but is less likely to break or to pose a threat when broken.

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While wearing protective gloves, carefully remove the broken glass from the door frame and discard it. Remove any remaining caulk or putty with the chisel.

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Use a chisel or small pry bar to carefully remove the wood from the panel frame. Set it aside. Label each piece for perfect replacement.

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To remove the window panel's frame, use a razor blade to cut through the paint and any sealant.

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To ensure easy and safe removal of the broken glass pane, tape off the remaining glass with painter's tape.

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FIX A BROKEN WINDOW You too, can tackle this simple fix with just a few tools and supplies. In fact, tracking down the glass might be the hardest part. What you'll need: Painter's tape Utility knife Chisel or small pry bar ¾-inch finishing nails Replacement glass Paintable door and window sealant Paint and paintbrush Protective gloves and goggles

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Take your curtains to the ceiling. Whether you prefer curtains, draperies or blinds, window treatments can make a room appear larger. Position the curtain rods just under the cornice, as with the drapes in this inviting living room, to imply a larger sense of space. Tip: Use a vertical striped fabric to accentuate the height of your ceilings. Don't use a stripe that's too thin, or it will lose its effect.

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I love these windows between the bath and toilet areas.

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Fucking brilliant. This last example unfortunately doesn't have an inside view to accompany it, so it's up to your imagination. Like the previous house this corner window appears grafted onto another house. The stair leading to the roof reveals that the projecting window may be serving a couple of purposes, as a lookout and as access to the more special realm above.

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The inside of one of them (the one on the right in the previous photo) reveals the clerestory windows throughout the rest of the room. The latter bring in plenty of light, but it's the corner window that allows for views of people outside and vice versa.

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Another spot in the Chilmark House shows how the corner-window theme extends to even inside corners. This inset, capped by some wood louvers, is home to a potted plant, making good use of a small and otherwise inaccessible space.

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That second window is in a kitchen. Notice the complex interplay between the windows (corner and narrow one on the left) and the casework. Shelves pass and cantilever in front of the openings, putting the objects on display. (The cantilever actually requires a secondary structure, a small rod hung from the ceiling.)

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A peek inside reveals the corner window to be in a bedroom. The window seems to bridge the long and low opening above the bed with the tall one on a perpendicular wall. It's evident that the corner window helps bring in more sunlight to the room.

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