Private Access: 12 Bathroom Windows That Reveal Only the Views
Be hidden but not hemmed-in with a strategically placed bathroom window that brings an outdoor view but not prying eyes
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
| Share: |
|
Even though the bathroom is the most private room in a house, it's lacking if it doesn't have a window. Ideally a bathroom window has a view and offers privacy, which may seem impossible but which can be achieved through various means (size and location of windows, coverings, orientation of the window and wall, articulation of exterior elements). This ideabook presents some bathrooms with large windows that look upon enclosed courtyards or pocket gardens. These small exterior spaces, like the internal courtyards I've championed before, create connections between inside and outside that are controlled enough to maintain ample privacy.
| |
| This is the bathroom that sparked me to find other examples and write this ideabook. There is a cohesion to the inside and outside spaces that is undeniable: the way the window fits above the tub and the way the concrete-block-lined courtyard is about the same size as the tub. There is privacy in the concrete wall, but somebody soaking in the tub still sees green above it and in front of it. Note the track in the ceiling for a curtain at the shower, a means of maintaining privacy in that alcove. |
| |
| A pocket garden adjacent to the bathroom also allows direct access, as this semiroofed space illustrates. The wood lining the walls also shows how important these surfaces are. Some people might like the gray concrete of the previous example, for the way plants pop against it, but others might prefer the color and texture of wood. |
| |
| One project with a multitude of small courtyards, some of them serving bathrooms, is this residence in Marin County, California, designed by Chicago's Dirk Denison Architects. The single-story, barrier-free plan has about 10 exterior spaces of varying sizes. Here we are looking at the master bathroom and its pocket garden, which is not an internal courtyard, hence the wood fencing. (A shower and toilet on the other side of the mirror are also part of the master bath.) Even though this house is a new construction, a bathroom with a large view can be part of a renovation. With the right fencing and vegetation (bamboo in this case), a wall can be opened up and a private oasis created just outside. |
An internal courtyard elsewhere in the house serves another bathroom.
And an enclosed, glass-walled shower in another part of the house gives the sensation of showering outside but with the utmost privacy.
| |
| With physical connections between bathrooms and outside spaces via doors, such as this glass slider, it makes sense to continue architectural features between the spaces. The wood slats in this example are a very nice touch, tying the spaces together and providing an armature for shelves for soap and other items. |
| Depending on the climate, the connection between inside and outside can be even blurrier, such as with this shower and tub sharing an external space in Brazil. A courtyard like this could also be enclosed from the elements (a glass or plastic roof above the structure) to make it usable in other climates. |
| |
| As mentioned already, a pocket garden can serve a bathroom as part of a renovation. One natural material choice is bamboo, a grass that grows like crazy and screens really well. |
This bathroom is similar to previous ones with the external space off the shower, but it also features a skylight, another way of creating a view (of the sky) and bringing in light.
In some cases a skylight may be the only way to open up a bathroom. In those cases location and size are important. This one sits below the shower, casting light down the wall and allowing for glances up when one soaks in the tub.
But if shaping an outdoor space or internal courtyard is not possible, there is the option of using special surfaces to maintain privacy and give the appearance of nature. This bathroom has resin glazing with a grass pattern for the exterior; on the other side is planted bamboo, so real nature and its image coincide.
Last is a bathroom in Ireland where the window perfectly serves the adjacent tub. In this case privacy results from careful framing and sizing of the window.
| |
| And here is the view out that window, a beautiful scene to soak in while soaking. Share your secret view: Do you have a mini garden view off your bath? We'd love to see a photo. |
Ideabook published on Feb. 28, 2013.
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
Find Local Pros by Category:
Architects & Designers · Interior Designers & Decorators · General Contractors · Home Media Design & Installation · Landscape Architects & Designers · Kitchen & Bath Designers · Design-build Firms · Closet & Home Storage Designers · Carpet and Flooring · Fireplaces · Tile, Stone & Countertops · Specialty Contractors · Landscape Contractors
Find Local Pros by Metro Area:
Atlanta · Austin · Baltimore · Boston · Chicago · Dallas · Dc Metro · Denver · Detroit · Hawaii · Houston · Las Vegas · Los Angeles · Miami · Minneapolis · Nashville · New Orleans · New York · Philadelphia · Phoenix · Portland · Salt Lake City · San Diego · San Francisco · Seattle · St Louis
I've always loved (small) courtyards. Apart from the view onto some greenery or a piece of art, it is a wonderful feeling to be able to open a window or sliding glass door to such a private space, being completely 'safe' and connected to the outdoors at the same time.
The second photo is one of my alltime favorites. I love the horizontal wood slats, they exude such a 'spa-like' atmosphere. Oh, and those Dirk Denison bathrooms are all to die for! *sigh*
Our home opens towards a large atrium garden, but our bathrooms sit along the exterior walls of our house. The guest bath, which is next to the entry, has a clerestory window for privacy. The master bath has two exterior walls but oddly had no window at all. We installed a large operable skylight. It is *nothing* compared to any of these lovely courtyards, but it brings in lots of light and a view of the sky, and I am extremely grateful for that. It changed the whole bathroom from dim and depressing to bright and cheerful.
Using large commercial windows in shower construction can be made easier if the proper products are used to tie the window into the shower's waterproofing system. Traditional membranes are not going to cut it.
Here is a peak at that courtyard and a large window we waterproofed as part of the entire shower space.
We build a brick curb and installed a three piece clamping drain (later a linear drain from ACO was used over top). The window frame was partially lapped with Kerdi Band and Kerdi Fix was used to attache the Kerdi to the window.
Then after we coated out the walls with a liquid membrane and flood tested for four days.
If I get the chance to do another I think I would like to pre-prep the window opening before the windows get installed. This was a tough job to waterproof well and installations like this are outside the TCNA or TTMAC recommendations. As yet there is no guidelines on such an install.
JW
I have a beautiful tub and 2 big window to the small courtyard outside and there were some great ideas to include in making it work (now just stucco and a small plant).
The first thing I want to do is cut it down so I can see the jungle lot next to ours, leaving half of the wall (so one could add a wood or something for a fence if the lot is built on) and then put some wood against the inside. Suggestions of a type for our Florida climate?
Add a few tropical plants, some lighting so it can be enjoyed at night when I take a bath and voila!
In one Houzz pic is a natural rainshower, created with slats over a walkway when it rains. I would like to see if that wouldn't obstruct the view when the first part is done.
I had thought of screening the top and putting in birds but probably would have bird poop all over the windows. Still tempting though... thoughts, anyone?
It doesn't quite feel as protected and enclosed as I had hoped but the shrubs and natural coastal forest will grow and in reality no one can see in anyway even if we did have neighbors. Start the shower and the glass fogs enough to obscure any bathers. I did see one houzz idea where the glass had a current applied to it to change it transparency but this works just as well.
Well, I suppose it's a pretty view anyway. Maybe not at the time of year as the pic so they decided to pretty it up a bit.
What amazes me is a garden adjacent to the bathroom which brings in more light and ventilation and a beautiful scenery that will make you sleep in the bath tub.