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27 Light-Loving Clerestory Windows

From capturing light and releasing heat to catching breezes, these high-placed windows are as smart as they are stylish

Georgia Madden
Georgia MaddenJanuary 28, 2020
Senior writer, Houzz Australia
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Clerestory windows – essentially narrow windows placed above eye-level – date all the way back to Egyptian times and, since then, have lost none of their appeal. Contemporary architects use these slender, light-loving openings to flood dark rooms with daylight, boost cross ventilation and make small spaces appear bigger. Interested in incorporating them into your home design? Here are 27 examples from around the world to fuel your design thinking.

And remember, you can get more details of a project and see more of a professional’s work by clicking on a photo.
Alwill Interiors
1. Location: Sydney, NSW
Designer: Alwill Interiors
Features: An asymmetrical opening near the ceiling captures light and peeps of nature.
LocalArchitect South Coast
2. Location: Wollongong, NSW
Designer: LocalArchitect South Coast
Features: Operable clerestory windows boost light and airflow.
Banham Architects
3. Location: Perth, WA
Designer: Banham Architects
Features: Light and treetop views in one seamless package.

Are you ready to take the plunge? Find an architect near you on Houzz to help bring your dream home to life
Collaroy Kitchen Centre
4. Location: Sydney, NSW
Designer: Collaroy Kitchen Centre
Features: Highlight windows that follow the lines of the cathedral ceiling. Beautiful and effective.
Kube Constructions
5. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Kube Constructions
Features: A mono-pitched roof creates space for interesting window shapes.
Clancy Constructions
6. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Clancy Constructions
Features: A sliver of light from above balances out this dark kitchen.
Brickworks Building Products
7. Location: Sydney, NSW
Designer: BENT Architecture
Features: A design that makes windows the star of the show while maximising cross ventilation.
Bondi Kitchens & Joinery
8. Location: Coogee, NSW
Designer: Bondi Kitchens
Features: High-placed louvre windows catch cooling breezes and draw in soft light – ideal for this coastal family home.
Anatoly Patrick Architecture
9. Location: Adelaide, SA
Designer: Anatoly Patrick Architecture
Features: High-placed windows with minimal frames allow for unobstructed treetop views, coupled with clerestories to the right.
Nimmo Nielsen Collective
10. Location: Sydney, NSW
Designer: Nimmo Nielsen Collective
Features: A long run of skinny clerestory windows with louvres boost ventilation.
Digital Photography Inhouse
11. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Atkinson Pontifex
Features: Positioning the windows near the ceiling draws in natural light while maintaining privacy.
Big House Little House
12. Location: Brisbane, Queensland
Designer: Big House Little House
Features: Clerestory windows positioned around the room capture light from every angle.
Warc Studio Architects
13. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Warc Studio Architects
Features: A single, unobstructed pane of glass for this clerestory window maximises light and views.
Kalka
14. Location: Brisbane, Queensland
Designer: Shaun Lockyer Architects
Features: High-placed timber-framed windows create a sense of connection between the kitchen and garden.
The Dept of Design
15. Location: Canberra, ACT
Designer: The Dept of Design
Features: A medley of highlight windows in different shapes adds a touch of the unexpected to this scheme and makes the most of the light available.
SIMCO DECORATING Painting and Finishes
16. Location: Canberra, ACT
Features: Warm timber frames set against bright white walls draw the eye to the striking window shapes.
Excelsior Master Builder
17. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Excelsior Master Builder
Features: The irregular shape of this window echoes the unusual lines of the ceiling for a balanced feel.
RENATO D'ETTORRE ARCHITECTS
18. Location: Hamilton Island, Queensland
Designer: Renato D’Ettorre Architects
Features: Highlight windows designed to optimise that killer outlook.
Living Edge
19. Location: Sydney, NSW
Features: Generous clerestory windows ensure this kitchen feels bright and cheery long after the sun has reached its peak.
Justin Loe Architects
20. Location: Sydney, NSW
Designer: Justin Loe Architects
Features: A ceiling void framed by clerestory windows gives the entire open-plan space the illusion of greater height.
Vitrocsa Australia
21. Location: North Bondi, NSW
Designer: Tobias Partners
Features: An artful interplay of light and shadow courtesy of these well-placed windows.
Studio Tom
22. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Studio Tom
Features: Black-framed highlight windows wrap around the room and draw in light from all sides.
Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
23. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
Features: Huge openings and expanses of glass connect indoors and out.
Jdesign Group
24. Location: Inverloch, Victoria
Designer: Jdesign Group
Features: Privacy and light guaranteed.
Rebecca Ryan Architect
25. Location: Adelaide, SA
Designer: Rebecca Ryan Architect
Features: Proof that clerestory windows don’t have to be huge to make an impact.
Studio Tom
26. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Studio Tom
Features: Operable clerestory windows on opposite sides of the room boost cross ventilation and help keep this home cool naturally.
Hugo Landa Photography
27. Location: Orange County, USA
Features: Wide, charcoal window frames make a statement and pick up on the room’s dark accents.


Your turn
Which of these windows could you imagine in your home? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.

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Want more design inspiration? Don’t miss 26 Fun-Filled Modern Playrooms
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Comments (6)
See 3 more comments
  • Deb
    11 months ago

    I have a Large 8 pane cathedral window in entry hall. 6 metres up. Any advice on some sort of window treatment? It allows extreme heat and direct sunlight in summer.

  • Katie
    3 months ago

    Alright so, it is nice but in my opinion I think there is to much timber and there is to much of that brownishy colour

  • Susan Vale
    3 months ago

    If you live in a cold climate I would advise against using louvre windows. We ended up having to change the ones in our home. Cross flow ventilation sounds lovely in high summer but heat escaping is definitely no fun mid winter. I do love our high windows and the glimpse of the sky and northern light they provide and now they don’t leak heat I wouldn’t be without them.

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