There’s a funny thing that happens when you live in Rim Country long enough. You can start taking the view for granted.
Maybe it’s the ponderosa pines outside the kitchen window. Maybe you can see the Mogollon Rim from the living room. Maybe your backyard opens toward the forest, or you’ve got a deck where the sunsets are hard to beat. Even if you don’t have a huge panoramic mountain view, there’s usually something outside worth looking at.
And yet, plenty of homes were never really designed to take advantage of it.
We’ve walked into beautiful homes where the best view on the property is sitting behind a small window, divided up by unnecessary framing, or hidden behind a wall where a larger window or door could completely change the room.
When homeowners start talking to us about new windows and doors, we naturally talk about efficiency, materials, installation and performance. Those things matter. But there’s another question we think more Payson homeowners should ask:
What do I want to see from inside my house?
Start With the Places You Actually Spend Your Time
You don’t need every window in your house to be enormous. In fact, that usually isn’t the point.
Think about where you actually live.
Where do you drink your coffee in the morning? Where does everybody gather when family comes over? Where do you sit at the end of the day? Where are you standing when you’re cooking dinner?
Now look outside from those spots.
Sometimes changing a window or door isn’t really about replacing something old. It’s about changing your relationship with the space outside your home.
A larger picture window in a living room can make the trees feel like part of the room. A better-positioned kitchen window can turn doing dishes into something considerably less miserable. A glass patio door can bring natural light into an area that has always felt a little dark.
Those are the kinds of changes you notice every single day.
Not Every Great View Is a Mountain
When people hear “design around the view,” they tend to picture a giant wall of glass overlooking the Mogollon Rim.
That would be nice.
But that’s not the only view worth framing.
Maybe you have a huge ponderosa in the backyard. Maybe there’s a little garden outside your kitchen. Maybe your property looks incredible when it snows. Maybe the best part of your home is simply watching deer wander through the neighborhood.
A window is essentially a frame around whatever is outside of it. Choosing the right size, style and placement can make an ordinary view feel completely different.
Lowery’s works with window manufacturers including Pella, Western Window Systems, Simonton and Marvin, which gives homeowners options ranging from traditional windows to large picture windows and custom configurations.
Sometimes the Best Window Is Actually a Door
This is where things get interesting.
If the best part of your property is behind the house, you may not want to simply look at it. You may want the room to open into it.
A traditional patio door can accomplish that on a smaller scale, while larger multi-slide systems can dramatically change how an indoor living area connects to a deck or patio.
We’ve talked before about multi-slide doors because they’re becoming such a popular feature in homes around Rim Country. But the reason isn’t simply that they’re modern or impressive.
They make sense here.
When you’ve got beautiful weather, tall pines and an outdoor space you actually enjoy using, opening a large portion of your home to the outside can change the way you use the entire property.
Lowery’s offers traditional doors along with multi-slide systems designed to increase natural light and extend living space outdoors.
Think About the View From the Outside, Too
Windows and doors don’t only change what you see from inside.
They change the house itself.
The proportions of the windows, frame colors, grille patterns, door style and amount of glass all contribute to the architecture of the home. That’s especially noticeable during a larger remodel or new construction project.
A rustic Rim Country home may call for something completely different than a newer contemporary home. One might look great with traditional window proportions and a substantial entry door, while another could be a perfect candidate for larger expanses of glass and cleaner lines.
The goal isn’t to make every Payson home look modern.
It’s to make the windows and doors look like they were always supposed to be part of that particular house.
Don’t Forget What Happens After Dark
Here’s something homeowners don’t always consider when they’re thinking about windows.
During the day, you’re looking out.
At night, everybody outside is looking in.
That doesn’t mean you should avoid large windows, but privacy should be part of the conversation. Bedrooms, bathrooms, street-facing rooms and properties with close neighbors obviously have different needs than a living room facing several acres of forest.
The best window design balances the view you want with the privacy you need.
Sometimes that means choosing different window styles throughout the house rather than using the same solution everywhere.
A Good Window Package Should Feel Intentional
This is especially important if you’re building a new home or doing a significant remodel.
Don’t treat windows like holes that need to be filled after the floor plan is finished.
Walk through the plans and imagine actually living there.
What will you see when you walk through the front door? What will you see from the couch? Where does the morning sun come from? Which room deserves the biggest view? Where do you want more privacy? How will people move from inside to the patio or deck?
Lowery’s works with homeowners, builders and architects on everything from individual replacement windows to complete window packages for new homes.
Those conversations are a lot more useful before everything is framed than after someone realizes the best view on the property ended up behind a wall.
Your Home Has a View. Make the Most of It.
Windows and doors have practical jobs to do. They need to operate correctly, help protect your home from the elements and perform well for years.
But they’re also responsible for something that’s harder to put on a specification sheet.
They’re how you experience where you live.
And when where you live is Payson and Rim Country, that’s worth thinking about.
If you’re building, remodeling or simply wondering what larger windows or a new door could do for your home, come talk with the team at Lowery’s Window & Door. We’ll help you look at the products, the possibilities and, most importantly, the home itself.
Because sometimes the best home improvement isn’t changing what’s outside.
It’s finally giving yourself a better way to see it.
Lowery’s Window & Door
107 W. Wade Ln., Payson, AZ 85541
928-468-0591