Steel Windows and Doors

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I have recently begun to notice more and more homes that are using steel windows and doors. I am a big admirer of the style and the effect of steel windows and doors: any room that uses them seems to automatically achieve a high level of sophistication and sleekness, and the strength and durability of this style of window and door allows for a maximum amount of light and indoor/outdoor feel to be achieved.

Because steel windows and doors seem to be used most often in places where it is desirable to get a maximum amount of light and an unobstructed view, the ones I have seen most frequently have been in kitchens and family rooms or living rooms. I find this image of steel windows and doors used in a kitchen to be incredibly beautiful; there is a real connection between the indoors, the outdoors, and the decor. Note how the slim black lines of the steel are also seen in the table and the legs of the bench. I would love to see the rest of this kitchen! Image via William Hefner, architect.

The Architecture Tourist snapped this shot of a beautiful kitchen belonging to one of the homes on a recent garden tour. This kitchen strikes me as being very European with its open shelving, total lack of upper cabinets, and steel frame windows and doors.

Steel windows are used across the entire wall of the kitchen in this picture from Southern Accents, March 2009.

A high end spec home in Atlanta uses steel windows extensively throughout the house. The listing can be seen here. I tend to associate the sleek steamlined look of steel windows and doors with a more contemporary style of architecture and decor, but I have recently seen many examples where they are used to great effect in more traditional European architecture and decor.

This picture is in my 'favorites' file - the light just floods into the room, unobstructed by walls or wood window panes.

I saw this kitchen on a recent tour of homes and it literally made me gasp when I walked into the room and saw the wall of windows. Although I am not certain whether these windows are steel (I think they are), the overall effect is the same and it is quite striking.

A bathroom featured in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, July 2008, has a steel frame door that was designed to feel like a window too.

I was able to see the inside of a charming home recently built in Atlanta (the architect is Stan Dixon), and one of the features that stood out most in my mind were the steel windows and doors. The inside of the home can be faintly seen in the top picture; the front door can be see at the other side of the house. The view is really spectacular when walking through the front door as the eye is drawn to the back, through the virtually unobstructed view that the steel doors and windows allow.

Another Atlanta real estate listing that effectively uses steel frame doors for visual effect and maximum light.

This is from an Atlanta real estate listing from several years ago; I am not certain whether these are steel framed doors or wood doors with the trim painted black. Whichever they are, the effect is the same - clean lined and open. I am coming to the conclusion that my favorite kind of rooms have windows on at least two sides - this home is a French pavilion style with wings coming out of the back, and every room gets a lot of light.

A steel framed window looks great with the art deco style metal railing in this home by architect William Hefner. The stair is tucked to the side of the house, making the space light and airy.

The family room in a the same house by William Hefner - this was one of the first pictures I saw where the steel frame windows and doors really made me start to look for examples of this style in other homes. The steel window frames maximize the daylight and do not obstruct the vbeautiful view of this Los Angeles home.

I was not able to find much information of steel frame windows and doors on the internet, other than the fact that they are quite expensive. However, many architects prefer them above all other type of windows because of their durability, beauty, and clean lines. I certainly appreciate the beauty of these windows, but I tend to prefer to have more of a balance between windows, doors, and walls - despite the fact that I love a home that has a maximum of natural light coming into the home. I could definitely make an exception to this rule in the kitchen - an entire wall of steel windows would be fantastic in a sunny kitchen. I would love to collect more images of this look, so if anyone has a good image of steel frame windows and doors, feel free to email me!

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