25 Light-Flooded Rooms with Floor-to-Ceiling Windows
When a home has a spectacular view—whether of a forest, beach, or city skyline—floor-to-ceiling windows are a must. The glass expanse often stretches not just vertically but horizontally, making it feel as though you are living alfresco. Then there's the abundant light these windows let in; the kitchen is bright and cheery in the morning, while the living room glows as the sun sets. To showcase this architectural detail, consider painting the window sashes and mullions a dark hue that pops against the vista. But of course, it's likely that view is eye-catching enough, no dressing up necessary. Here, we gathered some of the most beautiful spaces featuring floor-to-ceiling windows in the AD archives. Read on to see them all.
Photo: Eric Piasecki1/25In this Connecticut house designed by Carrier and Co., a pair of cube chairs by Desiron face the living area’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
Photo: William Waldron2/25In jewelry designer Kara Ross and developer Stephen Ross's New York apartment, designed by Ingrao Inc., breathtaking city views unfold across the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows, which are curtained in an Armani/Casa fabric. The 1940s French mahogany floor lamps are from L'Art de Vivre, the papier-mâché sculpture of birch tree trunks is by Kim Krans, and the carpet is by Edward Fields.
Photo: Douglas Friedman3/25This San Francisco residence enjoys expansive city views from the 27-foot-tall window in the great room. Ken Fulk furnished the space with a vintage de Sede sectional sofa and a pillow in a Ralph Lauren Home leopard print; the 1910 Steinway was originally owned by pianist Alfred Cortot.
Photo: Peter Aaron4/25In the master bedroom of a weekend retreat in New York's Hudson River Valley by architect Joel Sanders, the platform bed is by Poliform. Against the wall is a Sussex console from Design Within Reach; by the windows, a CB2 Peekaboo table sits beside a vintage Frank Gehry Wiggle chair from Mark McDonald.
Photo: Nikolas Koenig5/25An art-collecting couple commissioned Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects to design a striking residence in Amagansett, New York. The sun-splashed open living area is framed by floor-to-ceiling Duratherm doors and windows; the custom-made sofas are upholstered in a Rubelli fabric from Donghia, and the rug is by Stark.
Photo: Roger Davies6/25To design their home in Laguna Beach, California, entrepreneurs Sarah and Thom McElroy enlisted Ehrlich Architects. A painting by Wolfgang Bloch hangs in the master bedroom, whose window wall slides open to merge the space with the landscape beyond; the beds are by Roche Bobois, and the coverlets and shams are by Ann Gish.
Photo: Dan Forer7/25Designer John Barman installed a retractable, floor-to-ceiling door between the previously boxy spaces of his 1,500-square-foot Miami Beach apartment to allow immediate ocean views from every room. In the living area, Barman placed Thonet chairs from the 1950s and vintage accessories.
Photo: Laura Resen8/25In the great room of a Los Angeles house decorated by Dan Fink, a Poul Kjærholm leather-top stool from Suite NY is grouped with a Vladimir Kagan sofa from Ralph Pucci International; the vintage Jules Leleu sideboard is from Maison Gerard, and the carpet is by Holly Hunt.
Photo: Nikolas Koenig9/25In a Manhattan apartment designed by Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper, a Jeff Koons sculpture and vintage Fritz Henningsen chairs sit at a window wall with beaded-aluminum curtains by CMI Interiors; the dining table and chairs are by Jacques Quinet.
Photo: Robert Reck10/25Albuquerque-based architect Antoine Predock designed this New Mexico home for a family of five. The master bedroom has views of the mountains to the east and south. “I’ve woken up in the morning,” says the husband, “and on the other side of the window, coyotes are walking by.”
Photo: William Waldron11/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-1.jpg
In designer Jamie Drake’s New York City living room, a custom cocktail table and a sectional sofa are joined by a Pedro Friedeberg Hand chair, a 1950s lacquer low chair, and gold-leafed floor lamps.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn12/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-2.jpg
Expansive windows in a living area of a home by Lake|Flato Architects afford broad views of downtown Austin, Texas; the large-scale artwork is by Vik Muniz.
Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo13/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-3.jpg
A garden rich with palms and orchids borders the Florida living room of writer Judy Blume and her husband, George Cooper. The house was renovated by architect Thomas E. Pope and interior designer Malcolm James Kutner.
Photo: Roger Davies14/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-4.jpg
Adam Levine’s Hollywood Hills living room, designed by Mark Haddaway, is a well-edited haven of vintage pieces: a Dunbar sofa in Maharam mohair velvet, a Stilnovo floor lamp, a Jean Prouvé cocktail table, a Hans J. Wegner Ox chair, and a Ludwig Mies van der Rohe daybed.
Photo: Michael Moran15/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-5.jpg
For the living area of a New York City apartment, architect Lee F. Mindel of Shelton, Mindel & Assoc. chose stools, wicker lounge chairs, and cocktail tables by Poul Kjærholm, all arrayed on a custom-made V’Soske carpet.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn16/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-6.jpg
In a Nashville, Tennessee, home decorated by McAlpine Booth & Ferrier Interiors, the family room’s lounge chair is by Sutherland, the sectional sofa is by Flexform, and the glass table lamp at left is by Saladino Furniture; the curtains are of a Donghia fabric.
Photo: Roger Davies17/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-7.jpg
Reclaimed-oak paneling gives the double-height living room of a Commune-designed house in Los Angeles a rustic air.
Photo: Joshua McHugh18/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-8.jpg
Custom-made ceramic tiles distinguish a corner of the sunken living area in Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan’s Shelter Island, New York, home.
Photo: Thomas Loof19/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-9.jpg
At a New York City pied-à-terre by Jennifer Post Design Inc., a vintage Stilnovo light fixture from John Salibello Antiques hangs in the living room, where a cocktail table and console, both by Post, mingle with a Minotti sofa and armchair, the latter clad in a Pierre Frey faux suede.
Photo: Anthony Cotsifas20/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-10.jpg
In a New York City residence by ODA-Architecture, the kitchen’s red-lacquer cabinetry and stainless-steel counters and backsplash are by Snaidero; the cooktop is by La Cornue, the sink fittings are by KWC, and the stools are by de Sede.
Photo: Joshua McHugh21/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-12.jpg
In the living room of Gilles Mendel’s Manhattan apartment, an artwork by Earl Reiback is installed between the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows, which offer unobstructed northern views of the city.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn22/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-13.jpg
In a Manhattan apartment by architecture firm Cooper, Robertson & Partners and De la Torre Design Studio, the master bath, sheathed in Jerusalem Gold stone, features custom-made mirrored cabinets by Robern and a ceiling light by Waterworks.
Photo: Scott Frances23/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-15.jpg
The dining area of a Sagaponack, New York, home by Christoff:Finio Architecture features a Geoff Kuzara mobile above the table, which is surrounded by vintage Walter Gropius chairs.
Photo: Roger Davies24/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-19.jpg
In a Shelter Island, New York, home by Michael Haverland Architect and Philip Galanes, the master bedroom is lined with a Carolyn Ray wallpaper.
Photo: Joshua McHugh25/25dam-images-daily-2015-07-floor-to-ceiling-windows-floor-to-ceiling-windows-20.jpg
In a New York City living room by Len Morgan, a George III sofa joins burlap-clad antique Irish armchairs and a 1970s Silas Seandel bronze low table.
