View from the Bay

With pillows and a cozy quilt, the three large windows that constituted the bay were a perfect place for a long afternoon of Shabbos reading

Photo: Shutterstock

A bay window is an architectural feature that can add more light and space to a room. If a home is built near a beautiful view, the bay window can provide an excellent viewing space.

When we were told that we couldn’t increase the dimensions of the second floor of our home, due to the vaulted ceiling on the lower floor, I was disappointed. The bedroom was a long, narrow space. But then we decided to add two sets of bay windows in the bedroom, and the space was transformed.

The windows became a magic place for my children as they were growing up. With pillows and a cozy quilt, the three large windows that constituted the bay were a perfect place for a long afternoon of Shabbos reading. It was also just the right size for two children to have a game with no younger siblings interrupting.

Another bonus: the all-glass exposure made children sitting in a snowstorm feel that they were right there under the falling snow, but still warm and cozy. Then there was the fact that the two sets of windows were parallel — a child sitting in one bay window could have a lively interaction with a sibling or friend who sat in the other set of windows.