Anyone used a window for a splashback and any regrets?

Our current house has a (wooden) awning "Picture window" directly above the sink.

1) Love having the view / light above the kitchen sink

2) Being an opening awning window it has flywire so splashes on the window are hard to clean off (requires flywire removal)

3) Wouldn't recommend wooden windows ANYWHERE near water

4) Next time I'd have a non-opening fixed window.......

a) At "sink-height" with a easy-to-clean-won't-trap-gunk sill / frame

Or

b) Say 30cm above sink-height with a glass / mirror splash back between the sink / window

P_D

I would like to have a window in my kitchen as splashback b/n bench & wall units on my western kitchen wall facing the backyard - so that we have view of the backyard but don't loose storage space. My architect is recommending a taller window (& presumeably losing some wall cupboards) because a splashback window is below eye-line, so the only view would be of the deck.
I don't know what to do...

Your architect likes to see the fence then... It's for natural light, not especially for the view... do what YOU want. He can change it when he moves in.

Ed

This is ours now that the kitchen is in - just need to install the splashback on either side of the window.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s112/paris-stella/7769B30B-CD17-4B59-A360-EDCBB52B5994-728-00000027EE9D5FF2_zpsb5acb76c.jpg

Our only regret is that we thought the window went to the bottom of the upper cupboards. There is a 40mm gap. It was drawn like this on the plans and we didnt notice it that there was a gap.

Here is our splashback window



Although the window is below eye-line we still get a lovely view out of it when we step back a meter or so. It's only when standing right at the bench that the view is of the ground.

Thank you SoakedBLonde! That's very helpful. Beautiful kitchen!

i don't like window splashbacks. i like broad view - not just eye line.

Ours has a view of a public lane way so was always gonna be opaque. It might cost a bit more but I always liked the symmetry of having the window run the full length of the bench top. Just a thought for anyone in the design stages, the extra expense is offset by not having the need of filling in the rest with splash back glass etc.

I'm inspired by this idea, however will go for an opaque window for privacy. The main purpose is natural light.

Soaked blonde - with your window I can see there is a small gap between the top of the window and the bottom of your cupboards. With your splashback is there a small piece of glass there. Did you continue your splashback into the return of the window surround?

Thanks



Our splash back is just white tiles and they have tiled between the top of the window and the bottom of the overhead cupboards. They have also tiled into the window surround right up to the window frame.

people with window as splashbacks - how are you dealing with privacy? Ours is going to be overlooking on to fence, and we are planning to put some plants on that side to make more interesting. So there is no way people can look directly into our house through that unless they really want to bend down and look into. But still wondering if we need to do anything about that? Also somepeople suggested opaque glass, can i know how much does it cost?

Thank you - we have ended up going for glass, but I would have been happy with tiles, but I SS overruled by DH

In regards to privacy. We are on a semi-rural block, so no 6 foot fencing. Our neighbours house is about 15 metres away. We have planted bamboo that will get to about 9 metres in height, but in the mean time we might make some timber screens.

Hi Jen

It's been a while since I caught up with your build....wow! That window splashback looks awesome. That is the exact size I have been quoted, 3m x 600mm, but our builder wants to put it on a 'sill' not directly onto the bench top. Our saleslady said the advantage is you get the window and hence the overhead cupboards a bit higher. I don't like that look. Do you feel the overhead cupboards are too low (and I read somewhere you have a 40mm gap between the top of the window and the overheads you weren't expecting) .

Awesome job, love your colour scheme too, although I can't find the licorice colour in our Createc Brochure?

Regards
Ally

Thanks for this thread, it helped me win over the other half and now I'm getting my splashback window! maximus, I'm doing something similar to the pic you posted. i think my window is 4.2m long and about 300mm high. the initial tender came back at 985 for that one window, but they were going to do two pieces of glass with a silicone join. We have double glazing and seeing as this window won't be getting curtains its important it's double glazed too, so I'm expecting it to come back a tonne more in the revised tender, once they price up a double glazed one, unless it's possible that the silicone jointed one was double glazed? seems unlikely to me.

So everyone, what seems reasonable, especially considering we'll have a normal tiled splashback between the window and bench/cooker etc. I'm just after clear, not opaque

I was going to ask the same
My main concern would be having privacy at night time when the kitchen lights are on

Ours looks out to our north onto what will be our entertaining area so it (eventually) will be very private.

Maximus - I love the example you offered. Everyone is doing the window above bench but are opting for a window that fits neatly between cupboards and benchtop. This slimmer window looks elegant and is probably a bit more practical. Sometimes less is more!

Great! this is also the question I'd like to ask. seeing most of the threads talk about the pros which I agree, but I also worried a little about the cleaning works on the window, will you have a lot of grease on it say after a while, especially the light coming from behind the window, would it looked just a little bit unsightly:(?

yes a greasy window splashback is unsightly. You either clean it after every cook, put up with the greasy window or Buy a large chopping board to place behind the cooktop to intercept the splatter while you cook.

They look great in display houses because those homes aren't in use. The moment you start living with a window splash back, they become an added chore you didn't have before. With the position of kitchens and sizes of blocks these days, most look out on to a fence which adds extra costs to you to do something about (i.e. vertical garden etc.).

My preference is to avoid them.