4 Designer Ways to Add Windows to the Bathroom

Bathroom windows can be tricky to get right, but these four Western Canadian designers have figured it out—and the results are incredible. With some out-of-the-box thinking, they’ve turned potential design dilemmas into opportunities for more light, better views and a little architectural drama. Keep on scrolling to see what we mean.

Maximize views with a window-backed vanity

Don’t feel like staring at yourself while brushing your teeth? Take a cue from these bathrooms designed by Nigel Parish (above left) and Burgers Architecture (above right) and place your vanity in front of a large window. The mirrors in both spaces have been suspended off-centre, giving the homeowners plenty of opportunity to gaze outside.

Maintain privacy and let light flow in with window film

The window in this Calgary powder room is carved directly into the spot where the mirror should hang, meaning the team at Mera Studio Architects had to get creative. “We could have taken it out, but I never want to remove natural light from any project,” says the firm’s co-founder, Meghan Bannon. A privacy film keeps things discreet while allowing daylight to spill across the stone vanity.

Amplify your windows with mirrors and glass

Reisa Pollard of Beyond Beige Interior Design was determined not to let this narrow bathroom feel small. A single, sweeping mirror on one side visually widens the room, while the all-glass shower on the other keeps sightlines clear—right to the windows at the far end of the space. “The goal was to have a really strong relationship between the interior and the exterior, which is rather unusual for a bathroom,” she says.

Place a skylight above the tub

Everything in this Steveston, B.C. bathroom helps to bounce and reflect natural light around the space—from the expansive 6-by-5-foot window and the extra-tall vanity mirrors to the skylight that’s been positioned over the soaker tub. “We use skylights so often,” says designer Susan Barstow. “They’re really not that expensive, given what they achieve.