Ohhh...very useful discussion (thanks MrsPete!). I'm in San Diego and want a pass-through window of some sort for year round outdoor dining - I've been stuck on how to implement. I know I want the window down to the counter (thermal break concept noted). I plan to use a white quartzite inside and would prefer to use the same material outside as this ledge will be under an upper deck (I've heard that some white quartzite might discolor over time in strong sunlight?). The planned window, on the west wall, would be adjacent to an outdoor dining area in our side yard. Beyond that is the pool area (our house is sort of in the NE quadrant of the property with most space in the S-facing back and W-facing side). We most definitely want a window rather than a door (there are also doors on both walls, outside of kitchen area) because I want to be able to quickly hand out marinated meat for grill, finished kitchen items for outdoor table, or snacks to wet swimmers without actually having to walk outside. Speedier distribution means that something warm is likely to stay warm and the workload is properly distributed so that the cook only cooks and others set/clean up. Nano windows are too expensive. Sliding windows are a contender but I'd prefer to have the entire width open. We are all tall (mom is 6' and I'm likely to be the shortest in 4-5 years), so double hung windows might have us all bending down awkwardly to the openings. I'd like to find a casement-style window that can open all the way back to lay flat against the outside wall. Most casement seem to open only about 90 degrees (if that), which would put glass right out into a walkway. I'm not so concerned about the screen as the breeze comes in another direction so I'd usually have this window open solely for distribution. I do plan to blatantly steal Scrappy25's sitting bay with double hung windows/ledge for the south wall of the kitchen. It will be primarily for sitting and views outside (no cabinets on that wall), but will serve a quick pass-through if something is needed in the back yard... oh how I love Gardenweb and all you wonderfully creative people! Can't wait to hear what else comes of this discussion...

Excuse me off the subject, but since u just moved in, it is a reminder to help renters.... Here is a couple of tips to get a full security back. What really helped me was, every time I moved in I would take pictures of everything for proof of condition when moved in. I also took a video of everything, too. Get all the details. I emailed those pictures to myself to time line it & safe keeping. I did the same thing moving out. I made a file of everything signed. Scan, & email a copy to self. Anything agreed to by property management, get signed or email confirmation received. Someone can always say, "I didn't get the email or read it". In court, rental contract, any document with 2 signatures with date is considered of better proof. I won in court against a huge landlord firm when I was 18, because of the proof I had with photos & signatures. They tried to say I didn't tell them. They were shocked when I open my proof file with photos & certified mail with notaries. They were mad & threw a check on the floor and ran away. I was very thankful I was studying real estate at the time & used the rules in contracts to protect myself. Emailing everything to self for backup times because, you can access it anywhere, anytime. Be there during walk through check out, to negotiate things you want to fix on the list. If they say you did something when you didn't. Just show your photos, videos right there. They'll know you're a wise tenant & won't be taken advantage of.;) ------- Another lil true story... I had a girlfriend lose everything in an apartment fire that started by a neighbor. All her documents,ids, hard drive, clothes, everything,etc burned up! She did not have any proof of anything & it made a hard situation even harder. She also did not have renters insurance. Thankfully a lot of people donated & she is fine now, but insurance would of made the situation much easier. Take photos & videos of home with stuff to document your stuff, put on hard drive in a fire safe, security box at bank, or another safe address location for insurance proof. I learned a valuable lesson standing with my friend in front of that huge fire. Plan for the worse & pray for the best.

I see why you want to put something on the walls. But you don't need it. I would first invest in an area rug to ground the space, then I would put the sofa across from the slipper chairs. put the sofa right about where the single chair is now so you can still walk behind it, move the matching chairs off the wall and create a seating area. You may be able to put the armchair back in the mix where the sofa is now. Once you have a nice rug the room will ground itself and give you a more cozy feel. Another option would be to pull the sofa a little closer to the fireplace, and move the two slipper chairs to the left and right side of the fireplace. Maybe move the larger chair out. Depending on how much you love the slipper chairs... I might sell those and opt for a second larger chair that is cozier.

If opening up the wall to the dining room to enter it closer to the center of the room isn't practical, rather than leaving the area beneath the windows "naked", you might consider adding a plant beneath each window. My personal experience is that a snake plant can reach 4' tall above the dirt -- the deeper the pot the taller they grow. It a pot with its own drain tray and set on a four wheeled rolling dolly w/rim so the pots would not easily slide off, they'd be easy to move about for cleaning purposes. There are a lot of different shallow metal and wood plant stands and tables for beneath your windows -- rounded corners could be a plus. Also, beware splayed legs since they're a potential trip risk. Flower pots and plant stands can be an opportunity to add your favorite bold color to an otherwise neutral colored room and draw attention to the windows and the natural light/view they provide -- a good reason to choose window treatments that leave as much glass open as possible.