Transom windows advice

[steveb]

We're reinstating bi-folding doors in our victorian terrace. Picked these up on ebay for a couple of hundred quid, can't say I am disappointed at all.



We're looking at adding a transom window above - you can see the hole left for them, so the question is, would you :
a) put in one single pane (effectively glaze the hole)
b) put in 4 panes to align with the folds in the door
c) something else

Thoughts appreciated

Thanks

 

[malcolm]

My initial reaction is go for 4 panes with reasonably nice mouldings unless you want a modernist look. Or would leaded stained glass be fun?

 

[livias]

I would be tempted by leaded stained glass too

 

[Abi Cott]

Something etched to echo the pattern might be interesting

 

[Mickey]

Nice doors, all of our internal doors, except bathrooms had transoms/borrowed lights, in true bodge fashion ours were just one single pane...of Perspex! When we reinstated original ceilings we had them plasterboarded to get rid all except one above the door which shuts off bedroom side from living/kitchen and I've been searching for reclaimed transoms to fit without luck and sadly neither of us have any joinery skills to make one, a search of google produced the below result which I thought was great, I guess you simply glaze and paint them before installing voila! Shame they are in the US :evil: do let me know how you propose to fashion a moulded/multi pane transom since I'd love to get rid of the final piece of perspex! I guess you may just be asking a carpenter.

cheers
Mickey
https://transomsdirect.com/

 

[Owain]

The Victorians used reeded / fluted glass, which would pick out the vertical lines in your double doors, but you'd have to be careful as it could also look hideously 1970s.
https://www.historicdoors.co.uk/A2160-a2160-half-glazed-victorian-door-with-reeded-glass-27-34-x-75

Alternatively, (I haven't checked the prices)
https://www.pearsons-glass.co.uk/shop/leadlights-copper-foiling/glass/victorian-patterned

 

[steveb]

Thanks all. Agree with the possibility of hideous 1970s look, probably best to not go that way just in case!

What we may do is paint the frame white and leave it open for a bit, there are 3 places locally that do stained class tuition so it could be a "long term" project to learn and make panels for it. It's a shame that it will never catch the sunlight due to the geometry of the house and shine the patterned colours across the room.

I must confess that this is kind of elegant, fairly simple to achieve and cheap though. win/win/win

https://www.transomsdirect.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=94&Itemid=85&vmcchk=1&Itemid=85&redirected=1&Itemid=85

 

[Owain]

stained class tuition ... It's a shame that it will never catch the sunlight due to the geometry of the house and shine the patterned colours across the room.

It will if you recess some LED lights behind it.

 

[steveb]

so, the official answer is:

leave it open for now.
when we move in , see where the lights in each room will sit (looks like they will probably shine "through" the hole by happy accident rather than by design, but that can also be changed)
go to one of the 2 locals that teach old school stained glass making and make something ourselves, over a period of a long time

simple - thanks for your thoughts. Probably wouldn't have gone down the stained glass route if it wasn't for your inspiration