20 Beautiful Rooms Utilizing Porthole Windows

When most people think of a porthole window, the first thing that comes to mind is a ship, and that’s because it’s where porthole windows hail from. These round, boat and ship windows are turning up in all kinds of places, from restaurants to homes, and that’s because they are a fun diversion from the norm. Porthole windows can turn even the most mundane room into a nautical dream room, embrace the scenery just outside, accentuate the theme of a room, and much more. Keep reading to learn more about porthole windows.

Table of Contents show

Nautical themes

Because portholes are best known for their presence on ships and boats then you’v’e probably already guessed that a common place to find a porthole window is in a nautical themed room. Of course, framing an ocean view through the porthole is a big bonus, and can give you the feeling you are on a luxurious ocean cruise every time you look through it, however, whether you live by the water or not, a porthole can help complete the look of a nautical themed room together and tie the look altogether.

Bathrooms are popular for portholes

Bathrooms happen to be one of the most popular rooms to find a porthole in a home. For one, bathrooms are one of the most popular rooms for nautical decor, where of course, portholes work perfectly. Bathrooms are also often lacking in windows or much natural light, so to add a porthole can help add a little extra light to brighten the space. If your bathroom is also lacking in good ventilation, adding a porthole window that opens, can be a great way to bring in fresh air and ventilate the room after showers, or anytime it needs airing out. Because portholes aren’t just about function in a bathroom, install a porthole over your free-standing tub to add a sense of elegance to your bathroom and give it a relaxing, spa-like look and feel.

Make it a piece of artwork

Portholes can be designed in a number of sizes. Who’s to say it has to be a small round window that solely takes on a nautical look? No one. You can turn your porthole idea into a piece of artwork, making the porthole a window of art. At Freshome, porthole windows are described as being made into the focal point of a room and give examples of larger sized porthole windows in living rooms where the views outside, are brought into the room with a more unique view than a traditional window. Have them installed high on a wall where you get sky or mountain views views. Maybe the wall over the kitchen sink could use a picturesque view to look at while you do up the dinner dishes. A porthole window could give your kitchen a beautiful, and more interesting focal point, as well as stunning way to view your outside view. If you want more than the typical window-with-a-view, focal point from your porthole window. Make your porthole creative, like having it designed as a clock window, like the one pictured below.

Let light in, in unusual places

Do you have areas in your home where you wish you had more light, but a traditional window might look awkward? A flight of stairs can be a dark area that could benefit from a little natural light, or a heavy door, a room with high ceilings, a finished attic with few to no windows. I bet you could of one where you could find the use from a little extra light. Portholes can be the answer to areas where a traditional window might look off balance with the space, too large, among other issues where it wouldn’t work. Digs Digs suggests a few portholes up a darkened stairwell. It’s not only a way to light up the walk-up, but it creates a whole new look to the space and adds a bit of charm. A thick, basic wood door could look really cool with a couple portholes added in a unique design to give it more character, added light to the area inside, and a way to see through the other side without a boring peephole that is hard to use.

There are a lot of advantages to adding a porthole to a room or area of your home, but Freshome discusses some of the disadvantages, and one is that if you expect to see an increase in the value of your home by adding a porthole to your home, you shouldn’t plan or count on it. You’ll also want to be sure that as great as it may look from the inside of the home, that it looks just as nice from the outside, which in many situations, unfortunately may not be the case.

For a wide variety of ideas on where and how you can use portholes in your home, take a look at the following 20 beautiful rooms utilizing portholes.