External Window Inside - Ideas Needed!

[Medea11]

I am in the final stages of purchasing a property. It is a renovation project - most of which I already have plans for - but I am really stumped about one thing: there is a very large and ugly external window between two of the rooms.

The property is a typical Victorian terrace. The dining room is to the back of the property and the previous owners added a small extension/sun room, which is currently accessible from the hallway and the garden. In doing this, they left in the large PVC window between the new sun room and the dining room.

We want to use this space as a utility room/boot room, but I am stumped for ideas regarding the window as we need light in the dining room, but I hate the look of windows indoors.

Some issues:

We do not want to knock it into one space and the two rooms are on different levels anyway.

There is nowhere else to add a window as it is an end of terrace and I do not think that new windows are permitted on side elevations below a certain height.

What would you do:
-Add glazed double doors with a step down into the utility?
-Add a single glazed window?
-Install some sort of light tunnel?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[PeachPotato]

Are you sure about the new side window thing? I can’t see any mention of that rule here (just that they have to be obscure glass over a certain height) www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/14/doors_and_windows

[Rollercoaster1920]

Pretty sure you could fit a window. Is your wall the property boundary, or do you have some garden to the side?

[Knittedfairies]

How large is large? We added an extension on the back of our house, leaving a small window between the kitchen and the new part. We had the frame taken out, the walls replastered and put a wooden shelf where the windowsilIs used to be. I put plants and a lamp on it. If your window is floor to ceiling, could you install a wall in the bottom half and have a similar arrangement?

[reefedsail]

What's the state of the extension- are you happy to be able to see into it from the kitchen? If so I'd go for patio doors and step. More light in the kitchen and in weather like this you could prop them open to get more air through.

Maybe get frosted ones if you don't want to be able to see the boot room.

[Medea11]

@Rollercoaster1920 @PeachPotato the wall is on the property boundary and the window would back straight onto a private road which takes you to the back of the terraces. I’m not sure that is allowed?

I have attached pictures of the window and the floor-plan to give a better sense of what I mean. The sunroom roof will be replaced with tiles and a Velux, so it may become darker. The window is not huge in the dining room, but it takes up most of back wall in the sunroom and just looks a bit strange to me.

Would glass doors look strange here as it is off-centre?

[LemonBreeland]

Could you replace the window with a prettier frosted glass window, with a wooden frame and a nice pattern so it looks nicer.

[Rollercoaster1920]

Who owns the road? They may object to a new window, but you could put one in. They may put a fence up over it though! Also if it is busy you may not want people walking past your window.

I think your sun room is cold in the winter so that window keeps the house warm. Longer term you could re-build as you want I suppose.

Looks like the current interior window doesn't open so no ventilation for that room. You could knock through the lounge / diner. Then replace the sunroom with a side return extension in future.

[Mamette]

I would just change them into French windows/ doors between the dining room and the sunroom. You can move the radiator.