Windows without internal sills

[MrsFezziwig]

I’m modernising my house. At the back there will be a big picture window (grey frame) and the builder intended to put a traditional white sill below the frame, saying that it’s “normal” for the sills, architraves and skirting boards to match. I don’t think the sill will look right and wanted to just have the sill initially as bare plaster with a view to painting it later in a colour to be decided (either grey or to match the wall colour). He is scandalised! Is this such an unreasonable idea on my part? (The picture window is to “match” grey bifold doors on the other side of the room, so is the only window in the house which is grey on the inside).

Oh, and if anyone has any pics of their own sill-less windows I’d love to see them.

in central and older parts of London, it has been traditional since 1666 to set back window frames so they are on the inside face of the wall, and these don't have a windowboard. Elsewhere, when the window is set more is less flush with the external surface, a board is usual. This hides the cavity and saves builders the effort of closing and plastering it, which is still sometimes done in bethrooms where the reveal will be tiled. Old ladies like a windowboard so they can cram it with ornaments, photos and cats.

Perhaps your builder has only ever done it that way.

I live in a house with sash windows - I do not have a single internal window ledge where I could put ornaments / pictures etc & I am getting on a bit @pigletjohn ( & not cats - just dogs) , but it has been fine.
Without seeing it , I would just say make it to blend in with the adjoining windows.

I am living proof of someone who has lived without window sills. Actually now you say it I may like one But more importantly as I think pigletjohn was alluding to - all else aside have what you want rather than what the builder wants.

I had a window with a plastered sill which was painted to match the walls. Was never quite right.

I have a big window now with a traditional sill painted grey to match the window frame. Much better.

Thanks everyone! I've no complaints about the quality of his work but his outlook is quite traditional and I'm not (I would have to describe myself as old, but I have neither ornaments nor cats and my photos are on my IPhone)

I suppose I am old - I don’t do ornaments and photos, but the cats certainly prefer windows with sills, so I now have them on my new windows

We've just finished our extension and decided we didn't want traditional sills, so got the tiler to use off cuts of the floor tiles instead. I'm really happy with it, here's a pic, we'll have some plants on it when we've finished decorating!

Old ladies like a windowboard so they can cram it with ornaments, photos and cats.

Now, now. Don't be such a sexist (and ageist) piglet, PigletJohn.

sorry

Looking good!

We did the same as @SpaceBergerac. The windows just had a plastered finish and wanted a really streamlined finish so just painted them to match the wall colour (white) and then we had glass custom fit to lay over.

If there is room for a sil then I think it’s bwst to have tile or a board rather than bare (painted) plaster as that is harder to keep clean.

I’m liking the thought of glass namechangedtoday15

I'd rather something more robust against damp dusting, I think. I've lived in a house with no sills but it didn't have horizontal surfaces either much.