No matter where we live, casual open-air dining invites us to linger over the meal—reakfast, lunch or dinner. Inviting nature into the dining experience was the goal of the owners of these northshore homes.

They had pictured themselves dining alfresco, but our South Louisiana climate—muggy days, mosquitoes and still summer evenings—nudged them to bow to reality. Just when the temperatures turn pleasant enough for us to leave the doors and windows open, squadrons of buzzing bugs bring on their assault, disrupting the calm pleasure of dining outside.

Windows connect us to the world, however, and by carefully planning their placement we can fill our homes with light and views. All it takes is a little planning and imagination to enjoy nature as a backdrop for the daily breaking of bread. Undaunted, these south Louisiana folks creatively placed their dining areas in rooms surrounded by windows and views. Good old-fashioned common sense suggested that window screens would provide unlimited opportunities for a year round open door and window policy.

Depending upon the setting, windows unadorned can provide glimpses into manicured courtyards and fountains and spectacular views of nature in the raw—or, perhaps, a gentle reminder that the shrubs really could use a little pruning. Not-so-big houses will feel bigger if views of the outside are included as a part of the placement of the windows in the design of the home. Windows can add so much to your home—character, energy efficiency, light control and ventilation. Sometimes all that a room needs is a little more space added in just the right place. Bay windows can add that needed few square feet of floor space. By borrowing space from the outside, even the smallest bay window will make the room seem bigger and brighter. It places you outside without opening a door.

If privacy is a part of your plan, it may be helpful to plan the window style and placement anticipating some sort of curtain. Although window treatments vary with style and trends, window treatments work best when attuned to the architectural spirit of the house, both exterior and interior. The choice of window treatments covers a broad range of possibilities— blinds, cafè curtains, Roman shades, shutters, draperies on traverse rods, balloon shades, pleated fabric shades— some even offer energy savings and cut down on the heating and cooling costs.

Of all of the qualities that people desire in their homes, light-filled is among the most popular. Your windows, their placement and the relationship of the windows to the furniture all play a part in the way you enjoy the inside and the outside. When placing a window, think of it not only as a frame for an exterior view but also as an interior composition, a kind of painting that is a part of the wall.

I imagine that Scarlet O'Hara probably did not care much about Feng Shui and the karma associated with windows when she ripped those green velvet curtains off the windows of Tara, but the resulting daylight probably connected her to the world in a whole new way!