How the right windows can change the mood of a home

India is witnessing a historic residential boom. In FY2025 alone, over 5.4 lakh housing units were registered across major Tier-1 cities a 77% increase since 2019. As a founder working in this industry, I see thousands of homeowners pouring their hearts and budgets into Italian marble, bespoke lighting, and high-end modular kitchens. And yet, one critical element of the home remains largely ignored until it is too late: the windows.

Windows are often treated as a default line item, left to a contractor’s preference or a builder’s basic specification. This choice stays invisible while the weather is mild. But the moment the seasons shift when monsoons lash or the Indian summer peaks at 45°C that default choice reveals itself. A poorly specified window fails to protect and comfort the people living in the home.

The modern indian climate: A growing challenge

Our climatic conditions are becoming harsher and less predictable. We are no longer simply dealing with heat we are dealing with high-velocity winds, harsher rains, rising AQI levels, and intensifying urban noise. In this environment, a window must be far more than glass in a frame.

Window is both a barrier and a bridge. It must bridge you to the natural light and breeze you want, while acting as an unyielding barrier against the dust, noise, and heat you don’t. The aim should be to get this balance right with design-led aesthetics and performance.

The quiet drivers of wellbeing

Today’s discourse on wellbeing focuses on exercise and nutrition. Natural light is scientifically proven to boost serotonin. With larger windows and the right glazing, you can invite daylight in while keeping harsh heat out.

When it is time to rest, the right windows are the difference between a bedroom that feels like a sanctuary and one where every honk and dust particle finds its way in. Sleep is, after all, one of the most important indicators of health.

In many Indian households, women continue to spend a significant amount of time managing the rhythm of the home whether as working professionals balancing hybrid schedules, entrepreneurs building from home, or primary caregivers ensuring comfort and safety for children and elders. For them, the performance of a home is not abstract it is lived every day.

A kitchen that overheats by afternoon, a living room that traps dust, or a child’s bedroom exposed to constant street noise directly impacts stress levels and daily energy. The right windows reduce this invisible mental load. They regulate temperature, improve ventilation, reduce cleaning frequency, and create quieter interiors. In doing so, they support the wellbeing of those who quietly hold the household together. These are not small comforts. They are the fundamental difference between a home that tires you out and one that quietly restores your wellbeing.

The challenge: Navigating a fragmented industry

The windows and doors industry in India is vast and often overwhelming. Dominated by local vendors with inconsistent standards, it presents a maze of materials uPVC, aluminium, wood at wildly different price points.

Increasingly, I see women homeowners taking a more active role in material selection and vendor evaluation. They ask sharper questions about safety locks, child-friendly designs, mosquito mesh integration, and ease of maintenance. This shift is welcome because window decisions should not be reduced to cost alone.

Every vendor will claim their product is the best. But the most important parts of a window are often the least visible: the hardware, sealing, reinforcement, and drainage. These internal components determine how a system performs for years. Unlike paint, a poorly chosen window is expensive and disruptive to replace it is a decision you live with for decades.

Your windows deserve the Same thought as your interiors

Because windows are so central to how a home feels and so difficult to undo once done wrong they deserve the same rigorous thought you give your flooring, appliances, or kitchen. In a crowded and uneven market, choose transparency and capability over the lowest number on a quote. Ask about the profile grade, the internal hardware, and the reinforcement strategy. Critically, ask about the installation process where nearly half of all window failures begin.

When women often the emotional anchors of a home are included meaningfully in these conversations, the outcome is usually more holistic. The focus shifts from just “how it looks” to “how it will live.” Prioritise these technical answers over the lowest bid, and your home will reward you quietly every single day. Because when your windows are right, your home doesn’t just look better. It feels better.

(The writer is a Co-Founder & CEO, IndiFrame)