Ox Eye Windows Hits the Mark

Circular windows are spot on in adding a whole new dimension to a home’s architectural outlook

What Is an Ox Eye Window?

An ox eye window is a small round or oval window, usually fixed rather than operable, set high in a wall, gable, or dormer. The name comes from the French oeil de boeuf, literally eye of the ox, and dates to seventeenth century French architecture where it lit attics and stairwells. In American housing it appears most often in Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, and Shingle style homes, and in newer construction as an accent above an entry door or in a gable end. Most are non operable, though awning and hopper versions exist where ventilation is needed.

Windows Shaped Like an Eye: What They Are Called

A window shaped like an eye goes by several names depending on its exact form. An ox eye is round or horizontally oval. An oculus is a true circle, usually larger, and often set in a dome or high on a facade above an entrance. A bullseye window is a small round unit with a thick radiating muntin pattern. An eyebrow window is the low curved opening, shaped like a lash, seen in Shingle style and Richardsonian rooflines. When someone describes a window that looks like an eye, they almost always mean an ox eye or an eyebrow, since those two read most literally.

Oculus vs. Ox Eye vs. Bullseye: What Is the Difference?

Size and setting separate them. An oculus is large, perfectly circular, and architectural, functioning as a focal point in a dome, rotunda, or facade. An ox eye is smaller, often oval rather than round, and functional, lighting an attic, stairwell, or bath where a conventional window will not fit. A bullseye is smallest of the three and was historically glazed with the thick center disc left over from blowing crown glass, which is where the radiating pattern originated. On a modern quote all three are specified the same way, as a custom round or elliptical fixed unit.

Where Ox Eye Windows Work Best in a Home

Three placements do most of the work. A gable end, where the round shape breaks up a large blank triangle and brings daylight into an attic or vaulted ceiling. Above an entry door, where it centers the facade and lights a two story foyer. And at a stairwell landing, where a conventional window would collide with the stringer. They are a poor choice in rooms that need ventilation or an egress opening, since most units are fixed, and the round shape makes screening and cleaning awkward on the operable versions.

Can You Get a Custom Ox Eye Window in Chicagoland?

Yes. Custom round and elliptical units are available in wood, clad wood, fiberglass, and vinyl, with true or simulated divided lites where a period correct look matters. Lead times run longer than standard rectangular units, so plan the order well ahead of the install window. Replacing an existing ox eye in an older Northshore home almost always requires full frame work and an on site template, because original round openings are rarely a true circle after a century of settling. As a Pella Platinum Elite Certified Contractor, an Andersen Premier Certified Contractor with Marvin also available, we can show you real examples of each on the consultation, side by side, so the comparison is honest instead of one sided.