16 Egress Window Well Ideas to Inspire your Next Project

We have put together a list of our 16 favourite egress window wells as well as some tips for how you can spruce up your own well.

When most people think about egress window wells their mind immediately jumps to the standard and bland corrugated metal window wells. Don't get us wrong, this style does have its benefits: it cost effective and the reflective material can provide additional lighting into an otherwise dark basement. But we can't help but notice just how much aesthetic potential is being left on the table when these standard wells are put to use. 

If you are in the process of adding a window well to your home or are just looking for some quick ideas on how to add some pizzazz to the window well that you already have, you've some to the right place. Here is a list of our favourite 16 egress window wells and window well design ideas. Let's see if we all can't find some inspiration. 

Spruce up your Existing Well

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to have their "dream window well" (and I suppose not everyone dreams about window wells either...). Maybe you're working on a tight budget or your house came with window wells installed by the previous owner. No matter the reason,there are still some things you can do to spice up the views from inside your basement window. 

1    Hang Plants

Hanging plants from your existing egress window well can go a long way towards increasing your view. While it may not quite classify as a buena vista, it sure is a big step up from the harsh glare of corrugated metal. Just make sure that any plant you add does not interfere with the ability for the window to be fully opened in case of an emergency. 

2    Decorate

Many people simply overlook their egress window as a place where they can decorate. Adding a few suitable decor items can give it a certain rustic charm. I can't think of a better home for a tiny man made of tin. Again, just be sure any decorations you add don't impede the ability for someone to get out of the window in the event of an actual emergency. 

3    Plant Flowers

Colourful flowers can breathe an instant sign of life into an otherwise drab space. Adding some stacked planters to your window well and filling them with colourful flowers can do wonders for the view from the inside. Depending on the angle of the sun into your window well, you may need to choose flowers that don't require a ton of sunlight to thrive. 

Choose Your Egress Window Well Material

If you are installing a fresh window well then you have even more options. Window wells can made from a variety of materials to suit any landscaping and enhance the view from inside. Even if you don't have a huge budget or a ton of space to work with, using some of these materials can make a huge impact.

4    Wood

While more expensive than standard corrugated metal, window wells made out of wood provide a much more natural aesthetic. They tend to blend in more with the outside yard and can be much more satisfying to look out at. Wood is also easy to build into any shape, allowing you to incorporate steps out of the well as in this picture.  

5    Bricks

Constructing a window well out of bricks instantly boosts your aesthetic by a few points. This window well in particular provides an excellent contrast with the garden that surrounds it. Plus the garden provides a natural warning to steer well clear of the window well. Everyone knows not to just go traipsing through the garden all willy-nilly.  

6    Stone Walls

The stone work for the walls on this egress window well is stunning. Not only that, the tiered approach provides an in-built step for anyone using the window for egress and it allows more natural sunlight into the basement while also allowing someone from the inside to see a bit more out over the top of the well. Three cheers for style and function. 

7    Garden Stones

Landscaping like this doesn't come cheap, but do we ever love the rugged and natural feel it provides to this window well. In fact, the matching wood chips and scattered plants for the garden and base of the well make this feel more like just a sloped garden that happens to be next to a window, rather than a full on window well. Plus, the blooming flowers will be a welcome addition to the view from the inside when spring rolls around.  

Have Some Extra Space To Spare?

These next few egress window wells will require a bit more space to install properly, but if space isn't an issue for you then they may just provide the inspiration you are after. 

8    Round Tiered Brick Wall

Earthy bricks. Smooth arcs. Elegant tiers. This egress window well is simple yet wonderful. The colour tones match perfectly with the house itself and blend well with the surrounding bed of stones. On top of all this, the wide arcing style is designed to let sunlight in from all angles and allow views from the inside to see beyond just the well walls. 

9    Square Tiered Brick Wall

This brick-lined window well is not quite as large and airy as the round one above, but it almost doesn't matter. The combination of like-coloured bricks, rocks, and pebbles provides a smooth transition from the basement window to the outside world.  

10    Walkway

This two-in-one egress window well and garden makes use of very practical staircase down to the lower levels. This walkway will make escaping in the event of an emergency a much easier process, plus it gives the resident gardener easy access to the lower tier of the garden. 

11    Combine Two Window Wells in One

No one ever said that two egress windows has to mean two egress window wells. In fact if you have two egress windows close together it can work in your favour to use one larger window well to serve them both. This will provide more space to anyone going out through the window and it allows for much more sunlight to flow through. 

Ready to Take your Window Wells to the Next Level?

These last five egress window wells bring things to a whole other level. Prepare to be amazed and perhaps a little inspired. If you have the space and the budget, designing window wells (if we can even call them that anymore) like these are bound to impress. 

12   Brick Work Opening Through Garden

This window well splits through two garden sections with the walls of each garden leading back to the walls of the house. With a tiered walkout and wide open feel this window well almost doesn't feel like its a window well but just a quick step down to the basement window. 

13    Built Straight into the Deck

Wood, gravel, plants, and concrete. Not a combination that you typically think of when it comes to window wells but for this house it sure works. The smooth concrete walls of the well feel like an extension of the house and compliment the hue of the wood perfectly. The plants have found a nice home in the gravel used to fill the tiered steps up from the window to the deck. 

14    Extend-a-well

I wonder if the inspector still measured this window well to make sure it was big enough to pass code. With the well being this big, you could easily forget that the window is actually located below grade level. Plus we love how the stones of the well and the wall of the house match perfectly. As an added bonus, when the snow starts to fall, this well would make for an epic snowball fight bunker.

15    Large and Deep Window Well

You don't see a lot of window wells this wide and this deep. It makes sense in this instance given that the windows are fully below grade. Plus, following from number 11 above, they are combining multiple windows into one well. Big and deep with tiered brick walls and a simple ladder to get over the last wall. Plus we love the stones on the ground and the use of greenery to give a more natural feel. 

16    Big and Shallow Well

Last, but certainly not least is this massive window well conglomeration. The brick work and the pebble flooring are simple but work great for this system. It lets the windows sit as large as possible and remain above ground letting in the most light possible. Yeah, not everyone has the space to put in a window well like this, but if you do and like the way it looks, why not go for it!

Conclusion

There is much more to egress window wells than just a simple corrugated metal frame. From decorations, to the material you choose, to the layout of the well itself, the possibilities are literally endless. At the end of the day everyone's situation is different. From budget, to space, to the way the sun shines into your yard, no two window well installations are the same. We hope that this list has helped you get some ideas for how you want to tackle your next window well installation. 

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Are you also looking for an egress window to go with the window well? The Great Egress Co stocks and sells egress windows in a variety of shapes and styles. Check out our collection to see how we may be able to help you.