windows
Introduce an angle This sweet, not-too-large oriel window has been built to be the same height as a desk, creating an almost seamless view out to the garden and providing some non-work space on which to put, say, a potted plant. The design also deviates from the more usual square or rectangle. To maximise the light and general effect of the window, the architects at RISE Design Studio created a shape that follows the line of the outbuilding.
“In the world of fenestration [the arrangement and design of windows], there are three cost buckets,” he says, “timber, aluminium and uPVC. The third option is a lot cheaper than the other two. A set of 2 x 1.5m French windows, for instance, would cost £600 in uPVC, £1,200 in aluminium, and up to £3,000 in timber.”
Combine a seat with storage The interior designer tasked with transforming this flat didn’t let a large window get in the way of adding storage to the bedroom. She designed bespoke cabinets that surround the window, creating a wall of useful storage. On top of this, the owners now have a beautiful, teak-veneered window seat.
Beautiful bay windows create a challenge because of their angles: sunlight will hit the sections differently, so individual adjustments are preferable to manage that. In this room, shutters offer the opportunity to tilt and deflect the light in the middle and each side section independently to keep the room at the right temperature in sunny weather and save furniture and furnishings from damage and fading. Tall bay window? Follow this room’s example with tier-on-tier shutters, where the top and bottom panels are separate for maximum flexibility.
The drape of curtains is appealing, but they’re not the only option when soft gathers of fabric are a must-have in a bedroom scheme. Roman blinds – like the pair in this room – fall in pleats when they’re pulled up, so they can have the same generous look as curtains. Note how having a pair of windows set close together in this room also makes the blinds a good choice, as they provide a neat treatment that avoids a clash of hanging material. Also, with the window on the left butting up to the bedhead wall, a curtain drawn back here would have no place to go.
Ground-floor bedrooms, narrow streets, busy roads… There are plenty of situations where creating sufficient privacy is challenging. In this room, window film is a permanent cover-up for the lower part of the windows, with Roman blinds an adjustable second element. Like etched and sandblasted glass, window film will still let daylight into the room. As here, fitting it to the lower pane of the window might be enough to stop passers-by looking in, while retaining more light than if a full-length voile curtain were used for the same purpose.
In this bedroom, solid panel shutters have been enlisted to block unwanted light. They can be made to the exact measurements of a window, so they’re effective as a blackout method. They might also help if it’s noise that’s affecting the quality of your sleep – particularly if your home has single-glazed windows.
Create some luxury Window dressings can be expensive, particularly if you’re looking for something that’s thick and luxurious. If you don’t want to blow the budget, however, consider this simple solution. The designer of this bedroom bought three pairs of cotton curtains from Ikea and had them sewn together. The drapes are now much fuller and give this room a cosy and sumptuous look.
Window film Finished with film that creates the look of etched glass, this kitchen is bright but private, too. Try film when you’re looking for a treatment that doesn’t take up any extra space in the room – windows in awkward positions or directly adjacent to the sink are easy to dress this way. Film can obscure glass or, like this one, add pattern. Single motifs are available, too. If you don’t want to cover the whole window, it can just be used on a section.
Create the illusion of space with horizontal stripes Make use of the patterns and designs of fabrics to their best effect to maximise the feeling of space. A bold lateral stripe will give the illusion a room is wider than it is, and so is perfect for a narrow corridor or compact office space. Painterly stripes and ombre effects are a real trend at the moment and are ideal for creating a softer mood in a room.
Layer up for practicality and style Layering window treatments is a useful trick to adopt and has a dual purpose, too. On a practical level, teaming floor-to-ceiling curtains with either shutters or blinds offers maximum flexibility as far as privacy and warmth are concerned – additional insulation from draughts in the winter with the curtains drawn, and a lighter feel in the summer using just the shutters for privacy. Psychologically, there’s another trick that’s great for smaller spaces: double treatments add an extra layer of sophistication and luxury that can give a diminutive living room a much grander appearance and feel. Max the effect by combining classic wooden shutters or a neat wool blind with full silk or velvet curtains.
Expand a small space The benefits for small spaces are a particular positive of bifold doors. ‘They offer great visual aspect to the outside and, if you’re short on room indoors, they help create the illusion of space,’ says James Bernard. The cleaner and wider the view onto the outside, the bigger your space inside will feel. ‘French doors or double doors and a window all clutter up the back wall and miss the opportunity to show off space,’ says James. ‘But bifolds offer a good view. Even if your garden is not that big, the fact that your eye continues beyond the back of the house and out into the exterior really boosts the sense of space.’
It’s hard to generalise about cost, as materials, size and installation all come into play, but expect to pay around £2,000-£3,000 for a four-leaf system of doors.
Sliding doors are a sleek, high-end alternative to bifold doors, but they cost slightly more. It can be worth it, though. ‘For 90% of the year, your view is going to be of those doors shut,’ says James. ‘When we see images of open folding doors, it’s easy to think, “I want that,” but remember we don’t live in Barbados! The view of the doors when they’re shut is more relevant.’
Free up wall space in a bathroom Top floor bathrooms are great places for some glazing in the roof. As well as providing lots of daylight from above, the walls can be kept free of windows, which allows much more flexibility when placing the fittings – no clashes between windows and basin mirrors here!
Zakevicius chose sliding doors, rather than folding. ‘Folding doors look brilliant once they’re fully open, but when they’re closed, they have a lot of sections,’ he says. ‘There would have been about six sections in an opening this big, which would carve up the view.’ These sliding doors have just three sections, with the central piece sliding for access to the garden. ‘They are enjoyable to use and this opens to the garden more than enough,’ says Zakevicius. ‘The idea of the seamless transition still works, and this is less draughty than fully open folding doors can be.’
Zakevicius designed in a skylight above the doors, running the full width of the space. ‘The whole point here is that we are dead north facing, so the extension needed to catch a lot of light,’ he says. ‘This really worked. We never feel we’re living on the north side. It feels really bright!’
The designers have cleverly not let the angle reduce functionality inside, however, by building bespoke slanted shelves to follow its lines over the desk.
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