Window firm brings fresh style to Lancashire

We say the eyes are the windows to the soul, so it follows that windows may well be the soul of the home. We look at how these over-looked features can pull the style of your household together.
Stylish windows can add drama to your living spaceStylish windows can add drama to your living space
Stylish windows can add drama to your living space

Style-wise, at first glance there are more glamourous considerations when renovating your home than your window frames.

But all you have to do is look at the cheap, plastic-y windows of the 1980s to realise that as a design element, a window is worth giving due consideration to, or else it can negatively impact on the aesthetic of your house.

The 2018 Independent Network report from VEKA points out that while anyone purchasing windows can rightfully expect energy efficiency, security and low maintenance as standard, new and interesting designs are populating the markets, meaning you can fully personalise your house, down to the last detail.

Letting light flood through can transfom a roomLetting light flood through can transfom a room
Letting light flood through can transfom a room

Let the sunshine in

With the kitchen the heart and hearth of the home, it’s the perfect room to consider installing a bi-fold door, which can fold back to allow a sense of seamless access from kitchen to back garden. They’re also wonderful at allowing light flood in to keep the kitchen airy and bright, as well as making the room seem far more spacious.

To bring the drama

While once grey may have seemed a drab option, now anthracite grey is serving to illustrate it’s a hue that can seriously bring the drama. Anthracite grey window frames will look fantastic in houses with pale exteriors, particularly if you paint your front door to match. They sophisticated graphite nature of their tone is utterly modern, but understated enough that it won’t look hideously dated in a few years.

People are increasingly seeing windows as a valuable addition to the aesthetics of their homePeople are increasingly seeing windows as a valuable addition to the aesthetics of their home
People are increasingly seeing windows as a valuable addition to the aesthetics of their home

Go with the grain

Remember those shiny white frames we mentioned before? The perfect antidote to them is to consider a wood grain finish. These offer all the convenience and low-maintenance of uPVC – think easy to clean, long wearing – but look like natural timber. Modern trends are for coloured wood grain – the pale yet distinctive ‘Chartwell Green’ is popular for exterior sills, as it adds a pop of colour to a house frontage. Traditionalists may rejoice at options like ‘Golden Oak’ or the rich, reddish brown hue of ‘Rosewood’ as it offers the opportunity to reinforce the heritage look of a house without having to worry about wood sills perishing quickly, jamming in summer or warping in winter.

Tilted love

Tilt and turn windows are a canny combination of functionality, clean lines, adaptability and security. With a turn of a handle, the window can tilt inwards. They’re ideal for rooms in which little privacy is required (think a conservatory or upstairs bathroom) but added ventilation is useful – think clearly away condensation or cooking smells, or rooms you’d like to lounge in on languid summer days.

Letting light flood through can transfom a roomLetting light flood through can transfom a room
Letting light flood through can transfom a room

From a style viewpoint, tilt and turn windows are great if you’re looking to maintain clean lines on the exterior of your house – modern, minimal aesthetics.

Feeling flush

Odds are ‘flush sash casement’ window won’t mean much to you. But they’re a design element that will lend instant authenticity to your house look.

They’re considered the crème de la crème of timber-look uPVC windows, so if you’re looking to preserve a rustic or Midwestern aesthetic, these windows will allow you to do so without having to forgo things like thermal efficiency (think: lower electricity costs), security, or colour options.

People are increasingly seeing windows as a valuable addition to the aesthetics of their homePeople are increasingly seeing windows as a valuable addition to the aesthetics of their home
People are increasingly seeing windows as a valuable addition to the aesthetics of their home

They’re also mechanically jointed – which makes for a neat, clean appearance, unlike the mitred welds of yore. As with so many of the modern heritage designs, the attention to detail on sash casement windows is superb.

Looking to the future

The InVeka 2018 trend report notes that innovation in window designs is taking off in popularity – people are really catching on to the notion that windows can perfectly match the aesthetic of the home. In particular, it notes 70 percent of double glazing installations are second-time replacements. Rather than being a rushed or perfunctory purchase, windows are now used to update and improve the home and make a real style statement.

Simon James, from VEKA, notes that in 2018 the trends are likely to be for increasingly large windows and doors, on an architectural scale – think the ‘Grand Designs’ look.

“It is early days but we are seeing some really big size increases. Colour tends to go with that kind of product, particularly greys, those modern aluminium-look colours.”

VEKA is the UK’s largest window systems company and Independent Network is a group of more than 140 local companies recognised for their commitment to qualify craftsmanship and service.

The Independent Network Logo is a sure way to know that the improvements you are making in your home this winter will stand the test of time.

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