When talking windows and doors, there’s a lot to unpack. These openings need to look fabulous, add thermal comfort and invite in light
Words Carrol Baker
Windows can capture cooling breezes, promote air flow, welcome in natural light and frame views. The right internal door offers privacy and connects spaces, while entry doors tell a story about your home.
Over the past few decades, windows and doors have become more important in home design. Not just how they look, but how they help to control your internal environment. The industry has also witnessed a significant increase in the amount of glazing used in homes.
Designers realise that throwing open doors and windows offers environmental and health benefits. It reduces reliance on artificial cooling and heating, keeping homes cooler in summer and warmer in winter. With the rise of the open-plan home there’s more scope to maximise light in interior spaces with windows, doors and skylights.
Glazing also promotes a strong indoor-outdoor connection as we lean into biophilic design in our dwellings and embrace the innate desire to connect with the natural world. Windows and doors have also almost become an artform, with different shapes and styles adding focal points.
Make an entry
A statement door sets the tone for what’s inside and it allows you to add your personality to a space. You could have a door that adds a luxurious touch, or choose something playful and whimsical with a pop of colour, or even a preloved door to add timeless appeal.
In statement doors, there are new looks that are impressing the design industry. New materials, sizes and additional glazing are just the beginning. Their aesthetic versatility means a diverse array of door styles can suit any home. Larger doors are definitely making their mark, with pivot doors taking centre stage. They make a big first impression. Handsome door hardware is the finishing touch to a stylish front door.
External doors that connect to entertaining or exterior spaces are almost always made up of large expanses of glazing to improve connectivity. Form stackers to sliders, single hinged to French doors, there is plenty to choose from.
Internal doors are also available in a plethora of styles. Flush doors are a budget option that can be painted any colour you choose. Panel doors have decorative sections, whether horizonal or vertical. They can also contain glass panels fitted within the frame, adding an elegant look to a space.
You could opt for a glass internal door which, when opened, can connect internal spaces with ease. French doors are a popular option. Sliding and pocket doors are similar. A pocket door effortlessly slides into a wall cavity, so they’re a great idea for small spaces such as ensuite bathrooms. Pocket doors are available in single or double.
Barn doors are a popular option in some contemporary homes. They’re robust space savers with feature tracks above the door frame.
Windows to wow
The window style you choose depends on its location and purpose. Some are designed to capture views or cooling breezes, others to offer privacy and light. There is a vast array of various styles:
- Double-hung have two sashes that slide up or down. They can suit any style of home.
- Slider windows that move from side to side are a go-to style for many homes due to their versatility.
- Bay windows are a distinctive polygon-shaped window that’s a design feature in classic homes.
- Casement windows swing outwards like a door and serve to direct breezes. They look fabulous in modern homes.
- Clerestory windows are often found in architectural homes and are above eye level to invite in light.
- Awning windows are hinged at the top and swing out from the bottom to open. They work well in rainy climates.
- Louvred windows are slatted vertically to allow cooling breezes to flow through.
The sky is the limit
A skylight offers a unique opportunity to allow more light into your abode. Luke Carter from Sandbox Studio says if well located, skylights will bring in an abundance of natural light and help with energy consumption. “An operable skylight also brings in fresh air, improving indoor air quality, reducing condensation and mould issues,” he says.
Inviting in natural light boosts the feel-good factor of your home. It also benefits your health and wellbeing. That’s why Luke says we should be installing them wherever possible. “Ideally, they should be north-facing for solar penetration and avoid west-facing due to glare and heat gain in summer,” he suggests. “South-facing is actually good for uniform light as it provides minimal glare, minimal heat gain, and is well suited to workspaces or kitchens,” continues Luke.
There are also some new innovations in skylights that are providing energy efficiency. Luke says double glazing and Low-E glazing work to improve thermal performance. “There are also solar-powered remote-controlled-operable skylights, which don’t need a separate electrical connection or wiring,” he says. “These also feature rain sensors, so they close automatically.”
Stop that gap
Poorly sealed windows and doors can have a dramatic impact on how efficiently a home is heated and cooled. Edith Paarhammer from Paarhammer Windows & Doors says many people pay thousands of dollars a year to heat or cool their homes, only for the heated or cooled air to escape straight through gaps in the walls and windows. “Older homes are draughty and the air ‘leaks’ at the rate of up to 20 changes per hour,” she says. “Newer homes still have unintentional air leakages of 10 to 15 times per hour.”
In contrast, Edith points out, a high-performance Passive House only allows 0.6 air changes per hour. “High-performance windows and doors that seal very well (feature very low air infiltration) guarantee lower heating or cooling costs,” she says.
When replacing or sourcing new windows and doors for your home, it makes good sense to opt for those that are more energy efficient. Edith says a thermally efficient window has higher energy efficiency, better sound protection, no draughts and improved comfort. Check out the Window Energy Rating Scheme (WERS) for more information.
Opening innovation
There are some new innovations in windows that are gaining traction because of their ease of use, safety features and energy efficiency. Edith says lift-slide doors are a great concept, especially when upsized. “They can be ‘giants’ with up to 400kg per slider and still very easy to operate,” she says. “German-engineered lift-slide-action hardware means your doors will open effortlessly, and once closed, are draught-proof for your comfort.” Edith adds they can have a soft-close mechanism for a gradual, quiet close.
French doors are elegant and timeless. They are designed to open outwards and welcome sunlight into your home. Edith says French doors can also be zero threshold, which achieves high energy efficiency and step-free access. “This magnetic threshold attracts seals that sit within the threshold upwards to the bottom of the door when the door is being closed,” she explains. “It ensures your doors will be airtight, with no draughts or compromising water ingress.”
Windows and doors are also becoming more automated, with apps and special hardware for opening, closing and locking. Edith says as technology continues to evolve, our windows and doors are getting smarter. “Stand-alone systems or those integrated into a higher-ranking building management system are available, with day and night functions, and time- or weather-controlled ventilation scenarios operated via smart phone or tablet,” she says.
Cover-ups
Plantation shutters are versatile and can increase the value of your home with their attractive aesthetic. They’re also supremely practical, helping your home to remain cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and they allow you to control light levels in a space. An added benefit is they offer an additional layer of security to your windows and they’re great for air flow as you can position the louvres to capture cooling breezes.
Interior designer Carlene Duffy says when applying window furnishings, she takes her cue from the building design and the client. “Sometimes it should be pared back, while in other instances a playful approach with pattern works,” she says. “Repeating patterns in bedding and curtains, for example, is a way to introduce personality and character into spaces that might feel austere. They need some softening and soul.”
Sheer curtains are a fabulous window dressing option. “They come into play to diffuse light and add privacy,” notes Carlene. “We enjoy playing with different colours in sheers; a fine stripe or pattern, for example, makes it more interesting.” If you have a sheer curtain and a block-out, you need to decide if you want the sheer on the outside or vice versa. Carlene says it’s important to consider what the window furnishings look like on the outside of the home.
Beautiful soft Roman blinds are making a comeback in window treatments. Carlene says they can work well when you don’t have enough drawback space for a curtain. “You can, however, see the mechanism from the outside. That’s where we would double up the fabric,” she says.
Other new window dressing options that are gaining traction are bamboo blinds. “These are also becoming more popular,” notes Carlene. “They’re inexpensive and can work well. Another new look that’s emerging is timber shutters. They’re like plantation style but raw timber, rather than the white plantation look,” she adds.
This article was originally published in Home Design 28.1.