As much as it’s good to focus on the inside of your home, the outside matters too. The finish of your windows and doors can make a strong impact, adding to the character, style and charm of your home.
A lot of homes these days have uPVC windows, but wooden window frames are just as good. I’ll admit that I used to be a little wary of them, assuming that the upkeep and longevity of wood window frames would be worse than uPVC. But having moved to a home with wooden windows and doors, I’ve gradually been convinced otherwise.
Rather than being a poorer alternative to uPVC, good quality wood window frames can last twice as long. Plastic windows can become discoloured and brittle with age, wear and exposure to the sun, yet wood can be more easily maintained.
Depending on the building in question, wooden window frames can look a lot more in keeping with the design and style. They work well with both traditional and modern homes and add character and charm. Wood as a material is popular in interior design terms, helping to add colour, texture and interest to a room.
Dressing your windows
As well as looking after the wood, how you dress your windows can help show them off to their full potential – both inside and outside your home. The type and style of window dressing you choose affects how much light the room benefits from and could help add warmth to a cold room.
Blinds are nice alternative to curtains and, depending which type you choose, can be adjusted to provide as little or as much light as you want. If you’re a dab hand with a sewing machine, and have a favourite fabric lined up, you could get creative and make your own.
If you want to make the most of light coming through your windows, but still want to retain a degree of privacy, there are some excellent window films available. They’re relatively easy to apply and are reasonably long-lasting. You can put them on just a few panes of glass, half a window, or cover the whole window with them.
Or, if your room isn’t overlooked, perhaps you don’t need a window dressing at all? Leaving the windows exposed like this shows off the wood in all its glory. Plus, it lets plenty of light into the room and helps the house link to the garden more effectively.
Celebrate your love of solid wooden windows by following @woodwindowall on Twitter or use the hashtag #WindowsForLife.
(Disclosure: This post is in collaboration with The Wood Window Alliance).
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I’ve used films in two rooms of my house- love them!
We’ve got them on a couple of windows and I’m seriously debating whether they’d be right for a couple of others.
I had a huge debate in my home blinds vs shutters. And although price was the main reason, I am so happy with them. I don’t team my with curtains, just keep them really simple.
Glad you’re pleased with them!
I do love the look of traditional wood frames. My windows all have blinds, but I do miss the element of luxury that you get from curtains.
I would love to get rid of our UPVC windows. They’re bloomin awful. Would love to update them all the wooden framed windows. Gorgeous!
That would be quite a major job, but I bet the end result would look good!
I vote for curtains. And films on south windows. Also I have a printed film on a window that see just in my neighbor kitchen. Hated that.
Can’t stand UPVC windows, they seem to be the window of choice for some reason. Much prefer the wooden style, although in mid-century homes like ours where the windows are huge it’d be quite the undertaking!