French Doors Reinstate Character of 1930s Home

Stunning glazing by Kloeber has elevated this home scheme to create a bright and airy living space
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by Kloeber
26th July 2018

Ben and Rachael Walker’s 1930s home had been renovated and extended in the late 70s, when all the windows were replaced with aluminium units. Keen to recapture the building’s original character, they decided to update their property’s glazing.One of the key areas to address was the existing rear addition.

The pair accepted that this should probably have a different look to the rest of the house – but still wanted something authentic. “We liked the look of steel, Crittall-style glazing, but couldn’t find a product that offered the thermal performance we needed,” says Ben. “So we worked with the Kloeber design team to produce windows and doors in the same appearance but with wood frames.”

Kloeber french doors
The large glazed span works in the following configuration: fixed pane, French doors, fixed pane, French doors
Characterful glazing by Kloeber
A range of striking glazing has been installed to create a spacious and light-filled kitchen-diner zone

View more glazing projects from Kloeber

The couple had a strong vision for what they wanted and were keen to create a cosier ambience for evening gatherings. The solution was to fit units with horizontal glazing bars, which left them with a choice between bifolds and French doors. “Although the former can completely stack away, we didn’t expect to want to do this much,” says Ben.

The couple worked closely with Kloeber’s team to find the best option, which was to install six panels of equal width (rather than the narrower side panels typically associated with French doors) with two sets of doors accounting for four of the panels.

The result is a run of characterful floor-to-ceiling glazing that, in combination with rooflights and clerestory windows, allows light to flood into the revamped extension and through to beyond.

Characterful glazing by Kloeber

Grey timber clerestory windows complement the scheme’s French doors

The timber units are finished in RAL 7022 umbra grey. This provides a pleasing contrast to the rest of the fenestration, such as the stone grey casement windows (which are white internally) and sapphire blue KlassicFront door, all supplied by Kloeber.

“It took a long time to find the right tones of grey,which were soft enough to work with the new render, but Kloeber offered real flexibility and we are thrilled with the result,” says Ben. “Some companies provide a much more limited choice.”

A similar installation of French doors, casement windows, clerestory glazing and KlassicFront doors from Kloeber would cost around £30,000.

For more information or to view Kloeber’s range of products, click here.

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