Latest Trends for Cottage Windows

Windows with a traditional appearance are coming back into style, with many homes opting for classic additions to their home rather than modernising. The traditional look of cottage windows is certainly timeless, but those older windows came with a lot of issues. Timber frames carried the risk of warping, bowing, cracking, or rotting in wet weather, meaning they needed a great deal of maintenance to keep them working well and looking their best. The single glazed panes that were standard before the 1960s also had minimal thermal efficiency, leading to a greater need for heating and cooling within the home. Modern window technology is vital for British homeowners, but it doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice your aesthetics for them.

What are ‘Cottage Windows’?

‘Cottage windows’ is a blanket category that encompasses all windows which have a classic appearance but use modern home improvement technology. Styles such as sliding sash, casement, and flush windows, which were once incredibly popular, are back and revitalised for the modern day. Made from uPVC, they come in a range of finishes and colours to mimic woodgrain, giving your home a classic appearance. 

These types of windows are an excellent choice to suit a traditional home or to give a new home a more rustic feel. They are also conservation-area friendly, letting you upgrade the comfort of your home while maintaining the standards needed on a listed home or a home in a conservation area.

Traditional Appearance, Modern Benefits

Loving cottage style windows should not mean that you sacrifice the modern comforts offered by uPVC and double glazing. Updated window technology offers you enhanced thermal comfort in your home, reducing heat transference within your home. This keeps your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, reducing your energy bills as well as your carbon footprint. Cottage style uPVC windows also come with added security you can trust to keep your home safe. Double glazing is thicker than single glazing, giving you an additional layer of glass to protect your home. Our uPVC frames are incredibly durable with carefully designed locking mechanisms, meaning that you can rest easy in your home.

Different Options for Your Window Style

There are three main styles of windows chosen when customers are looking for cottage windows. Sliding sash is where many minds go when people are thinking of traditional window styles. Sliding sash windows have a great space saving design, opening by sliding one pane over another rather than swinging open. They are an excellent option for easy ventilation inside the home. The next is casement windows, which are likely the best known window style available. Their functional simplicity of swinging open on a hinge has made them a popular choice for windows long before glass panes were standard, as wooden shutters functioned in much the same way. The last is flush windows, sunken into the wall so that they lay flat against it rather than sticking out from the home. This is where modernism meets tradition, as both eras had homes that suited flush window frames better. 

The style of window frame that you choose has a great impact on your home aesthetic, but when you are trying to gain that cottage window appearance, there is more you can do. Additions called astragal bars, also sometimes known as cottage bars, are applied to the inside and outside of a window to give the illusion of multiple smaller panes of glass. This mirrors a time when large sheets of glass were not popular as they were expensive, risky to make, and very prone to damage. With only single glazing available, homeowners did not want to risk such flimsy glass being broken, so these smaller panes ensure that the entire window wouldn’t be destroyed so easily. Double glazing reduces this risk, but that doesn’t mean the aesthetic has gone away. Cottage bars let you retain that classic look.

Cottage Window Prices With Bluemanor

If you are interested in investing in new windows but don’t want to sacrifice the traditional appearance you love, then consider choosing a cottage window from Bluemanor today. You can fill out our online contact form for a free, no-obligation quote in minutes. If you are not sure what to choose or where to start, you can reach out to us. Our expert team would be more than happy to help you make a start.