INTERIOR STYLE - A Love Affair with Sash Windows
There is no denying that for the past two years I have enjoyed a blossoming love affair with timber sash windows. I grew up in a home with huge, draughty, rattly Victorian sash windows that meant very little to me. I despised the cold. I swore to myself, moving back to Ireland, that we would not live in a cold home. Yet in the past two years, I have learned a thing or two about style and design.
It was these very sash windows of my childhood that lead me to work at a timber joinery that handmake custom timber sash windows. I have had a variety of jobs in my life, but rarely have I told my friends that I really LOVE my job. It is a special feeling when you land amongst your tribe. It is the hand of fate that leads you there. I became immersed in the history of period homes in Ireland. I drove the streets of Dublin with eyes newly opened, in awe of the long-extolled but never-seen-by-my-eyes and highly sought after Georgian architecture. I learnt about architectural conservation and the values of a family run business.
Furthermore, I have decided that no matter how warm a home is with uPVC windows, that I will not care for them at all. And that period features, high ceilings and Georgian sash windows come with a price - the price of beauty. It’s not cheap. But your home won’t look cheap either. In fact, beautiful timber windows add value to your home.
Sash windows of course, give a traditional feel to your home. They have been around really since the 1700’s and cleverly incorporate great design and home health. I didn’t realise that both sashes should be opened to allow for perfect ventilation - the air circulates out the top and enters the bottom. It is great practice to open your windows daily to allow good exchange of air and live in a fresh home. I don’t believe in chemical air fresheners as they add a fake chemical smell to the house. However, I can’t go past a nice scented candle and good clean air!
I recently heard on The Great Indoors podcast (-the budget renovation episode Jan 8th, 2020) - how most of the spend goes on insulation and windows and things that you can’t see - leaving you with little cash for the interior decor. However, the spend on windows will reap rewards. I truly believe that the windows are the bones of the house - the high cheekbones if you like. If the structure is that good, you only need a sweep of highlighter and blush to create something wonderful.
I feel that I reached the pinnacle of design recently, when I photographed a property with an 8 over 8 pane Georgian sash window, over 2m tall, at the end of the living room. It was a breathtaking feature of the room. True, the decor was very complimentary and in-keeping with the era of the home and the very evident style of the homeowner. Yet it was this sash window that caught and held my eye.
Enjoy feasting your eyes on all things window from now on.
These are my favourite books on the subject of windows:
Collins Period House: an owners guide
Some Irish instagram accounts to cherish that share my love of a good sash window:
Have a lovely weekend folks. It’s a rugby weekend here, so that’s how I will be spending my Sunday afternoon - by the fire with my cosy slippers and perhaps an indulging glass of red wine if I’m lucky! Squeal!
xoxo J.