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5 Alternatives to Full-width Garden Doors from Our Tours
There are many ways to go with glazing at the back of your home. Let these ideas inspire you
A wall-to-wall opening at the back of your house can create the ultimate indoor-outdoor feel, especially if you have bifolds, which typically create a seamless transition from house to garden. But glazing is a significant project cost and you may not have the budget. Or what if you can’t sacrifice an entire wall to glass as you need it for cabinetry or shelving? Perhaps you simply like the idea of something a bit different…
Whatever the reason, if you’re looking for alternatives, check out these ways Houzz designers have opened up homes to the garden.
Whatever the reason, if you’re looking for alternatives, check out these ways Houzz designers have opened up homes to the garden.
A word of warning, though – this is probably more an option if you like the aesthetic rather than the idea it might reduce your build budget: oriel windows do not come cheap. However, as this project demonstrates, they do look lovely.
More: A Clever Idea to Zone and Connect a Broken-plan Space
Find architects in your area on Houzz.
More: A Clever Idea to Zone and Connect a Broken-plan Space
Find architects in your area on Houzz.
2. Mix doors with windows
In this Victorian terrace, the owners achieved the best of both worlds – the glazing runs right across the back of the house, but not all as doors.
“The full expanse is so wide, you don’t need doors right across,” says Chi-Chi Baber of Lomax & Chi, who redesigned the house for its owners. “Having the two windows means you can ventilate the space in winter without having to have the doors open. The window on the seat side is much lower, so [the owners] can sit and see out without looking at the sill.”
On the other side, the window stops at worktop height, framing a slice of garden and providing a good space for more greenery in the form of houseplants.
More: A Rundown Victorian House Revived for a Large Family
In this Victorian terrace, the owners achieved the best of both worlds – the glazing runs right across the back of the house, but not all as doors.
“The full expanse is so wide, you don’t need doors right across,” says Chi-Chi Baber of Lomax & Chi, who redesigned the house for its owners. “Having the two windows means you can ventilate the space in winter without having to have the doors open. The window on the seat side is much lower, so [the owners] can sit and see out without looking at the sill.”
On the other side, the window stops at worktop height, framing a slice of garden and providing a good space for more greenery in the form of houseplants.
More: A Rundown Victorian House Revived for a Large Family
3. Section off your side return
The owners of this Victorian terrace expanded their outrigger kitchen by building into the side return, but didn’t extend at the back. They did, however, alter the glazing in the original part of the building, replacing a smallish window above the (original) sink with French windows.
To maximise the new side return extension, architects Ellen Cumber and Alice Bettington of Golden Design turned the space into a dining area, complete with an oriel window seat and additional glazing in the form of rooflights.
The impact on the use of space is significant, as having a bench seat in the oriel window takes up no extra floor space and allowed for the creation of a good-sized breakfast nook. “We’ve almost made another little room with the table and chairs,” Ellen says.
The owners of this Victorian terrace expanded their outrigger kitchen by building into the side return, but didn’t extend at the back. They did, however, alter the glazing in the original part of the building, replacing a smallish window above the (original) sink with French windows.
To maximise the new side return extension, architects Ellen Cumber and Alice Bettington of Golden Design turned the space into a dining area, complete with an oriel window seat and additional glazing in the form of rooflights.
The impact on the use of space is significant, as having a bench seat in the oriel window takes up no extra floor space and allowed for the creation of a good-sized breakfast nook. “We’ve almost made another little room with the table and chairs,” Ellen says.
Here’s the same project from the garden. “We try to steer clients away from glass right across the back, as it can be very limiting,” Ellen says. “With the amount of glazing we were already putting into the project, they didn’t need extra light.”
More: A Warm, Inviting Space Designed for Two Keen Cooks
More: A Warm, Inviting Space Designed for Two Keen Cooks
4. Capitalise on an angle
Your first thought might not be that the unusual shape of this rear extension, designed by Lizzie Fraher of Fraher & Findlay, was down to planning restrictions, because it looks so beautiful. But it was. “We wanted to extend in order to increase the kitchen space at this lower ground floor level,” Lizzie explains, “but planning made us fold back the design so it didn’t impose on the neighbours’ extension.”
The result is a strikingly angled addition with a huge, pivoting door and a full-height window at the tip of the extension.
Your first thought might not be that the unusual shape of this rear extension, designed by Lizzie Fraher of Fraher & Findlay, was down to planning restrictions, because it looks so beautiful. But it was. “We wanted to extend in order to increase the kitchen space at this lower ground floor level,” Lizzie explains, “but planning made us fold back the design so it didn’t impose on the neighbours’ extension.”
The result is a strikingly angled addition with a huge, pivoting door and a full-height window at the tip of the extension.
Inside, you can see there is no loss of light – quite the opposite, as an up-and-over rooflight stretches the space and draws the outside in.
Clever furniture placement – in the form of the built-in bench seating and a long dining table – echo the shape of the glazing, tying the whole room’s design together perfectly.
More: A Faded Home Gains Light, Flow and Historical Details
Clever furniture placement – in the form of the built-in bench seating and a long dining table – echo the shape of the glazing, tying the whole room’s design together perfectly.
More: A Faded Home Gains Light, Flow and Historical Details
5. Double up your doors
Why have one set of doors when you could have two? Although the glazing at the back of this 1970s end-of-terrace townhouse doesn’t stretch from wall to wall, the connection between inside and out still feels strong.
“We’ve had a long period where everyone’s been looking to have big glass doors … but a lot of steelwork has to go into achieving that – and a lot of cost,” Tim O’Callaghan of nimtim Architects says. “Here, we’ve still got old trees that blossom in spring and we wanted to celebrate that, so rather than using a big sliding door, we created narrower vertical openings. It was more about framing the views and carefully positioning them.”
Why have one set of doors when you could have two? Although the glazing at the back of this 1970s end-of-terrace townhouse doesn’t stretch from wall to wall, the connection between inside and out still feels strong.
“We’ve had a long period where everyone’s been looking to have big glass doors … but a lot of steelwork has to go into achieving that – and a lot of cost,” Tim O’Callaghan of nimtim Architects says. “Here, we’ve still got old trees that blossom in spring and we wanted to celebrate that, so rather than using a big sliding door, we created narrower vertical openings. It was more about framing the views and carefully positioning them.”
As well as letting in light and framing views, the doorways help to keep the temperature inside constant. As Tim says, “An issue with having big sliding glass doors and much hotter summers is that people struggle with how hot it gets inside.” This solution provides the best of both worlds.
More: A Simple Extension with Sustainability at its Heart
Tell us…
Are you planning to change the glazing at the back of your home? If so, which of these ideas appeals – or are you a wall-to-wall fan? Let us know in the Comments.
More: A Simple Extension with Sustainability at its Heart
Tell us…
Are you planning to change the glazing at the back of your home? If so, which of these ideas appeals – or are you a wall-to-wall fan? Let us know in the Comments.
On one side of the back wall in this Victorian semi, architect Amos Goldreich of Amos Goldreich Architecture has fitted a generous door with an adjoining window. On the other side, he’s created a seating nook on the deep sill of a large oriel window.
This idea was perfect for the homeowners, who were keen to have a light, bright space that connected with the garden, but also wanted clearly defined areas rather than a completely open-plan room.
More: 8 Ways Designers Have Incorporated a Contemporary Oriel Window