Design & decorate: Let the light in

Transform your space with architectural glazing and glossy surfaces and go from gloomy to glowing. Here's how...

Hi-tech Glass

  • Solar control glass has a special coating that helps to regulate heating in glazed areas. In summer, it reduces indoor temperatures by reflecting the heat back outside, while in cold weather it works in the opposite way to trap warmth, making it ideal for use in skylights, extensions and large expanses of glass. Try Pilkington Activ Neutral, which is self-cleaning, or Saint-Gobain Solaglass.
  • Twice as energy efficient as conventional double glazing, Pilkington Energikare glass reduces the amount of heat lost through windows while also allowing in more heat from the sun. Compared to a regular single-glazed window, it can cut heat loss by 90 per cent.
  • Check out glass that turns from clear to opaque at the flick of a switch, providing instant privacy without the need for blinds. It can be used on vertical and horizontal panels, inside or out. Try PRIVA-LITE by Saint-Gobain or Blink LCD by Glass UK.
  • New developments in heated glass mean you can actually use your window as a heat source in itself. Head to IQ Glass for more information.


  • FRAMELESS SKYLIGHTS Glass technology means that large, frameless roof lights can now be manufactured. Clean and minimal, these create the illusion of a sizeable hole in the roof, and provide an uninterrupted view of the sky.
  • INTERNAL WINDOWS These are another way of helping light travel through a building. To let light into a dark hallway or corridor, or between a bedroom and bathroom, use clear or opaque panels.
  • SUN PIPES are a great way of feeding light into dark areas, such as windowless hallways, internal bathrooms and basements. They can illuminate an area of up to 230 sq ft by drawing light down from the roof, using super-reflective metal tubes. Relatively easy to install, they usually don’t require planning permission.
  • INTERNAL DOORS Doors don’t have to be solid – you can use glass to gain an instant open-plan feel. ‘The advantage of glass is that it’s very thin and therefore lends itself to sliding into a wall pocket. You can also buy discreet mechanisms that mean the door slides back and is hardly noticeable against a wall,’ says Piers Smerin.
  • EXTERNAL DOORS Use full-height sliding or folding glass doors onto a garden or patio to bring the outside in. Choose flooring that runs from inside to out to create continuity and increase the feeling of space and light.

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