Stylish Ipswich home boasts a collection of our contemporary aluminium doors
Jane and Chris moved into their Ipswich family home, formerly used in part as a doctor’s surgery, in August 2020.
With plans to renovate the property (well looked after but in need of a refresh and restructure for family life), they chose to wait and live in it for 6 months. A decision that paid off as they realised the layout would work for them, with a little magic on the door front, which we were very happy to help with.
The brief
Lovers of the classic, architectural Crittall steel look; clean lines, slim profiles, clear views and maximised light were the order of the day, with increased thermal efficiency and the ability to easily move through a more open space.
The hall
The solid doors to the rooms leading off the well-travelled hall, which once allowed much needed privacy in its surgery days, now restricted light and closed off the living spaces.
Plus, with a natural flair for design and a keen eye for art, Jane and Chris wanted to use their home to display pieces they’d collected over time, the white walled dining room offered the perfect backdrop, but the room isn’t often used.
“We wanted the dining room to feel more included in the everyday living space. When you can see into a room it becomes part of the house, even if it’s not used very often.”
The solution? Our stylish glazed aluminium internal French doors (with steel look glazing bars), have transformed both the dining room and the hallway, allowing daylight to flood into the entrance hall, and for Jane and Chris’s beloved art to be enjoyed without even entering the room.
The kitchen
Though functional, the Kitchen hadn’t been touched since the 1980’s so needed updating, and access outside was only through the utility room. Jane and Chris wanted to retain the views over their beautiful garden but to be able to get to their outdoor entertaining space more easily.
We recommended replacing the existing kitchen window with our aluminium steel look French doors, similar to those in the hallway. The result? Increased light and garden visibility through sleek, fully glazed doors which open to remove the barrier between inside and out.
“It (the patio) works as an extra room, when one of us is in the kitchen we don’t feel isolated from visitors in the garden. We use them all the time, especially for the dog!”
The back door
The rear door also needed to be replaced as it was very drafty, making the kitchen very cold. An obscured glass steel look aluminium door was chosen, allowing the light to pour in but providing some separation between the kitchen and car port beyond, and complementing the style of the French doors.
“It’s made a massive difference to the whole area, which used to be quite cold, the triple glazing and insulated glass has made this whole part of the house much warmer”
Chris is passionate about environmental conservation, so alongside the financial benefits and improved comfort that heat retention brings, the environmental aspects have been an important factor in the installation too.
The utility
Jane and Chris opted to capitalise on the view and the light here, with a floor to ceiling window replacing the existing back door to the right, and a new fully glazed door on the far wall in place of a window; giving better access to the garden. The architectural black aluminium surrounding the glass acts as a frame to the views beyond and brings in the art deco style from the other rooms.
The lounge
The existing 1980’s two-panel sliding doors created a big step out into the garden and weren’t used. Jane and Chris chose to increase the size of the opening and maximise the view. Our slim profile black aluminium sliding doors have created a thermally efficient wall of glass in the colder months, and a seamless transition into the garden in the summer; with a large opening and our flush threshold in place of the hazardous step.
“It’s definitely made a difference thermally. Then also in the summer, I’ll come home and the family are sitting outside on the sofa’s with the doors open. It’s created an extra part of the house rather than just a window, it just flows better.”
Since the contemporary aluminium doors have been installed, the family have created an office space within the room so they can work downstairs in the summer with the doors open.
The Verdict
“The fitters were amazing. It was all happening; plumbers, kitchen fitters and electricians, all here at the same time. There was a delay that wasn’t their fault, but they came back and worked around us, they were here Christmas Eve to make sure we had something for Christmas, then came back on 2nd January to complete the job.“
“We did contact another recommended supplier to quote. He couldn’t visualise what we were looking for, he kept coming up with reasons it wouldn’t work and alternatives, but we knew what we wanted, we didn’t want to compromise, we wouldn’t have had the same finish. He was working on standard products, whereas The Burgess Group would say ‘there isn’t a standard product for this, but we can get it made, it’ll be a bit more but it’s going to look amazing. We’re very happy.”
The detail
Interior double doors: Aluco Matt Black (RAL 9005) frame finish, with Leon black door handle, black butt hinges, a floating lock and no threshold/step. Single glazed 4mm toughened glass with 20mm steel look astragal bars.
Sliding doors: Sunflex twin track aluminium sliding doors with flush threshold in graphite black matt finish (RAL 9011) with rectangular powder coated feature handle and 30mm interlock.
Explore our steel look internal doors, external french doors and aluminium sliding doors to find out more, or discover their quality and industrial look beauty for yourself by visiting our showrooms. Our Bury St Edmunds showroom is currently showcasing Aluco French doors, whilst our Sunflex sliding doors and steel look bi-fold doors are on display in Woodbridge. Our friendly team will be happy to help.
