REVELATIONS

H&G ADVICE
EASY OPEN
Choosing a keyless entry
system means you’ll
never have to worry
about losing your keys
again. There are a
variety of systems on
offer from companies
such as Digi Doorlocks,
Kaba Australia and
Lockwood, including
models that allow you
to lock and unlock your
doors by entering a
unique code onto a
touchscreen keypad,
swiping a keycard
and even fingerprint
recognition. For the
ultimate in convenience,
consider a multi-point
locking system, such as
Paarhammer’s Genius. It
allows you to control all
doors and windows via a
single remote control or
your smartphone. Or
look at Gainsborough
Hardware’s G+ Access
System, which extends
to opening the garage
door, deactivating the
alarm and switching on
your patio lights.
WINDOW TRENDS
All new homes are required to meet a
six-star energy rating, so efficiency has
become the buzzword in window design.
But the latest high-performance glass
offers other benefits, too: it can increase
security, reduce noise, and even slash
your cleaning time.
Whatever challenge your home
presents, you’ll find a design on the
market to meet it head on, including
bushfire-rated windows, privacy glass,
and anti-glare designs to protect
furnishings from fading. You can even
control your windows with sensors so
they will open and close automatically
when the room temperature changes.
With so many options available, it’s
important to specify your needs, says
Cameron Hook, Viridian’s marketing
communications manager. “The key
factors are your home’s climate, location
and the windows’ orientation. Then
think about insulation, heat loss and
gain, ventilation and acoustics.”
Timber and aluminium are the two
main choices in window-framing
materials. Timber has a warm, natural
appeal and offers better energyefficiency
than aluminium but is more
expensive and higher maintenance.
Aluminium is durable and easy to care
for but can have a utilitarian feel.
For the best of both worlds, consider a
composite design such as Stegbar’s
Siteline, which features a durable
aluminium frame on its exterior side
and timber cladding on the inside.
DOOR TRENDS
When it comes to front doors, it seems
bigger is better. “Homeowners are
looking to create grand entranceways
to their homes,” says Scott Kelly,
Australian director of marketing at
Jeld-Wen. “Entry doors are getting
taller and wider. The new ‘standard’
width [for doors in architect-designed
homes] is 1020mm, but can go as large
as 2400x1200mm.”
‘ THE FRONT DOOR IS NO LONGER AN ISOLATED
DESIGN STATEMENT. IT’S BEING MATCHED TO
SIDELIGHTS, THE GARAGE DOOR, WARDROBES
AND EVEN SPLASHBACKS.’ KRIS TORMA, AXOLOTL
A key driver for this trend is the
popularity of pivoting doors, which are
on bearings instead of hung on hinges.
This allows for larger doors and a wide,
sweeping opening, says Kelly.
We’re becoming more adventurous
with front door finishes, too, embracing
show-stopping designs in pre-aged
copper and brass, timbers, glass inlaid
with metal and textured concrete,
which are often picked up elsewhere in
the decor. “The front door is no longer
an isolated design statement,” says Kris
Torma, managing director at Axolotl.
“It’s being matched to other elements in
the home, such as sidelights, the garage
door, wardrobes and even splashbacks.”
Today’s internal doors are all about
creating a sense of flow between spaces.
They can slide, stack or disappear into a
cavity in the wall so you can open up
your home or blur the lines between
inside and out. Material options include
frameless glass, high-gloss laminates,
metal and leather, and many are
designed with barely there fittings and
minimal obtrusions. #
LEFT Treasury Bronze Lunar door with carved channels, POA, Axolotl. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT Controlling air flow in warmer climates is easy with timber-framed louvred
windows, POA, Trend Windows & Doors. A thick 4.75mm skin makes for good acoustics in the
Deco internal door, from $146, Corinthian Doors. Clean lines and energy efficiency combine in
the Platinum casement window, from $1320, Airlite. These sliding glass doors close off rooms
but let light in, from $3300, Doors Plus. For Where to Buy, see page 259.
256 Australian House & Garden