Feb/March 2020

Heritage windows
GEORGIAN ERA: TIMELESS STYLE
Phil Dewhurst Jr, commercial director at The Georgian Bar Company, reveals how
traditional Georgian styling continues to wow homeowners worldwide.
When we talk about Georgian style, often
we imagine ourselves walking around
the beautiful streets of Harrogate, or the
classic crescents of Bath. They have outlasted
their owners for many generations and maintain a
popularity like no other. But it’s not just in the UK
you’ll find this styling. When the founding fathers
went over to the US, many chose to recreate the
elegant Georgian architecture. Georgian design
cues were also added where the British built
grand homes in India.
The Georgian period spanned four King Georges.
It lasted more than a century, starting in 1714
with King George I, continuing through the reigns
of George II and III, and finishing with George IV
before Victoria took the throne.
Georgian homes are characterised by their
symmetry, especially when it comes to window
and door placement. Sometimes there were
decorative headers above the windows, but often
“Trends might change,
but style never goes
out of fashion”
Phil Dewhurst Jr, pictured right.
these were pared down to
a few elegant symmetrical
lines. Most were built with
hip roofs and often included
dormer windows to house the
nursery or servants. Brick and stone were the
most popular choices for wall construction, and
it’s because they were so well-built that they
have survived so long. Internally they have high
ceilings and tall windows allowing a huge amount
of natural light into the rooms, which gives them
a sense of openness.
The symmetry and boxiness
made the design simple, and
simple means cheaper to build.
With fewer nooks and crannies,
the build time is reduced,
another good reason why the
design travelled so far around
the world.
To get the large panes in the
original Georgian homes, they
had to be made up of smaller
squares of glass. And the need
for Georgian bars to connect
them, was born.
Today, modern glass sizes
are much bigger and the
need for individual panes
has disappeared. To get the
most authentic look for PVC-U
windows and doors, our
patented Georgian Bar system is designed to
offer fabricators the best. A special clip holds
the bars in place, and the snap fixings mean that
they stay put.
The demand for Georgian style windows
is here to stay. While it’s almost 200
years since the end of the Georgian
period, for self-builders Georgian
design is on top of the wish list. It’s the
same for house developers who can create
an established feel for a new estate from day
one by including Georgian architectural cues,
especially when it comes to windows.
We work with several fabricators who supply
into new-build and the attention to detail in
the windows will make the difference in styling
for the whole house. What we are seeing is
a contrast between the front and rear of the
properties, with Georgian elegance at the front,
and wide-span glazed doors at the rear. This
gives the new owners exactly what they want and
fits in with the way we live our lives today.
As well as in the UK, the Georgian Bar Company
manufactures in both the US and India through
our partners. The same styling is needed, but
we’ve made a few changes to ensure the bars are
suitable for higher temperatures, with a special
tropical mix that maintains UV stability in warmer
climes, and for hurricanes and skyscrapers we
have developed a special clip for the US market.
These developments mean our Georgian bars
travel beautifully, much like me! After all, trends
might change, but style never goes out of fashion.
Contact The Georgian Bar Company
01772 631441
geofast.co.uk
@geofastsystem
20 T F FEB/MAR 2020 CONNECTING THE WINDOW, DOOR & ROOF FABRICATION SUPPLY CHAIN