How to get the best of both worlds with wood and composite windows

WOOD AND COMPOSITE WINDOWS MAKE THE IDEAL PARTNERSHIP TO COMPLEMENT OR CONTRAST WITH YOUR HOME INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR…

Westcoast Swedish composite windows and doors have a unique design, manufactured with aluminium profiles and high density, slow grown, knot-free laminated timber, sourced from sustainable forests.

This combination provides the best of both worlds – a low maintenance, stylish exterior, combined with a warm wood interior.

The internal timber can be finished to complement your style – whether an oak finish for a barn conversion, painted white for a clean contemporary feel, or lacquered pine to tie in with a natural wood interior.

The history of timber in home-building

The use of timber in home-building in the UK has a long and rich history.

It is believed that the first timber-framed houses in the UK were built in the Neolithic period, around 6,000 years ago.

This history carries through the Roman period where timber-framed construction became more widespread, right through to the 17^th century, when the use of timber in home-building began to decline.

However, the use of timber in home construction and interiors has never completely disappeared.

Not only a fundamental part of today’s traditional house construction in walls, roofs, floors, windows, doors and staircases, wood is often used as inspiration in the interior design to bring a softer, more natural feel to the home.

How composite windows complement wood in home architecture

Wooden cladding is a popular choice for the exterior of homes. It is a beautiful and durable material that can add character to a home with a bespoke finish to suit the style.

Black timber cladding is the traditional style for barn conversions, while cedar cladding is often used in contemporary homes.

The low maintenance aluminium exterior of composite windows can be finished to complement the wood, whether graphite grey to blend with black, or a complementary olive green to offset the cedar, as seen below.

How composite windows complement a wood interior wood

Westcoast composite windows are manufactured from aluminium exterior and timber interior to give a superior weathertightness and energy efficiency, whilst creating stylish glazing for your home.

The warm wood interior is finished in knot-free pine as standard, but is also available in oak or other timber species.

This can be finished in clear lacquer for a natural feel or powder coated in any RAL or NCS colour. This provides endless opportunities for your interior design to contrast or complement your natural materials.

The wellbeing benefits of wood in the home

Not only can wood look beautiful in your home, it can provide many physical and mental wellbeing benefits:

• Reduced stress and anxiety. Studies have shown that having wood in the home can help to lower blood pressure and heart rate, and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. This is likely associated with the well-known calming effects of nature in general.
• Improved sleep. A study by the University of British Columbia found that people who slept in a room with wooden furniture and surfaces reported better sleep quality than those who slept in a room with metal furniture and surfaces.
• Increased creativity and productivity.  A study by the University of Sydney found that people who worked in an office with wooden furniture and surfaces were more creative and productive than those who worked in an office with metal furniture and surfaces.
• Increased sense of well-being. Simply being around wood can make us feel better. A study by the University of Exeter found that people who were exposed to wood reported feeling more relaxed, happy, and connected to nature than those who were not exposed to wood.