Design Studio — Glass
Glass decides how warm a room feels in February, how much glare you get in July and whether you can see out without being seen. Compare the options side by side.
01
Standard low-E double glazing. Maximum clarity, neutral colour and the truest reading of the view.
Typically used for: Living rooms, Sliding doors, Any north-facing elevation.
02
A near-invisible coating that reflects heat while keeping light. Essential on large south and west-facing glazing.
Typically used for: South-facing sliding walls, Garden rooms, Glazed gables.
03
A warm body tint that softens strong light and reads beautifully against stone and bronze hardware.
Typically used for: Feature picture windows, West elevations, Bronze-finish frames.
04
A neutral smoked tint that reduces glare without changing colour rendering inside the room.
Typically used for: Large glazed elevations, Balcony screens, Anthracite frames.
05
A mirrored external coating for daytime privacy and heat rejection where a house is overlooked.
Typically used for: Roadside elevations, Overlooked bathrooms, Commercial-style glazing.
06
Acid-etched satin glass or switchable smart glass that turns opaque at the touch of a button.
Typically used for: Bathrooms, En-suites, Internal screens.
07
Laminated panes with an acoustic interlayer and asymmetric thicknesses to cut road and wind noise.
Typically used for: Roadside bedrooms, Exposed fell-side houses, Holiday lets.
08
Three panes and two cavities. The right answer for exposed Cumbrian sites and low-energy builds.
Typically used for: Self-builds, Passive-standard homes, Exposed elevations.
09
Extra-clear glass with the green cast removed — noticeable on thick or triple-glazed feature panes.
Typically used for: Picture windows, Corner glazing, Minimal sliding doors.
10
The full patterned range, from lightly textured to fully obscured. Compare privacy level against light before you specify.
Typically used for: Bathrooms, Stairwells, Front doors, Side screens.
Obscure glass
Privacy is rated 1 to 5, where 5 gives no discernible image. Patterns face inward as standard so the outer face stays smooth and easy to clean.
| Pattern | Privacy | Light | Character | Typical use | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotswold | ●●●●● | 82% | Heavily rippled, the most obscure of the standard patterns. | Bathrooms and en-suites | |
| Stippolyte | ●●●●● | 85% | Fine even stipple; the most widely specified obscure glass in the UK. | Bathrooms, WCs, front doors | |
| Pelerine | ●●●●● | 83% | Soft organic texture that avoids a mechanical look. | Bathrooms and stairwells | |
| Sycamore | ●●●●● | 83% | Leaf-like pattern with a traditional feel. | Period properties | |
| Minster | ●●●●● | 84% | Classic textured pattern used in Victorian and Edwardian homes. | Front doors and side screens | |
| Flemish | ●●●●● | 84% | Wavy vertical distortion; a heritage favourite. | Entrance doors | |
| Chantilly | ●●●●● | 82% | Fine decorative texture with a soft sparkle. | Hallways | |
| Contora | ●●●●● | 84% | Contemporary rippled pattern, less busy than Cotswold. | Bathrooms | |
| Digital | ●●●●● | 80% | Geometric squares — a modern alternative to traditional patterns. | Contemporary bathrooms | |
| Reeded / Fluted | ●●●●● | 85% | Vertical ribs. Currently the most requested internal glazing texture. | Internal steel-look screens | |
| Satin (Acid-etched) | ●●●●● | 78% | Smooth, even frost with no pattern. Feels the most refined. | Minimal bathrooms and doors | |
| Autumn | ●●●●● | 86% | Light decorative texture where privacy matters less than character. | Landing windows |
Performance that matters
A great deal of glazing marketing quotes the flattering figure. Knowing which is which takes about a minute and protects you from a specification that underperforms.
Measures heat loss through the sealed unit only, ignoring the frame. It is always the lower, better-looking number, which is why it appears in advertising.
Measures the finished window: glass, frame, spacer and edge seal together. This is the figure Building Regulations assess and the one to compare between quotations.
How much of the sun's heat passes through. High g-value warms a north-facing room; low g-value stops a south or west elevation overheating in summer.
| Upgrade | What it changes | Typical cost effect |
|---|---|---|
| Solar control coating | Reduces overheating and glare on south and west elevations | +5–15% |
| Acoustic laminate | Cuts road and wind noise; also improves security | +10–20% |
| Triple glazing | Lower U-value and warmer glass surface in exposed locations | +20–40% |
| Switchable privacy film | Clear to opaque at the touch of a switch, no blinds required | Specialist — quoted per unit |
| Warm-edge spacer | Reduces cold bridging at the glass perimeter and condensation risk | Standard on our specifications |
A liquid-crystal film laminated inside the sealed unit turns the glass from clear to opaque instantly when switched. It solves the bathroom or en-suite that wants a view by day and privacy at night, and internal glazed partitions that need to close off on demand. It requires a low-voltage supply to the opening, so it must be planned with the electrician before first fix.
Glass is chosen alongside frame colour and hardware.
Solar Control GlassGlass Studio
Brushed Bronze Pull BarHardware Studio
Flush ThresholdsDesign DetailsObscure Glass CollectionGlass StudioDesign Studio
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Tell us the orientation, the room and what is outside the window. We will specify the glass properly rather than defaulting to standard.
