You don't meet many people who love this time of year. Winter in the UK is often gloomy and damp and it's easy to see why many people suffer from SAD - seasonal affective disorder. Even the cosiest of rooms can feel like a prison cell when dreary days follow, one after the other.
I'm really glad I have a garden room, wooden conservatory, orangery- whatever you'd like to call the attachment to our house which we added a few years ago. Somehow the light in there really cheers me up even in winter and it's fun to watch the wind and rain outside whilst dreaming of summer days to come. It does get chilly though!
My friends live in a gorgeous Tudor home with expansive and beautiful gardens (which take a LOT of work) but they noticed that once inside they couldn't really admire their hard work. They added a tastefully designed extension with big windows and a glass atrium and now can enjoy their stunning outlook all year round.
Their extension proves that glass additions work with all ages and style of home. From interior glass doors to glass banister panels, glass can really open homes and offices up bringing light and joy to residents and workers.
One home improvement I covet is a balcony - either a full balcony or one of those Juliet balconies with doors and a glass panel. My bedroom overlooks farmland and I love watching the landscape changing through the seasons, from swaying wheat to the bright lights of the combine harvesters which always seem to get to the fields behind us at night. We took my little grandson out to watch them a few months ago and fresh from his seaside holiday he pointed and yelled: "Lighthouse!"
One of my neighbours with the same view has turned her house upside down with bedrooms downstairs and the kitchen and living rooms now upstairs overlooking the fields.That wouldn't work with my house but I'd love to replace my bedroom window with a larger area of glass to fully appreciate our view.
As well as letting light in and giving a better view some people use glass to make their spaces seem larger. Installing glass doors for instance can really open up a home. This works very well for people who aren't too sure about a full open plan home but want a sense of openness and flow through various spaces. Let's face it, sometimes it's useful to be able to close doors to keep small children and pets secure for instance.
Frameless glass doors are particularly good for this kind of interior vibe. Unobtrusive but keeping heat, sound and odours (cooking smells for instance) contained whilst allowing light throughout the home. Fitting this kind of door as an exterior door allows a seamless flow from outside in and vice versa and could open up your rooms making them feel lighter and larger without the need for an extension or conservatory-type addition. Sitting near a window especially in the UK winter can lift mood, boost energy and apparently even improve your love life!
Obviously for maximum safety and practicality it's worth consulting experts who can offer suggestions on what glass features would work well in your home - you may even be able to get glass interior and exterior items custom designed and installed to update and improve your home.