Just because a home is being renovated doesn’t mean discarding the qualities and features you love about the old. For this project in Perth, the homeowners wanted to retain the existing positive attributes of the front façade, while updating with Carinya windows and doors.  

Located in the northern suburb of Coolbinia, the home originally featured two access points on the front façade – a front door and a pair of French doors – and home owner Jodi Balhorn was keen to keep both.  

“The original house had French doors in this position and it was really lovely,” says Jodi, who is an interior designer by trade. 

“I could have the doors open and let the breeze come in and out,” she says. 

The old French doors had allowed her to open up the south-facing room to cooling breezes, but needed to be replaced as part of the renovation. 

“I didn’t just want to have windows there, I still wanted to have an access point,” she says. 

Thinking about how she used the space, Jodi realised she wanted to keep the French door style, but needed a way to pair the new secure doors with options for ventilation. 

The solution was a pair of Carinya Select Hinged French Doors, with tall single panels of glass to give the visual statement she sought for the elevated entrance. 

However, instead of adding standard fixed-window sidelights, she opted to integrate door-height awning windows, which gave her access to the functionality she enjoyed before. 

“By making these two sidelights into awning windows I can leave them open in summer and let the breeze come into the house while still feeling secure,” she says. 

Carinya Select Hinged Doors feature a 65mm wide face on both the stiles and rails, and are clear double glazed which allows light in, while preventing the transfer of hot or cold air. The Select range includes double hung windows and bi-fold doors, with all options including custom flush bolt guides to provide a tighter weather seal, and completed with Alspec’s Australian made Killara hardware and Lockwood Optimum mortice locks. 

Project Name: Coolbinia, WA
Architect: Infinity Design & Drafting
Builder: A Di Bucci & Son
Fabricator: Glass Co Metro
Applied Finish: Interpon Palladium Silver Pearl
Photographer: Ron Tann Photography

Alspec systems:
Carinya Select Hinged French Doors
Carinya Select Awning Window Sidelights