On the beautiful Faulston Barn estate in Bishopstone, a small village in Wiltshire, an extensive project to convert six farm buildings into beautiful homes has led to the age-old question of – ‘how do I cover these windows?!’

Designed by Barclay & Phillips architects, and carried out by Derek Warwick Developments, these mid-19th century buildings are a ‘U’ shaped brick and flint structure, with classic slate rooves.

Richard and Julia Wilson fell in love with the property, surrounded by rolling hills and farmland the stylish conversion was exactly the home they were looking for.

Choosing their home provided them with a large gable end in the main living space, and expanses of large glass panels throughout the property. 

Dividing the windows required practical planning

Dividing the windows in the home up into the different shapes and styles, Simon planned out what was practical for the installation.

“I had to be really careful what materials I chose to create each section out of as too much weight would impact on the window structure. Luckily, with our vast range, it wasn’t hard to do! I then considered Mr and Mrs Wilson’s budget and colour choices before we agreed on our plan of action”.

The size of the space presented a number of challenges, firstly when surveying, then when it came to the fitting itself.

Scaffolding was required for both stages, so Simon worked closely with the developers to ensure he had access to the windows safely to make the all-important accurate measurements required for the custom pieces.

“We had a good idea of the dimensions of the opening, as well as taking our own detailed measurements. We also worked alongside Richard and Julia to help make their experience of buying shutters as easy as possible”.

The job consisted of three distinct areas/sections. The upper section of the gable end required an angled special-shaped shutter to fit the triangle opening, and the lower half required a bi-fold track system to provide easy access when required.

Due to the height at the top of the window, even with a scaffolding tower during installation, Simon was only just able to get close enough to fix the apex corners of the upper shutters. This top section was fitted in our Fiji hardwood – light and stable timber perfect for shapes such as this.

The mid-section with a natural-looking finish

The mid-section, below the triangular shape and above the track set up, was created in our Bermuda material composed of MDF with ABS louvres. The finish resembles a hardwood, natural-looking finish making it complementary to the top section of the build but more cost-effective than using Fiji for the entire section.

Track system shutters with a hardwood blend

Finally, for the track below, our Cuba MDF and hardwood blend material was chosen. This robust material is the perfect choice for tracks and bi-fold areas where outdoor access is required regularly without sacrificing visual aesthetics and natural finish.

“As the property had underfloor heating, the customers wanted track and board recessed flush to the floor, so we had to get tiling removed to 20mm so that we could install the track rail without disturbing the heating pipes”.

Leaving feedback on the installation, Richard and Julie told us:

“We were very pleased with the overall service that Simon from Shuttercraft Somerset provided. The work that was carried out was thorough and professional, and the quality of the [shutter] blinds are great too. Overall, we are very pleased with our [shutter] blinds, and we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Shuttercraft [in] Somerset in the future. 10/10”.

If you are thinking about window shutters for your home, why not get in touch today? Click here to book a free survey or call 0330 4004 144 for a free and friendly home appointment.