I've always loved buildings. Long before this was my work, it was the thing I noticed — the proportions of a house, the way a room is used, the line where the inside meets the outside. More often than not, that line is a window.
My way in was a baptism of fire. Years ago I was asked to rebrand and reorganise the showroom of a highly regarded PVC window installer. I said yes, threw myself in, and spent two years running the showroom and the sales team, learning the trade from the ground up. Whenever a customer needed timber windows, we bought them in from a long-established, family-run West Yorkshire heritage joinery company — and that's where my love of timber began. A superior product in every way.
When a role came up with them, I jumped at it. That was eleven years ago, and I've never looked back. No two projects are ever the same, there's always more to learn, and I love it — working alongside architects and interior designers to create exactly the right window or door to sit between a building's interior and the world outside. So much of the craft is in understanding the building itself, and how each room will really be lived in, then tailoring the solution to suit. The best part is always the same: seeing a finished installation. (I'm afraid I now bore my family on every car journey, pointing out the properties I've had a hand in.)
Listed buildings have a particular hold on me. The history, the heritage, the sense of caring for something that will outlast us all — I find it endlessly fascinating, and for years I've helped homeowners win Listed Building Consent for their windows and doors. On the rare occasions I was too busy and referred someone on to an architect or planning adviser, the outcome, I'll be honest, was disappointing every time.
That's why Window Woman exists. It began over a decade ago and has been evolving ever since. The most recent steps felt only logical: putting everything I'd learned into a Toolkit, so a homeowner could prepare their own application properly — armed with the right language and a real understanding of both the process and the building behind it — and then offering a full application service too, for those who'd rather hand it over.
So here I am. Window Woman is timber windows first and foremost — that's where my heart is — but I also help with steel, and even frameless glazing, working only with partners who meet my standards: excellent workmanship, genuine duty of care, and a love of the small details that make all the difference.
If you're looking after a building you love, I'd be glad to help you do right by it.
