PRODUCT: DOOR SCREENS | LOCATION: BANNOCKBURN, IL | STYLE: MANOR HOUSE
You might not at first make the connection between a Scottish manor and a suburban Illinois home. But the property known as the Scottish Manor in Bannockburn pulls it off convincingly. The home features two distinct living spaces: one refined and elegant, the other evoking the ambience of an old-world highland castle complete with stone walls and large-scale fireplaces. The challenge was screening that could match the home’s demanding aesthetic.
Double doors
French doors look beautiful, but they present a traditional screening problem: the wide openings are difficult to screen without either blocking the view or cluttering the frame. For the Scottish Manor, with its multiple sets of double doors throughout the home, retractable door screens were the only solution. They allowed the doors to remain as a design feature rather than a liability during the warmer months.
Insect protection
The homeowners chose charcoal-colored fiberglass 18/14 insect mesh — a material that effectively blocks mosquitoes, flies, and wasps while maintaining visibility and air flow. Summer in Illinois is genuinely insect-season, and having a reliable barrier meant the family could open their doors without consequence.
Design integration
For a home with this level of aesthetic intention, standard off-the-shelf hardware wasn’t going to work. Custom-colored screens were created to blend with the window cladding throughout the home. The result, according to the design team, was screens that “wouldn’t distract from the overall aesthetics and old world theme of the home” — present when needed, invisible when not.