Notice anything different about our home?? The windows are black instead of white! I had a little fun in photoshop trying out different paint colors and no, our windows are not black in real life. They’re still white and truth be told, I still prefer white! It just feels lighter, more cottagey than black. Which leads me to this week’s Dear Danica question –
Dear danica,
What are your thoughts on black framed windows? Timeless trend or fad?
– Teresa
A couple years ago I broke down some terminology explaining the difference between “timeless”, “trend”, and “fad.” All of which describe design styles, all of which have different meanings. If you’re curious which design styles I titled timeless, trendy, and a fad…head to this post!
Let’s refresh our memories on the definitions –
The design element in question is black window frames and while I will always encourage you to do what you love, regardless of my opinion…I do have some thoughts on black windows.
White windows are definitely the most timeless option! We see them throughout history over and over again…and in nearly every architectural style. If your main concern is choosing the most timeless option, a white window frame with panes is a classic choice that will never be out of style.
Black windows, on the other hand, are a little more hit or miss in my opinion. We don’t see them as much throughout history and they don’t blend in as seamlessly with every architectural style.
Black windows inherently have a modern feel and can be timeless in more modern or industrial homes. But historically speaking, we don’t see a lot of black windows in non-modern homes which leads me to believe that they are a fad in certain architectural style homes.
For example, I don’t see black windows going away any time soon in modern homes. But my personal preference will always be white windows for homes that lean traditional, Victorian, Georgian, or Colonial. It’s what we see repeatedly throughout history and it’s a staple to the styles.
I could however see warm taupe or soft blue-green windows on Tudor, Colonial, or even Georgian exteriors. In my opinion, that’s a tasteful way of incorporating your personal taste without breaking away from history and the architectural style entirely.
Black window frames typically wouldn’t have been the color of choice for these styles back in the day which is something I would consider heavily when making these decisions.
But I will say it again. Ultimately, you need to do what you love and there’s nothing wrong with shifting from the historical choice, as long as it’s tasteful.
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I’m curious: what are your thought for a “boring” ‘50s brick rancher? I’m sure painting the house and going black windows would look nice (maybe even black trim), but I’m not confident this would be a fad that I’d regret. And while I like the look of painted brick, I doubt I could bring myself to do it since it’d be a permanent change.
I absolutely love the discussion on black windows! They definitely seem to bring a modern and sophisticated touch to any home. I’m curious about how they hold up in different architectural styles. Thanks for the insights, Nadine!
We have a new build in the south of france and i wanted to have light oak window frames, but the planning department imposed dark frames so i ended up with aluminium in a very dark grey. Its pretty, but i agree i don’t think its timeless and i think my house construction will be dated by it soon
Danika- I have to respectfully disagree about black windows being timeless. In this new era and the ways that window makers CAN now do another color other than white- black windows – no doubt are going to become timeless. Black AND white have always been a timeless trim, so that is where we can agree to disagree! I I grew up with a Vietnam Vet that would literally never let us paint the walls anything but white!😂 When I moved into my own home- I basically painted every room a different color- 😍😬He called my beautiful creation “the clown” house! 🥴🤣 Now that I am building my dream home- I’m finding my roots- black windows, whitish walls- equals a new timeless classic! Probably gonna paint one or 2 walls black!
Here’s my take on this: black gets warm in the sun. Windows used to be all wood, and much more susceptible to weather. That’s why in history windows were not painted black. Foolish use of color. Nowadays with fiberglass and clad windows the color is much less stressful on the window. Still, I would hesitate to use black in an extremely sunny area.
My husband and I recently stayed at Lake Yellowstone Hotel which was built in 1903 and had black sash windows. There were pictures in the lobby that showed the window sashes have been black since the day it opened. Although black window sashes aren’t typical in historic homes, I wouldn’t say they are a fad. Also, a truly white paint was pretty difficult to make and maintain without yellowing, so many homes had cream, colored, or wood stained window trim and sashes especially on historic homes. I would say purely white window sashes are a pretty recent design feature with the advent/ widespread use of fiberglass windows in the 1970-80’s. I’m just adding some unsolicited facts & advice – both are beautiful and like you said, window sash color should be determined by the overall design/ theme of the home. ☺️ you offer great advice and I have used your blog to help with several design decisions while renovating our 1919 home.
We are building a new cabin in the woods on a lake. Currently have decided on graphite siding and black windows. I love the look but concerned I’ll regret in years to come. We haven’t ordered anything. Just in the planning phase. I think Your windows would look better black. But maybe I’m just a black window person. Any help suggestions? I just don’t want to make a mistake with the color. It’s a big deal. The siding is Diamond Kote. So we can’t do like you did and paint 3 times.
Great advice.
There is an old Tudor in my neighborhood that has teal accents, including the windows.
It’s beautiful. And so unexpected.
That sounds beautiful and so tasteful!