Selecting a Window Frame Color

When you've chosen our new windows for a home renovation, there's still one more thing you need to consider and decide, and that's the color of the frames. It may seem like a simple choice, and sometimes it is, but here's a helpful guide for how to choose the right color frames for the right windows in your home. When you get your windows from Advanced Window Products, they're just right for you and your home, down to the last detail.

*Please note - Colors shown may vary computer to computer from product color. See your Advanced Window Products representative for actual color samples.

Traditional vs. Modern Colors for Window Frames

When it comes to color options for window frames, there are many options to choose from. You can narrow down our options by figuring out what style your home is, and what style you want. For a traditional style, the color of the window frame should pop out, or contrast, with the colors of the house. For a modern style, we want the color of the window frames to be similar, or blend in with the colors of the house. Another way you can narrow down your color options is deciding what color palette you like best, or looks best on your home. Warm colors, which consist of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns, typically feel more traditional. For a more modern feel, cool colors might be better, which consist of greens, blues, purples, and grays. Keeping the colors of the house in the same palette, cool or warm, keeps the look coordinated. There can still be contrast, such as beige frames for windows in a red brick house. White and black as colors exist outside these color palettes and work with either set.

Home Exterior Color Choices for Window Frames

It's important that you know what style your home is, or what style you want it to be when you're deciding the colors for the frames. If the exterior of the home consists of exposed brick or vinyl siding, or if the windows have wooden trim, those tend to be more traditional designs. Homes with a stucco exterior, or windows without trim are traditionally going to look more modern. Knowing if you want a modern or traditional look with our windows helps to determine the color of the window frames, but you should also consider the color of the wall where it will be installed. Painting a wall is much easier - and can be done more frequently - than replacing windows, so in many cases, it's best to stick with a neutral window frame color that can work with a variety of other colors. In doing this, your windows keep looking fabulous as you paint and repaint our house over the years. Beige and tan have been the kings of neutral for a while, but grays are becoming a more popular choice for a sleek, neutral color for homes.

5 Tips for Choosing a Window Frame Color  

Designing or renovating a home is a rush. With dozens of details screaming for your attention, colored vinyl windows tend to get lost in the shuffle. Window frames make a bigger impression than you realize. A pop of color in your window frames can add a distinctive impact to an entire room, without the hassle of painting the whole room. They can add rustic warmth or urban cool-factor, depending on what color you choose.

Prior planning makes for future success. Here are Advanced Window Products' 5 Tips to help you narrow down your window frame color ideas to the pitch-perfect shade.

1. Match your Existing Color Palette

Your window frame color choices should be informed by what is already in your house. From furnishings to wall colors, a color palette can be divided into "warm" or "cool."

• Warm Color Palette: brown, tan, red, orange, yellow

• Cool Color Palette: gray, black, green, blue, purple

Staying within your palate, even with a stark contrast in tone (dark gray against light gray), should help you narrow down your home windows colors. Match cools to cools and warms to warms and you will rarely miss the mark.

2. Match your Home's Decor

The biggest challenge to planning vinyl window frame colors is knowing what will work with your current plan. You want your windows to work in harmony with your decor, not undermine it.

Here are some rules of thumb to start with:

• Contrasting windows work with rustic or traditional decore. Consider a warm, home-spun cinnamon trim to set off soothing taupe walls.

• Modern color palates often blend together seamlessly. If urban chic is what the doctor ordered, pick tones close to each other, but different enough to invoke tech-forward subtlety.

Check out more of our vinyl window frame color ideas for inspiration.

3. Going for Bold Window Frame Colors? Think Long-Term

Paint can be changed. Vinyl windows are trickier. Once it's installed, it's there to stay and expensive to replace. Houses with neutral hues tend to sell better.

But so do spectacular houses. Don't be afraid to go bold. Consider a neutral wall color to contrast your assertive window—especially if it is time to sell.

4. Meet the "New Neutrals"

Neutral colors appeal to the broadest audience. They make guests feel comfortable, at home.

"Neutral" has historically meant beige or tan, but why shackle yourself to the neutrals of a bygone decade? "Cool" neutrals—shades of gray, black, and navy—are all the rage, the perfect choice to add a contemporary space for every taste.

5. Consider Where you Live

If you live in the urban hustle and bustle, there is probably a lot of dust and grime in the air. Both very light and very dark tones show grime. Mid-tones may be the way to go to disguise that grime.

In very hot climates, even the most energy-efficient vinyl windows will undermine your energy efficiency if their dark coloration absorbs beaucoup sunlight and transmits it inside your house.