What To Consider Before Installing Black Windows
A few weeks ago I came across a video on Instagram that another designer put together about the black and white exterior trend that’s ‘getting worse by the minute’ and is ‘taking over our neighborhoods’.
That seems a bit dramatic but I have to admit that she’s not entirely off base here. Thanks to Joanna Gaines and the HGTV hit ‘Fixer Upper’, our social media feeds have been dominated by all-white farmhouse inspired exteriors with black windows since 2015. And while we are starting to see a shift away from all-white, the black window trend is still going strong.
Interestingly enough though, despite black windows being really popular right now, there really isn’t a lot of information out there around how to decide if black windows would actually look on a home. In researching for this post, most of the articles I did come across where specific to the interior, and any comments on whether or not they work on an exterior were pretty vague. It’s unfortunate because windows will have a huge impact on the look and feel of the entire home and it’s not like you can easily swap them out later on. So today I wanted to really dive into black vs. white windows and how to determine if they are the best option for your exterior.
Should I Install Black Windows Instead of White?
If you were to google, ‘Should I use black windows on my home?’ the only advice you might come across that pertains specifically to the exterior is that black windows tend to look best with homes that are more contemporary in style.
To be honest I actually found this response to be a bit irritating because it’s so vague and not entirely true. Yes, black windows generally look great on contemporary homes, but they can look equally stunning on traditional ones.
So why do black windows work on these homes? Let’s break it down.
There is a lot of detail that’s been incorporated into this elevation. The thick black trims, the heavy brick base, and the dark roof line create a beautiful (but busy) façade. In this case, you need the black windows because they blend with the exterior materials and do not distract from the ornate detailing.
White windows would look totally out of place because the stark contrast of the white windows would distract from the elaborate detailing, causing this stunning home to lose it’s dramatic feel and the overall elevation to fall flat.
While this home doesn’t have a lot of ornate trim detailing like the previous example, there is still a lot going on as far as materials go. In this photo alone there is wood siding, brick, stone, a copper accent roof, and a heavy hip roof.
So in this case, the black windows make sense here for two reasons:
They blend into the wood siding which helps ensure that the unique blend of materials remain the star of the show.
By matching the windows to the siding, you end up with pops of grey/black throughout the entire elevation which helps tie everything together.
This Farmhouse inspired mountain retreat is another great example of a home where the black windows are necessary in achieving the mountain chalet feel this architect was going for. With the rest of the exterior being dark brown in colour, the black windows still look sharp without distracting from the rest of the façade.
Again, white windows would not only look out of place here, they would actually cheapen the elevation. It’s a luxury home, you need the upgraded windows.
So what should I actually consider before installing black windows?
In my experience, whether or not black windows will look good on a home ultimately depends on the colour(s) of the other exterior materials being used. In general, black windows look best with:
White or cream coloured siding.
Medium to dark (leaning more towards dark) siding materials combined with dark trims.
Natural stained wood and dark trims.
And I tend to stay away from:
Combining black windows with dark siding and white trims.
Combining black windows with light, cooler grays.
The second thing I would take into account is the other materials and details have been used on the home.
Essentially, how busy is the elevation already?
A huge part of the reason why black windows tend to look better on contemporary homes is because traditional houses tend to be busier in terms of accents, materials, and colours.
For example, if you look at the photos above:
The two blue houses are bold in colour, and the black windows seem to get lost or appear out of place next to the crisp white trims.
The second light grey house has a lot going on in terms of texture (shakes, stone, shingles), and the black windows just add to the busyness.
The green house on the right is not only bold in colour, it also has a lot of texture and detailing (shakes, board & batten, metal roof, brackets). Again, the black windows seem a bit lost behind everything else.
A few other things to think about:
The size of the window frame and mullions will have a huge impact on your space.
Oversized black windows with thick frames and prominent mullions tend to dominate a room whereas black windows, even if they are oversized, look less obtrusive with a thinner frame and narrower or non-existent mullions.
Another thing to keep in mind is that black windows also tend to look best left uncovered. Take another look at the photos above, none of those windows actually have functional curtains or blinds installed. While this may be ok in some areas of your home, it may not be totally practical throughout the entire house.
Conclusion:
I’ll be honest, before I put this post together I didn’t realize how much actually plays into whether or not black windows would look good on a house. Like I had an idea of what works, but wouldn’t have been able to articulate it very well if you were to put me on the spot. Anyway, I hope you found this post to be as informative as I have, and if you have any questions about windows or what would look best on your home check out How To Select The Perfect Windows For Your Home or leave a comment below!
BY EMILY RADKIE
