Choosing Window Frame Colours for Your Home
Deciding on the best window frame colour is an exciting element of choosing windows for your build project. Anthracite grey windows continue to be incredibly popular with clients, while many architects are opting for black window frames to complement their contemporary designs.
Black frames for fixed windows and sliding doors define this L-shaped contemporary extension
Anthracite Grey Windows
This extension has Anthracite Grey sliding doors, a versatile colour chosen to complement the property’s existing window frames.
Why choose Anthracite Grey window frames?
Contemporary looks: Anthracite Grey windows deliver a sleek, modern, and sophisticated appearance. Anthracite grey is a deep muted colour that adds substance to the exterior of a home. This colour complements contemporary architectural styles and can also give older homes a more updated look.
Versatility: Anthracite Grey is a highly versatile frame colour that pairs well with a wide range of exterior palettes. Whether your home’s render is white, cream, or even painted a traditional pale pink, Anthracite Grey windows will create a harmonious and complementary contrast.
Enduring: While Anthracite Grey windows are a contemporary choice, they also possess a timeless quality. Unlike some frame colours that may quickly go out of style, this shade of grey has proven to be enduring over the last decade.
Low maintenance: Darker colours like Anthracite Grey for frames tend to hide dirt and dust better than lighter shades.
Energy efficiency: Darker colours can absorb more heat from the sun, which can be beneficial in colder climates by aiding passive solar heating.
Resale value: Anthracite Grey is considered a neutral frame colour for windows, making it an attractive option for potential homebuyers. It can enhance your home’s kerb appeal and its resale value.
Black Windows
A period London home extension features black aluminium windows and doors with added glazing bars
Why choose black window frames?
Elegant contrast: Black window frames create a stunning contrast against light-coloured exteriors, making them a popular choice in modern and contemporary designs. This contrast adds depth and drama to your home’s appearance.
Timeless appeal: Black windows are classic. They seamlessly blend with various architectural styles, from traditional to industrial, giving your home a timeless and sophisticated look.
Enhanced views: Black frames for windows can frame outdoor views beautifully. They act like a picture frame, drawing attention to the scenery outside and making it feel like a work of art.
Dramatic interior: Inside your home, black window frames can serve as elegant focal points. They can add drama and a touch of luxury to your interior design.
Low maintenance: Black frames tend to hide dirt and dust better than lighter colours, reducing the frequency of cleaning and maintenance.
White Windows
South Coast home extension has white windows and doors to match the property’s original New England design
Why choose white frames?
Versatility: White is one of the most versatile window frame colours. It complements a wide range of architectural styles and exterior colour palettes.
A fresh look: Like black, white windows never go out of style. They offer a clean, fresh look that can make your home appear more open and welcoming.
Light and airy: White frames reflect more sunlight, which can make your interior spaces feel brighter and more open, especially in smaller rooms or homes with limited natural light.
Cooler interior: White frames absorb less heat than darker colours, helping to keep your home cooler on sunny days.
Design flexibility: White frames serve as a neutral backdrop, allowing you to experiment with various interior design elements without worrying about clashing colours.
How to decide whether black, grey or white windows are best for my home?
Black, grey and white frames all harmonise easily with many exterior finishes and roof materials, and that’s why they are the standard colours offered by aluminium window manufacturers like ourselves.
Selecting the frame colour for your windows and doors is very much about personal style and preference, but your home’s architecture may help you with your decision-making.
Black windows or Anthracite grey frames contrast effectively with the warm timber cladding, natural stone or white render finishes of contemporary homes.
White window frames are traditional and still very popular for cottages and country houses, complementing local brick, natural stone and painted rendered exteriors.
Period homes traditionally have distinctive colour palettes for window frames and with aluminium windows available in over 200 colours, you can choose replacement windows that complement your home’s period look.
We also find windows in soft pastel colours work beautifully for coastal properties with painted timber cladding and informal landscaping.
Why choose an unusual window frame colour?
This artist’s house features bespoke green window frames that reflect the planting in her much-loved garden
Visual impact: Uniquely coloured window frames can create a striking visual statement. It’s a creative choice that can add vibrancy and character to your home.
Contrast and emphasis: An unusual choice of window frame colour can contrast with the building’s exterior walls, emphasising the openings and creating a dynamic visual composition. This contrast can enhance the overall design by adding depth and interest to the facade.
Individuality: Window frames in more unusual colours can add an element of playfulness and creativity to a building’s design. They can break away from the conventional and inject a sense of fun into the architecture.
Daylight and interior ambience: Window frames in certain colours can affect the quality of natural light entering a building. The colour can influence the ambience of interior spaces and enhance the overall design.
How to choose the best window frame colour for your project
This award-winning home in North London has aluminium windows and doors finished in a bespoke shade: Umbra Grey (RAL 7022) It’s a subtle warm grey-brown, designed to harmonise with the warm brickwork and black charred wood uprights that give the front facade an eye-catching individuality.
Choose window frames that reflect your personal colour preferences
If you want your home to reflect your personality and make you feel comfortable, and you have a favourite colour or a specific ambience in mind, don’t hesitate to incorporate it into your window frame choice.
Opt for a window frame colour that doesn’t show dirt
Consider the level of maintenance required for different frame colours. Dark-coloured window frames tend to show less dirt and require less frequent cleaning compared to lighter frames, which can show up debris more easily. Factor in the time and effort for maintenance when making your decision.
Planning permission and window frame colours
If your home is a listed building or in a conservation area, you might need to apply for planning permission to change the colour of your windows or doors. Your architect can advise early in the planning stages.
First steps to deciding your window and door frame colour
- Source a sample frame from your chosen window showroom or manufacturer. It’s a good idea to obtain samples of the frame colours you’re considering. Test them in different lighting conditions, both inside and outside your home. This will help you visualize how the colours will look in your specific environment.
- Talk to your architectural glazing specialist. They have wide experience of colour and context and will be able to share examples of projects where choices have worked successfully.
Explore our Inspiration Gallery or Projects pages to see more examples of window frame colours to suit your project. With over 200 inspiring colours in our RAL chart, ODC aluminium sliding doors can be finished in an exceptionally tough, high quality, flawless powder colour coating of your choice. When you want outer frames to match your home’s exterior look and another to complement interior décor, then a dual colour finish frame is your solution.
