Choosing Window Frame Colours for Your Home
While some aspects of glazing design are technical and dictated by building regulations and architectural limitations, selecting the frame colour for your windows and doors is very much about personal style and preference. The colour you opt for can significantly affect your home’s exterior look, interior style and even energy efficiency. Today the ODC team walks you through the considerations and tips for choosing frame colours for your home’s windows.
Which window frame colour will suit my home?
Your home’s architecture may help you with your decision-making. Look for frame colours that harmonize with your home’s exterior finishes and roof materials, and complement or contrast with them in a visually appealing way.
Traditional: Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian homes have distinctive colour palettes for exterior paintwork and while neutral colours such as white, cream or soft grey are common, glossy strong reds, greens and varnished wood are often seen.
Modern: Contemporary homes finished in timber cladding, stone or white render tend to favour bold and contrasting colours like black or Anthracite grey
Coastal properties: painted timber cladding and a more relaxed, beachy vibe can mean soft pastel colours such as seafoam green or pale blues work beautifully.
Rural homes: Cottage or country house, traditional white frames are often the most popular finish to pair with local brick and natural stone or painted plaster exteriors.
Why are black, white or Anthracite grey window frames so popular?
ODC sliding doors, bifolds and windows come in standard black, white or Anthracite grey – they’re timeless and versatile colours that appeal to many homeowners.
Black Door & 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 is a classic colour that never goes out of fashion. It can seamlessly blend with various architectural styles, from traditional to industrial, giving your home a timeless and sophisticated look.
Enhanced views: Black frames 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 Door & Window 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 never goes out of style. It offers 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.
Anthracite Grey Door & Window Frames
Contemporary looks: Anthracite Grey offers a sleek, modern, and sophisticated appearance. Its deep, muted grey tone adds a touch of elegance and minimalism to the exterior of a home. This colour complements contemporary architectural styles and can give older homes a more updated, trendy look.
Versatility: Anthracite Grey is a highly versatile colour that pairs well with a wide range of exterior palettes. Whether your home’s render is white, beige, cream, or even painted a traditional pale pink or cheerful blue, Anthracite Grey tends to create a harmonious and complementary contrast.
Enduring: While Anthracite Grey is a contemporary choice, it also possesses a timeless quality. Unlike some trendy colours that may quickly go out of style, this shade of grey has proven to be enduring and adaptable to changing design trends.
Low maintenance: Darker colours like Anthracite Grey tend to hide dirt and dust better than lighter shades. This makes it a practical choice for homeowners who prefer low-maintenance exteriors.
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 colour, making it an attractive option for potential homebuyers. It can enhance your home’s kerb appeal and its resale value.
Reasons to go bold with your door and window frame colour
Visual impact: Brightly 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: Bright window frames can contrast with the building’s exterior wall colour, emphasizing 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 ambiance: Window frames in certain colours can affect the quality of natural light entering a building. The colour can influence the ambiance of interior spaces and enhance the overall design.
Cultural significance: Some colours can hold cultural or symbolic significance. Architects may use colours that have cultural relevance or convey belonging to a community.
How to choose the best window frame colour for your project
Personal Colour Preferences
Your personal taste and style preferences should play a significant role in your decision. After all, you want your home to reflect your personality and make you feel comfortable. If you have a favourite colour or a specific ambiance in mind, don’t hesitate to incorporate it into your window frame choice.
Colour frames and levels of maintenance
Consider the level of maintenance required for different frame colours. Dark-coloured frames may 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.
Window frame colour and planning permission
If your home is a listed building or positioned in a conservation area, you are likely to 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. 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.
