Your home is an extension of who you are and your lifestyle. It’s a way to show off your style and your taste, creating a space that feels 100 percent you. Every feature and item in your home contributes to how your space comes together — including the windows that surround your home.
We don’t often think of our windows as having a significant impact on our home’s look and feel, but the reality is that they contribute more than we realize. Creating a cohesive home aesthetic starts with these features, and knowing which window style best suits your home can help you make the right decision for your new project.
In this article, we help you understand the architectural characteristics of various home styles so that you can effectively match the right set of windows and create that design flow.
Colonial Homes
Colonial homes are similar to the traditional cape cod style – both have a symmetrical, rectangular shape that can be traced back to the 1600s. The colonial style, however, incorporates various influences in its architecture and can range from English to Dutch or Spanish.
In this style of home, you’ll often find single or double-hung windows. Their standard grid patterns and optional awnings fit this traditional aesthetic and can tie into your home if this is your architectural style.
Contemporary Homes
Contemporary-style homes have become one of the most sought-after designs in recent years. The focus for this aesthetic center around clean lines and minimalist colors and materials. If your home falls under this category, the experts at Golden Windows recommend choosing an architectural or picture window — these styles offer unobstructed views and can be customized with warm woods or bold black frames to tie in your modern aesthetic.
Farmhouse
A farmhouse-style home often incorporates many of the features found in its namesake — exposed beams, tall ceilings, expansive front porches, and central fireplaces. When incorporating new windows into this specific style, you want to ensure you’re choosing a style that reflects its rustic aesthetic. In most farmhouse-style homes, you’ll find single or double-hung windows, which offer traditional grid styles to elevate those farm-like features.
Also Read: Useful Farmhouse Decor for Kitchen and Bath
Mediterranean
Mediterranean homes are designed with Italian and Spanish architectural features that are often instantly recognizable — stucco walls, tiled roofs, warm wood and stone accents, and often metal features on windows and balconies.
If your home falls under the Mediterranean style, you want to choose a window style that elevates this aesthetic and stays true to those European roots. Take inspiration from the Med-style homes you see in your neighborhood or online, where you’ll often find casement windows. Their tall and narrow features, sometimes customized with an arch shape, are simple enough to showcase the architecture of the home itself without pulling focus, and they can be opened to let in the fresh air and increase ventilation.
Understanding the architectural style of your home allows you to make an informed decision by choosing window styles that fit your aesthetic and really showcase the best features of your space.