Choosing the Right Windows for Your Home Style

From the historical to the here-and-now, any style of home is enhanced by just the right windows. Whether you’re building from the ground up or replacing old windows in an existing home, this guide will help you select the style that looks most authentic — and most attractive — for your architecture.

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February 19, 2016

By: Susan Kleinman

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Shop This Look

Photo By: Greg Premru; Design By: Patrick Ahearn Architect LLC

Photo By: Mark Molthan, The Page Agency

Photo By: Phillip Mueller; Design By: Jeff Murphy

Photo By: Phillip Mueller; Design By: Murphy & Co Design

Photo By: Richard Horn; Design By: John Bertram

Photo By: Benjamin Benschneider; Design By: Nils Finne

Photo By: Andersen Windows

Photo By: Marvin Windows

Coastal Style

This New England coastal home by Patrick Ahearn Architect LLC honors architectural history while maximizing water views with these expansive windows made up of many small “lights” (individual window segments). From the outside, the home communicates historically accurate New England coastal architecture …

Coastal Style

… yet the sunroom appears to be enclosed by a fully glazed wall similar to those found in more modern architecture.

Santa Barbara Style

Influenced by Spanish and Moorish architecture, this popular California style includes lots of arches and curved windows.

Santa Barbara Style

Turquoise windows — though unconventional — were exactly the right choice for this Santa Barbara-style house by Mark Molthan. Steel frame windows balance out the bright color with their neutral tones and give a slightly contemporary feel to the home.

Tudor Style

Architect Jeff Murphy chose casement windows for this home — the historically accurate selection for the Tudor style of architecture, which first enjoyed popularity from 1485 to 1625.

Tudor Style

“In medieval times,” Murphy explains, “there was no glass in the openings -- until later in the period, where glass was placed into the simple square (or often times diagonal) openings.”

Modern Style

For a writer’s studio in a modern home, architect John Bertram envisioned a seamless, unobstructed connection between the view and the writing desk, and the goal was to eliminate any evidence of windows at all — including the frames themselves.

Modern Style

The home is actually engineered so as not to need a corner post. This gives the window a true “wraparound” quality.

Modern Style

For this modern home’s kitchen, architect John Bertram wanted a strong relationship between the kitchen and pool area, so he designed a frameless folding window system that stacks flat against the wall.

Modern Style

The window’s unique style allows the homeowners to open the kitchen to the outside bar to create the look of an entirely open kitchen.

Contemporary Style

FINNE Architects chose windows and oversized sliding glass doors of black anodized aluminum for this contemporary home. “I like to call the main living space ‘a large front porch,’ because the windows and large sliding glass doors create a feeling of being outdoors,” says Nils Finne.

Contemporary Style

The interior window trim is Douglas fir, which gives warmth to the living space.

Craftsman Style

Craftsman bungalow-style homes developed from the British Arts & Crafts movement, featuring double-hung or casement windows like the Andersen Windows A-Series Frenchwood Gliding Patio Doors here.

Craftsman Style

In Craftsman-style homes, the exterior trim traditionally contrasts with the window frame color, and the windows include grille patterns that create vertical proportions.

Farmhouse Style

Influenced by Colonial and Victorian architecture, the uniquely American Farmhouse home style looks just right with tall, narrow, double-hung windows, bay windows and window groupings, and 2-over-2 grille patterns. Black exterior window frames add striking contrast for curb appeal …

Farmhouse Style

… while white interior window frames visually expand the space by blending into the wall color.

Georgian Style

A variation on Colonial architecture, Georgian homes feature tall, double-hung windows, simple window combinations, and multiple divided lights with rectangular grilles.

Georgian Style

Fun fact: The reason Colonial architecture tends to feature windows with many small “lights” (individual panes) is that the British imposed high import taxes on large pieces of glass sent into the Colonies.

Shingle Style

Andersen’s A-Series Transom Windows with Forest Green Exteriors and Specified Equal Light Grille Pattern add color and light to this Shingle-style home — a uniquely American look that traces its beginnings to the late 19th century.

Shingle Style

Shingle-style interiors borrowed heavily from the Arts & Crafts style, as seen in these windows’ height-to-width proportion of 2-to-1.

Rustic Style

In a rustic setting with a fabulous view, the guideline for windows is often, “The bigger, the better.”

Rustic Style

These custom windows from Marvin take maximum advantage of the view — and echo the look of the surrounding trees with their rustic wood trim.

Transitional Style

Perched happily at the intersection of modern and traditional styles, the transitional home often has tall window openings that are best filled with casement windows, like these from Marvin.

Transitional Style

Low-placed crank handles make it easy to open and close the windows, despite their soaring height. Marvin’s Ultimate Casements have a wash mode that allow homeowners to turn the exterior of the window towards the interior to wash from inside.

Choosing the Right Windows for Your Home Style

Related To:

Shop This Look

Coastal Style

Coastal Style

Santa Barbara Style

Santa Barbara Style

Tudor Style

Tudor Style

Modern Style

Modern Style

Modern Style

Modern Style

Contemporary Style

Contemporary Style

Craftsman Style

Craftsman Style

Farmhouse Style

Farmhouse Style

Georgian Style

Georgian Style

Shingle Style

Shingle Style

Rustic Style

Rustic Style

Transitional Style

Transitional Style

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Window Grids for Your Home Style

Windows Buying Guide

Windows Buying Guide

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