6 Things to Think About When Choosing Window and Door Frame Colours

There are quite a few things to think about when choosing colours to complement your home’s design, such as architectural style, building materials, the surrounding environment, how timber and aluminium frames differ, and, of course, your own personal taste. Let’s take a closer look at the things to consider.

Architectural style

One of the first things to ask yourself when deciding on a colour palette for your window and door frames is, ‘What does the house itself look like?’ Specifically, its architectural style. For example, a Hamptons-style home might look best with fair white, surf mist or pale grey coloured frames. While with a more classical heritage home, the frames could be a gentle spectrum of creams and soft whites, or even light greys and greens. If your home is more industrial or a mid-century modern, whites and greys are common but, for the bold, blacks are true to the style, too.

Keep in mind that if your home is heritage protected or in a certain council area there may be specifications and rules you’ll need to follow on the colours and finishes you can use on your window and door frames. If that’s the case, it’s best to get in touch with your local council before you get your heart set on particular colours.

Building materials

Common building materials include timber, steel, concrete, and brick. Both timber and aluminium frames can be used with any of these building materials, but it’s still worth it to consider how your building fabric works with your window and door frames. In fact, both architectural style and building materials work together to influence your colour choices.

If your home is built from timber, then natural timber windows and doors could complement the rustic design. But even with timber designs there are whole palettes of different shaded timber oils and stains that are possible, so your colour choices could be bolder than you might think. If you find yourself keen on darker-coloured windows and doors then it’s important to check whether they will be covered under warranty. They often aren’t, so aluminium might be a better option in this case. If your home is built with industrial-style building materials, such as exposed brick or raw concrete, then black aluminium would suit.

Surrounding environment

Consider the natural environment surrounding the home. What kind of area is your house built on? What’s the geography – rolling hills, expansive plains or bushland? Are there creeks nearby? Is the ocean just a stone’s throw away? What is the natural colour of the local earth? What flowers and trees are native to the area? All of these can inform your window and door frame colour palette.

The differences and similarities between aluminium and timber

You might think that the material your window and door frames are made from could limit or influence your colour choices. But the good news is that both aluminium and timber frames are available in a large range of colours and finish type, including matte, satin and gloss.  Keep in mind that timber can be painted and stained a variety of colours,­ but don’t forget that you might need to avoid darker colours to avoid those potential warranty issues we mentioned. If you’re thinking aluminium for your home, read our article on choosing colours and finishes for aluminium windows and doors.

If you can’t decide between aluminium and timber, you could choose a combination of both with a product from our Siteline composite range. They are aluminium on the outside – great for durability and minimal maintenance – and timber on the inside, so you can paint them your choice of colour whenever you feel a colour refresh is in order.

To contrast or blend in

Choosing window and door colours that contrast the rest of your homes’ exterior can be a bold and exciting move that helps your home stand out and adds a little (or a lot) of extra personality.

But if your preference is for a more subtle, less-contrast look, choose a colour same or similar to your house’s exterior colour. This could be your preference if you want your home’s design to be less dominating so you can highlight the focus on other things such as a stunning garden you’re especially proud of or another hero design feature. Ultimately, it comes down to how much attention you want drawn to your home.

Personal taste

In the end, go with your own personal taste! Afterall, it’s your home. You’ll be the one who sees the window and door frames every day, so you ought to enjoy them. Whether you stick with architectural principles or throw out the rule book, contrast with the local environment or live harmoniously with nature, or choose colours that that pop or blend in ­– it’s completely up to you.

Looking for expert advice on choosing the right windows for you? Call us on 1800 681 168, or visit your nearest Stegbar showroom.