Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did black on the exterior, white interior because I like white plantation shutters and was worried about the black going with the decor long term. Let me tell you, I strongly regret doing black on the outside. Every minuscule of dust, pollen, etc. is visible. It’s like having a black car. They always look dirty and it’s driving me nuts!

Black windows + plantation shutters?

Yes, on the 2nd story. The windows have a tint, so you cannot see the white plantation shutters from the exterior at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did black on the exterior, white interior because I like white plantation shutters and was worried about the black going with the decor long term. Let me tell you, I strongly regret doing black on the outside. Every minuscule of dust, pollen, etc. is visible. It’s like having a black car. They always look dirty and it’s driving me nuts!

Really? You worry about dust on your outdoor window frame?

Yes, because it’s very visible and they look dirty. The dust and pollen is much more visible against a black vs. white background. We have matching French doors in the back (black exterior/white interior) and this is especially a problem on the doors since it’s a bigger surface.

I love black windows. PP - I wouldn’t get your design advice here.

We have black windows both inside and outside in a mainly white house. It’s a California ranch style house not in the DC area.

We did grey roller shades with a black top (not sure the actual name) and they look great. I love them. We did inside mount almost everywhere. We had a few windows that weren’t
deep enough for an inside mount so we had to do outside mount.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not do black windows. It already looks dated in the new builds.

Why doesn’t white trim look dated to you? Wasn’t that the most common color during the 20th century?

White trim looks like it belongs with the vast majority of architectural styles. Black windows only make sense if they're big and steel in a contemporary house or in a tudor. Find me an authentic old farm house with black windows. I'll wait.

Ugh, your attitude is the worst. What a weird thing to be so snobby about. And yeah, my grandfather (born 1906) ran a farm in Michigan, I have a photo of his original house he built by hand in my library, and the frames are black - as most frames were back then - to blend in with the iron used on the framing.

You realize you aren’t advising people with medieval homes or Michigan farm houses, right? They are swapping out windows in a recent build and looking for novelty. Fine, but novelty=>trendy=>dated, very quickly, which is the only point being made.

Op, be aware that black windows are a pretty trendy look, and as such most DCUM posters will not be a fan. My neighbor has dark brown windows in their Tudor style home, the windows look amazing and the house is beautiful. We live in the woods though so they have complete flexibility on window treatments. Black windows also look good in and are typically used industrial spaces which have very different considerations than residential. This may be why you are having trouble finding something that looks good. I’d google Tudor or industrial style decor for ideas if you are really set on going with black.

Anonymous wrote:We did black on the exterior, white interior because I like white plantation shutters and was worried about the black going with the decor long term. Let me tell you, I strongly regret doing black on the outside. Every minuscule of dust, pollen, etc. is visible. It’s like having a black car. They always look dirty and it’s driving me nuts!

Black windows + plantation shutters?

Anonymous wrote:And a little googling on the history of black frame windows (so much more historical than white!!)

https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/traditional-windows-care-repair-upgrading/heag039-traditional-windows-revfeb17/

If the windows are iron, great! Black! I don't see any wooden windows in this link painted black.

And a little googling on the history of black frame windows (so much more historical than white!!)

https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/traditional-windows-care-repair-upgrading/heag039-traditional-windows-revfeb17/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not do black windows. It already looks dated in the new builds.

Why doesn’t white trim look dated to you? Wasn’t that the most common color during the 20th century?

White trim looks like it belongs with the vast majority of architectural styles. Black windows only make sense if they're big and steel in a contemporary house or in a tudor. Find me an authentic old farm house with black windows. I'll wait.

Ugh, your attitude is the worst. What a weird thing to be so snobby about. And yeah, my grandfather (born 1906) ran a farm in Michigan, I have a photo of his original house he built by hand in my library, and the frames are black - as most frames were back then - to blend in with the iron used on the framing.

^ They date back to medieval times, and most houses in the US had black frames from the 1700s until the early 20th century. By the 1960s/70s most houses had white frames.

White is the trend, which has endured for several decades, but that trend is now passing (and, I would argue, we will continue to see houses with white and houses with black, rather than one color dominating the market).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not do black windows. It already looks dated in the new builds.

Why doesn’t white trim look dated to you? Wasn’t that the most common color during the 20th century?

White trim looks like it belongs with the vast majority of architectural styles. Black windows only make sense if they're big and steel in a contemporary house or in a tudor. Find me an authentic old farm house with black windows. I'll wait.