Much is said about a home’s curb appeal, especially when it comes to property value, as it contributes mightily to a first impression. Your home’s windows and trim are key elements that help shape your home’s exterior appearance, so let’s take a look at windows with curb appeal and how to choose curb appeal windows and trim to boost both the aesthetic look and property value of your home.
Matching Window Styles with Architectural Elements
Matching windows with house design can enhance your home’s curb appeal. Your window choices should create visual harmony, which is essentially a well-balanced arrangement of different elements that contribute to an esthetically pleasing whole. One way to assure you are doing this with your home’s exterior is to align window styles with your home’s architectural design. Different window types fit better with certain styles of architecture. Here are a few examples.
Bay Windows
This classic and dramatic window style fits well with historic or Victorian style homes. The statement they often make blends well with the more intricate details common on historic homes, especially when the side panels contain a classic grid pattern.
Casement or Awning Windows
These two modern window designs have a wide-ranging appeal. Their clean lines and angular structures fit especially well with the cleaner lines found in contemporary style homes, where more decorative details are kept to a minimum.
Double-hung Windows
As one of the most popular window designs in the United States, this style is one of the best windows for traditional homes or colonial designs as it fits with their symmetrical lines and simpler shapes.
Overall, creating visual harmony for your home’s exterior with curb appeal windows means choosing windows that fit well with your home’s rooflines, doors, and other exterior features. This includes harmonizing with your home’s shape, details, lines, symmetry, and roof. For example, one reason double-hung windows work well with traditional homes, which often have gable roofs, is that their straight, simple lines blend well with the steeper pitch of this type of roofline.
Choosing custom window designs can also help harmonize your windows with other architectural features of your home’s exterior.
Popular Window Trends for Increasing Home Value
Taking a look at popular home exterior trends can give you exterior design inspiration when choosing the right windows and trim for your home. Some current architectural window trends include oversized, black-framed, and energy-efficiency windows.
Oversized windows are one of the most popular trendy window styles. They can be more intricate like bay or bow windows or simpler like large picture windows. They create a dramatic effect on a home’s exterior as an invitation into a home, but picture, bow, or bay window benefits also promise ample natural light, expanded living space, and panoramic views.
Black window frames are another popular window trend that can increase your home’s value. This sleek, contemporary design choice can make a strong visual statement against lighter colored exteriors, highlight architectural features, or bring an attention-grabbing feature. It is a simple, versatile way to add sophistication, elegance, and contemporary appeal.
Another important window feature that can attract buyers to a home are energy-efficient windows with contemporary designs. The appeal of energy-efficient windows is not a passing trend as they contribute to lowering your overall energy costs, which can improve your home’s value beyond aesthetic appeal. Some energy-efficient window styles include casement and awning windows, fixed picture windows, or triple-pane and low-E windows.
Concentrating on your window aesthetics with window upgrades can enhance the market appeal of your home. Studies, such as the annual Cost vs Value report done by Remodeling Magazine since 2002, has shown that the ROI of window upgrades gives you a lot of bang for your buck. The report has consistently shown a national average of about a 70% ROI on window upgrades. Local market pricing can affect this percentage.
How Window Color and Trim Can Transform Your Exterior
Your choice of window frame colors and trim can also elevate your home’s exterior appeal.
Selecting Colors That Enhance Curb Appeal
Again, your choice of color should add to the visual harmony of your home’s exterior. In addition, color enhances the look and feel of a home and whatever color you choose should support the look and feel you are trying to create. For example, neutral tones, such as shades of white or beige are frame colors that offer timeless elegance. While more bold colors, such as black, dark blue or green, or even red, are frame colors on the other side of the spectrum and offer more modern and dramatic looks.
Another important consideration when choosing trim color is to make sure you harmonize your window colors with your siding and roof tones. One tip is to prioritize contrast over finding an exact match. Contrast creates interest, as long as it is complimentary. Take a look at color palettes that emphasize dark and light or warm and cool tone contrasts. For example, if you have a darker siding and roofing, consider a lighter trim color.
Another tip is to also take into consideration how sunlight hits your home’s exterior and how it affects the colors you choose. In relation to this, the regional or cultural aesthetics of your home’s location can influence color selection. For example, if you live in a hot, sunny climate pale colors can get washed out, yet dark shades can absorb heat and affect your home’s energy efficiency. Depending on the climate, this can be either good or bad. The look of historic homes may also be enhanced if your color choices reflect the cultural influences of the time it was built.
The Impact of Decorative Window Trims
Window trim serves a functional role in sealing gaps between your window frame and the edge of the wall where the window is fit into place. Trim prevents air leaks, moisture intrusion, and pest invasion. Beyond this functional role, however, trim also adds aesthetic interest and there are many different window trim ideas that can add to your home’s curb appeal.
A few common trim styles include:
- Wide – offers a statement look for your home’s exterior
- Ornamental – supports the architectural designs of many period-style homes
- Minimalist – a good choice for modern houses to support minimalist window designs
Beyond style, trims can also be made from many different types of materials, each with their own benefits, including:
- Wood – a durable and recyclable material that can be painted and shaped in many ways for versatility and customization, offers good insulation properties, and adds natural beauty and sophistication
- Vinyl – a durable, low-maintenance and light-weight material with strong water, rot, mold, and insect resistant properties.
- Composite – a highly durable material, especially under extreme weather conditions, low-maintenance, cost-effective and offers design versatility as it can mimic wood grain
Additional Ways to Use Windows to Elevate Curb Appeal
Other curb appeal tips include adding grids or mullions to your exterior to add character and style.
Popular patterns for grids or mullions include:
- Prairie style for modern homes
- Diamond, crisscross, or diagonal patterns
- Classic American Craftsman panes
- Farmhouse cross designs
- Custom grids for personal, contemporary looks
Another tip for enhancing curb appeal is, of course, your landscaping. Strategic landscaping can complement window designs to add that special pop that curb appeal is after. Consider adding window boxes, shutters, or awnings for extra charm.
Final Thoughts on Curb Appeal Windows and Trims
When choosing windows with curb appeal you can significantly elevate your home’s aesthetics and value. To enhance your home’s exterior look for windows that have both functional and aesthetic elements. The key is to find the right mix of window style, color, and trim that harmonize with your home’s architectural design. For more ideas on windows with curb appeal and to get expert advice on window upgrades and installation for your home contact Summit Construction Group.
