When it comes to your home, every feature matters. Every paint colour, choice of flooring, and even your windows should complement your home and showcase its stunning architecture.
In this guide, we’ll explore the ways in which new windows can transform your home while simultaneously complimenting its original architecture and design. We’ll dive into the features in your home that can influence your decision and help you understand the key features to look for when choosing the perfect window style for your home.
Can New Windows Change the Style of Your Home?
In many ways, your home is a blank canvas full of opportunities to add colours, patterns, and textures that reflect your individual style. The windows in your home are an important part of that canvas.
Windows often occupy significant wall space in our homes, so it’s only fitting that they match its style and contribute to the aesthetic— whether you live in a traditional bungalow or an old farmhouse. Today’s windows are designed with the modern customer in mind. You’ll likely start to see your local window manufacturing company expanding their inventory to offer more selection and customizable opportunities — offering homeowners the chance to make a statement simply with their new windows.
Window Styles: Finding Your Perfect Match
When it comes to finding the perfect style of window for your home, the design of your home matters. It’s important to consider the original architecture and aesthetic of your house so that you select a window style that best reflects that design and helps elevate it in a modern way.
Traditional Style
The word traditional can mean something different to each homeowner. In the realm of homes and home design, traditional can take on many forms — typically including a spectrum of features and qualities rather than a specific genre. Although, there are materials and architectural features that often encompass a traditional home design — including materials like brick, stone, and stucco.
Often, traditional homes include a spectrum of architectural styles ranging from Victorian to ranch style. In these homes, you’ll often find window styles that complement their classic aesthetic, including casement, double hung, and bay windows. Wood and vinyl materials are often used to add a cohesive look to the home, keeping neutral colours and standard square or rectangular window shapes.
Modern Style
In today’s housing markets across North America, you’ll find more modern-style homes than ever before. Modern is classified as a home with sleek lines and geometric shapes. It feels futuristic and innovative and typically doesn’t feature traditional elements like arches, window shutters, or columns. Its overall aesthetic lies in its simplicity and asymmetry.
Finding the right windows to complement your modern home is important. You want to ensure you’re flattering the home’s clean lines. Custom casement windows in a bold black frame are one of the most popular modern window trends and commonly found in this style of home — as is the addition of floor-to-ceiling windows to showcase your exterior views.
You can use various materials to frame your new windows. If you have a lot of white and black in your home, a wood frame can add an element of warmth and create a cozy environment in any space. If you have wood elements in and around the home, a black vinyl frame could be the perfect addition. Keep in mind your hardware and trim should be minimal in design to match the continuity of the rest of the home.
Contemporary Style
Contemporary homes are designed to reflect homeowners’ current lifestyles. Their architecture typically features innovative and unconventional shapes and details, giving them a personality of their own. Think of a contemporary home as a mix between traditional and modern — continuously adapting to what’s new and fresh in the world of home design.
The windows that you’ll see in a contemporary home often act as a focal element of the house itself — think of features like unique triangle shapes, floor-to-ceiling units, and modern black frames. The style of window used can vary but often include either picture, bay, architecture windows, or even skylights.
Window Materials: Which One is Perfect for Your Home?
When it comes to selecting new windows for your home, materials matter. It’s important to understand that not all windows are created equally, and there is a selection of materials that you can choose from — each offering its own unique qualities and benefits.
Let’s take a look at three of the most commonly sourced materials for new windows in North America.
Vinyl
Vinyl is one of the most sought-after materials for cost-conscious homeowners. Vinyl provides the quality insulation and flexibility you need at a price that doesn’t feel overwhelming to your renovation budget. Its formula delivers the weathering and colour-retention properties you need if you live in a seasonal climate, and it’s often available in a selection of colours to fit within your design vision.
Vinyl guarantees long-lasting performance, minimal maintenance, and a low-cost solution you can trust to enhance the value of your home.
Our GoldenVinyl® product line offers numerous advantages, the most significant being its outstanding thermal performance. Our windows come in 4 standard exterior colours with an additional 30 optional colours to choose from. Custom colours are also available.
Aluminum
When it comes to an easy and seamless installation process, aluminum is at the top of the list. Since aluminum is lighter than other materials, it’s often easier to install — but don’t mistake its lightweight properties for weakness, aluminum is known to be durable and long-lasting. Its flexibility allows for manipulation to fit unique, architectural-style windows.
Our GoldenClad® windows offer versatility with a beautiful wood interior and a maintenance free, extruded aluminum clad exterior for your home. Our windows come in 4 standard exterior colours with an additional 30 optional colours to choose from. Custom colours are also available.
Wood
Wood is a timeless classic that has been used both functionally and aesthetically for years in homes across North America. Wood is a material that can create warmth in any space and is especially beneficial when used for new window frames.
Wood offers increased insulation, which is ideal for homes located in seasonal climates. Quality wood is long-lasting, making it a worthwhile investment for homeowners looking to save money in the long-term. Additionally, it’s a visually appealing material often sought out to complete rustic aesthetics or to lend a warm touch to modern interiors.
Our GoldenWood® windows are perfect for log homes or to maintain the authenticity of heritage homes. The wood interior and exterior combined with our in-house mill allows you to customize your windows to fit almost any application from gothic to custom double hung windows with a camber sash.
What to Consider Before Choosing New Windows
The process of selecting new windows for your home is a detailed process — one that requires considering a wide range of elements to ensure your selection mirrors your lifestyle and your budget.
Size
How your home looks proportionally is essential to creating a cohesive design, both internally and externally. Choosing the right window size involves a variety of factors you must consider, including, first and foremost, understanding the basics of how standard windows are sized.
There are helpful guidelines you can follow to ensure you’re on the right track.
- Confirm the windowsills are placed low enough so that you can see through when you’re seated indoors.
- Leave enough space above the new window to install curtain rods or blinds.
- If the glass is close to the floor, ensure you ask your window supplier for tempered glass and follow the Ontario Building Code.
The next step is understanding the standard sizes for each style of window, which can vary significantly. Double hung windows will pose a different width and height than casement or bay windows for your home’s exterior. The key is to measure your current windows and the space available to determine if you have adequate space for your desired style. In some cases, you may be able to customize your window size — this is best discussed with your manufacturer and installation specialist.
Materials & Colours
The frames that you select for your new windows are an important component of their overall style and aesthetic. Choosing a material or colour that doesn’t fit with the architecture of the home can alter the look of both the interior and exterior. On the other hand, choosing the right materials and colours can elevate your home and help it shine.
Homeowners most commonly choose between the following materials.
- Wood
- Vinyl
- Aluminum
Each material is unique in its properties and characteristics. Wood frames can create a more natural look. Vinyl is often used in traditional-style homes. Aluminum is a sleek alternative, often sought out for modern-style homes.
The same considerations should be made when choosing the colour of your frames. If your home’s colour pallet consists of soft neutrals, you’ll want to select a frame and colour that reflects that aesthetic. On the other hand, if your home has an industrial vibe, a bold black frame may be the perfect fit.
Energy Efficiency
Homeowners today are looking for windows that go above and beyond — not only letting in natural light and showcasing their exterior views. They’re looking to invest their time and budget in window treatments that can serve them in the long run.
The words energy efficient are more than renovation buzzwords — they’re important components of today’s window treatments, designed to benefit not only homeowners and their families but the environment they live in. If your home is equipped with dated, ill-fitting windows, you’ve likely experienced rising utility costs. Your heating and cooling systems work overtime to compensate for the loss of heat or moisture in your home.
Installing new windows is a long-term investment that should serve you not only aesthetically but functionally and financially. Looking for window treatments that guarantee adequate insulation will ensure your heating and cooling systems are never overworked and your budget is never overwhelmed.
Maintenance
How much time do you want to spend maintaining and cleaning your new windows? This question can easily help you choose between the style available to you. Each style of window is designed in its own way, which means they vary in how much maintenance they require.
Slider windows, for example, are installed with tracks which can collect dirt and debris. They require frequent cleaning and maintenance to ensure their tracks remain clear and the windows remain operational. Double hung windows, on the other hand, are easier to clean since their tracks are vertical and are less likely to collect debris.
Considering these elements will help you select a window style that feels manageable for you and your family.
Costs
At the end of the day, your budget is one of the most important parts of any renovation. It’s important to strike a balance between how much you’re able to spend and the understanding that you are investing in your family’s future and working to increase the value of your home.
Working alongside a professional window manufacturer and supplier can help you find that balance, ensuring you’re able to find a style that feels like an extension of your home without feeling financially stressed and overwhelmed.
After You’ve Selected Your Perfect Window Style
Once you’ve chosen the windows that best reflect your home’s aesthetic and architecture, it’s time to think about the installation process. While it may seem like a simple project, simply taking out your current frame and replacing it with a new structure, window installation is a nuanced process that must be carefully carried out.
At Golden Windows, we recommend working with an experienced window installation specialist to ensure your new units are securely installed. A window specialist understands the details that contribute to a successful installation — including sizing and sealing your windows in place. This ensures your new windows can protect you and your family from harmful pollutants and allergens, wildlife, and even potential intruders.
We recommend speaking with one of our experts to determine the best course of action for your new project and for quality interior design tips. We’ll help you determine which style fits your lifestyle, your vision, and your budget.
Get Started with Golden Windows
Golden Windows is North America’s leading window designer and supplier, with over 60 years of proven industry experience.
We help homeowners in Canada and the U.S. find window styles that fit their home’s unique look and feel. Our selection includes popular window styles, ranging from casement to architectural windows, and a wide variety of materials and colours to choose from. Our team of designers, manufacturers, and installation specialists provides the knowledge and insight you need to make the right decision for your home.
Visit one of three Golden Windows showrooms in London, Kitchener, or Kanata and let us help you bring your vision to life.
Contact us today to get started!