Door choices have a big impact on your home’s appearance, security and energy efficiency. Exterior doors need to withstand the elements, while interior doors must complement your aesthetic and function for each room.
Adding a window box or sidelights adds visual appeal. Frosted glass and wrought iron accents are popular. Rustic windows enhance farmhouse-style and cottage homes.
Bay and Bow Windows
Bay and bow windows offer an elegant silhouette to your home, while boosting your curb appeal. They also improve your house’s interior with ample natural light, ventilation, and airflow. Plus, they increase your home’s resale value.
A bay window consists of three windows angled like an isosceles trapezoid, protruding out from your home structure and creating a three-dimensional impression. Meanwhile, a bow window is composed of four or five windows arranged in a curved shape.
Both types of windows are perfect for a cozy reading nook or storage space. You can enhance your new bay or bow window with blinds, shades, shutters, and cellular shades that help you save on energy costs.
Aluminum Windows
Aluminum windows provide a variety of benefits that make them an excellent choice for any home. They are surprisingly durable and resistant to the elements, standing up to storms and heat without succumbing to rust or corrosion. They also require little maintenance, requiring only simple cleaning to maintain their appearance over time.
Aluminum is a lightweight yet exceptionally strong metal that allows for the creation of windows with complex shapes and configurations. This flexibility makes them ideal for homes that have unique layouts or those with a more modern design aesthetic.
They are also a good choice for energy-conscious homeowners, as they can be equipped with air chambers and broken cold bridges to improve insulation. In addition, they are often available in Energy Star-certified models that help reduce energy costs and increase comfort.
Rustic Windows
Rustic Modern design features a mix of textures like reclaimed wood beams, natural stone walls or fireplaces, wood tone flooring and tall ceilings. Adding windows to your home that showcase these rustic architectural elements will help enhance its country character. For example, muntin bars are a popular window finishing option that can make your replacement windows look more rustic and bring in extra light.
Woven shades are a great choice for rustic window treatments because they offer an elegant and simple style. They’re also an eco-friendly option. Try a natural fiber woven shade in neutral tones that coordinate with the natural colors of your farmhouse home.
Gingham curtains are another rustic window treatment that can complement any farmhouse home. The fabric has evolved from the traditional red-and-white gingham that adorns picnic tables and instead comes in many neutral tones as well as nontraditional hues, such as navy or purple. Pair them with floor-to-ceiling wooden shutters for a rustic, cabin-inspired bedroom that’s perfectly in tune with the rest of your rustic décor.
Contemporary Windows
Contemporary style windows prioritize light and minimize extra detail, connecting indoor and outdoor spaces seamlessly. They feature sleek frames and expansive glass surfaces that emphasize minimalism. They’re also energy efficient, maximizing daylight and cutting the need for artificial lighting.
They’re often made from clad wood and can feature design elements like shutters or grilles, for homeowners who want a more traditional look. They may also have a dark finish for a modern aesthetic.
A bay or bow window that extends from a wall offers more interior space and panoramic views, while casement windows that open with a crank and awning windows that push out offer a similar effect. For a more dramatic contemporary look, consider floor to ceiling sliding windows. These make a bold statement and offer easy operation without sacrificing privacy or efficiency. They’re available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors to complement any home.