Is this a custom house where you are free to choose everything about the house?

Have you started construction?

@PPF - Contract signed but still in very early stages of picking selections. Construction hasn’t started. The house will be in a new development of about 30 homes. So far the builder has been pretty flexible in terms of selections.

^^^^^

Definite improvement. But those are structural changes that it's hard to imagine any builder agreeing to.

If you want your house to look very on-trend right this minute and in years to come be immediately identifiable as being from the 2020s when MANY houses were black and white, then go for it. Black windows are a signature part of that look, and if you love it you will want them.

The other possibility is picking a less trendy color scheme that will make your house look fresh and different now, and hard to date later. Horizontal siding in a soft cream, or a nice yellow or blue or green, with a neutral roof that coordinates.

I’m not criticising your taste. After years of khaki beige houses followed by years of gray houses, black and white feels fresh and new. Just putting it out there that you're not alone in that feeling, and if that matters to you you have the chance to choose something different now.

BTW, we had our house resided in 2019 and I did not follow my own color advice. :) My house is dark navy, with white trim and a black roof. I love it, but it's probably not a timeless choice.

Black windows will date the house in 5 years but that's okay. I think it still can look cool and if you love it do it! For this style it really works.

I personally would lean towards a bronze, khaki or cream window with cream siding. If you can steer away from bright white, the warmer whites are timeless. Maria Killam is a great source for this. I wouldn't, however, do green or blue or yellow siding on a house like this. She would suggest that. IMO, white homes (creamy whites or limewashed brick too) sell faster than any other house, still. And around here black and charcoal are still a hit (I think that'll phase out soon too, but I'm in the minority on that one. :)

A color is a slightly harder sell unless it's a historic home or a specifically designed Cape Code/Shingle style/Craftsman than invites color. Now color on the front door is an entirely different discussion!

Have fun with all this... it's the exciting part!

We love our black windows, however our house isn't white. We have a neighborhood which has quite a few houses that are just as you described, they look really nice. I know people say they are trendy but I think they look pretty classic. A number of exisiting houses in my town have been replacing to black windows as well.

Whatever color you chose, pick a quality window, even more so important if you go with black.

Assuming your windows are of the same quality irrespective of color, I give more importance to the color of the interior side of the windows. This is the side you are going to be staring at day in and out—while you do the dishes, eat breakfast, sit at your desk, lay on your couch etc. The exterior will be seen only when you are outside and you spend significantly more time inside than out.

Black on the inside frames every view so it looks like a piece of art. So if you you have good views, this is a great reason to go with black. Personally, I think black goes with everything except maybe certain brown tones that I would not want to decorate with anyway. Black windows on the inside also allows you to keep the walls white since the windows speak for themselves. They are elegant and show confidence.

White on the inside is classic and can never be wrong. But with white walls, it tends to blend in and does not strike me as an actual design choice. Rather, I assume they are a standard basic that came with the house. Meaning, this was the builder’s choice and he is looking for basics that have the least personality as possible so they don’t offend any potential buyers. If you do white windows and white trim, I recommend painting the walls another color so that they do stand out and showcase your personality.

So, at the end of the day the question is do you want your windows to pop or blend in? Hope this helps and please let us know what you decide on! PS. send updated pics!!

I see your dilemma Black windows suggest modern while double hung 6 grid are the opposite. No grid casements would help. imo. I'd also drop all gables, keep the hip but drop the pitch. I would choose a pale brown exterior siding color. Like the color of this floor. Link. European Oak.

If your window manufacturer offers it, make the sash black but not the frames in order to avoid the blank hole look.

I find the house facade overly complex even for a vernacular/folk Victorian and the garage & roof too dominant so I tried letting the main cross gable play a larger role, lowered the roof and gave the house some shoulders.

The choice of siding should be left until the facade is balanced but I wouldn't use vertical board & batten on such a narrow house.

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Vernacular/Folk Victorian with dark wndows and trim with clapboards and no window mullions on the main level but diamond pattern in half story/attic.

@ everyone. Thanks for the great feedback and renderings. This started off as a question about windows but now I am questioning overall style of the house. Unfortunately I can’t change the hip roof or the gables so I need to rethink the whole exterior. The modern farmhouse look doesn’t seem to fit with the style of the home. Feedback welcome but I may start a new post with a new headline.

I think in reality the black grillwork will disappear (not providing architectural character) when viewed from the outside (depending on time of day and site conditions) and will have a tendency to not disappear when viewing out the window during daylight hours.

Typically dark Victorian trim was a deep color, green, maroon, brown, etc., not black.

Hi! Random thoughts: I read somewhere to use brown or white craft paper to mock up windows, pictures and the like when trying to visualize a new layout, design, etc.

It got me to thinking: can you find black painters tape? I’m in the same dilemma right now (black inside and outside windows), and so I think I’m going to try to find the darkest painters tape I can find, and literally put it up on some of my windows, so I can actually see the “black” as I look outside. (Ours are white right now).

Another thought - I think it will also matter quite a bit if I do gridlines or not- and so I’m leaning towards not. I’m not an expert on home design and appropriate matching grid line styles - but from a laypersons view (looking outside from the inside) I’d expect just a black frame without black grid lines on the window will affect / help the visual quite a bit? But then there’s the outside looking in “black hole” issue during the day that I’ve read about… and I’m still processing that point… (sorry I don’t have an instinct on that yet). I’m just leaning towards no gridlines right now for the above reasons. Maybe someone else on here will comment about that? :)

My personal goal? To be immersed by the outside (we live in the country and I enjoy the view) and I’m replacing / adding a LOT of windows & sliding doors…

I am torn because I love the idea of the outdoors being framed, and the black windows giving artistic details and a confident expression like @oliveandwell so eloquently explained, but I ALSO love being pulled into nature, which is why we moved here… and I’m a little worried that I’ll see the “black frame” before I see nature outside, if that makes sense?

In addition, we tend to have a more traditional design style but as we’ve aged we are leaning to a more streamlined look… and so the windows and the black will definitively place us in a different more modern style direction than before. Don’t get me wrong, we are excited to change it up a bit, but I’m just working through it visually and it’s harder than I thought! Hubby says, “don’t worry, you’ll run across some picture or something, and then you’ll just KNOW” (LOL) (hilarious) He’s cute. But. I DO know he’s right… I will. So have faith you’ll hear or see something soon, and you’ll just KNOW too!

I’m not sure if my “tape” suggestion will help, (obviously don’t leave it on too long to protect your paint :) but I definitely can validate your confusion about black interior/ exterior windows and I’m glad you posted this topic! I’ll be keeping up with all the great advice as you make your decision - and I’d love to see final pictures someday too! :) Good luck!!