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Of the seemingly endless decisions one has to make when designing a house, window color has to be one of the most overlooked and underappreciated. “Just give me the standard window color.”

Of course, the color of your window depends on what your window is made of. In production homes, this often means a vinyl window. Depending on your manufacturer, the color selections include white, beige, and darker beige. If you spring for an upgraded vinyl window, you can now get them in dark bronze or black. The latter colors have become very popular as we trend towards more modern looking exteriors. The beauty of a vinyl window is that it doesn’t need to be painted. That is – unless you decide you want to change the color of your window.

If you’re looking at an aluminum clad wood window, your color choices are greatly expanded. Ply Gem, a leader in exterior building products around the country, offers 8 standard colors, including taupe, cottage red, and evergreen. If you opt for their signature colors – the list expands to 38!

Selecting the right color window for your home depends on the overall color palette, its style, and the trim color around your window. The last thing you want to do is install the wrong color windows. Unfortunately, during the post-pandemic home buying frenzy, often the only color that was available was white and beige.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been on a window color photo safari. In some cases, the window and the surrounding trim are one in the same – further enforcing the strength and impact of color.

In other cases, the window and its trim are a contrast making the color of the window pop. And since many homes and buildings have multiple exterior finishes, it is important to select a color that works with both materials.

Ply Gem’s best sellers are white, bronze, and black windows – trending away from “builder beige”. Let’s look at a few examples.

• How about a white farmhouse style with a black window? High contrast, high impact.

• Of course, black also pairs nicely with this soft gray home.

• But what about white windows? They look great with white trim.

However, take caution! A white window on a dark exterior looks more like a post-pandemic purchasing problem.

Let’s face it, windows are a big expense with an even bigger impact on home design. I hope you will consider all the color options before you make that long-lasting impression on your home.

That’s just my option. I’d love to hear from you. What is your favorite color window? What’s the most extreme color window you’ve selected recently? Have you noticed the “supply-chain shortage spec” window lately? Email with your thoughts and your photos!