Window frame colour question
We are staggering to the end of a renovation of a classic old Jersey house (outside rendered, although inside we've managed to expose granite walls etc). The two sides and the back, which are mostly modern/extended) are having black (not grey) metal window frames, but the traditional front still has five sash windows (double glazed ones just being put in now) - 3 along the top, 2 on the ground floor with a traditional front door. Think a typical dolls house, only we've moved the front door from the bottom centre to the right. The roof is slate, with dark solar panels. The fascias and guttering are black. We like dark houses, as you can tell, and like a house that will blend into the shrubbery (we're on a hillside) rather than standing out.
Inside, partly for budgetary reasons but partly because we like the raw look, the colours are the local orangey-pink granite, white walls, black accents (door handles, large original range etc) and various random bits of plywood, screed & concrete.
After much discussion we've settled on Farrow & Ball's DownPipe for the exterior colour. It looks like a dark grey but has lots of green and blue in it, depending on the light. https://www.farrow-ball.com/paint-colours/down-pipe. It's going to be hard to put us off that, so working with that, WHAT COLOUR DO WE PAINT THE SASH WINDOWS?!!!
One window company we went to refused to guarantee them if we painted them black/dark because they'd warp quicker in the heat (they'll be west-facing). White is the easy option but I'm worried it'll look too stark. At the moment the new frames are primed grey and that looks quite nice, but I'm worried about it just being another random colour in the palette. And sometimes I think I'd like to go wild with the front door and paint it raspberry pink, or pale ocean blue or something.
Just curious, really, for suggestions. Houzz has been critical to me refining our design thinking over the last few years, but I've never asked a question! Thanks in advance for suggestions.
PS I'm posting a picture of the house, before we got started (we've now lost the porch and have a front door now on the bottom right).
Comments (19)
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Exterior makeover - render and window frame colour advice
Comments (36)That colour was f&b stony ground which is actually red based but I think must have some green in, I thought it would work with the terracotta tiles. Something like the lighter shaded white may also work although colours are normally a couple of shades lighter on the exterior. The previous owners of our house painted it farrows cream, I swear it gets more yellow each day! I don’t know anything about the render tbh but I don’t think it needs any maintenance for 20-30 years hence the initial application cost is dearer. I’ve attached this link as I’ve come across a few similar comments (but as I say I don’t know anything about the render and you’re always going to get negative reviews of things). It might be worth creating a separate post on traditional versus through coloured render if you have any concerns? http://www.ebuild.co.uk/topic/15160-traditional-render-v-k-rend/...See MoreWhat colour window frames and door for the front of my house?
Comments (13)Hi Stefanie, it would be well worth taking a look at the Chameleon Decorators and Window Restoration blog about the colour of your windows. They restore and paint thousands of windows a year to a really high standard and know the best colours to choose to compliment your property perfectly. They have lists of the best paints to use, and they can also paint your windows and restore them for you as well. https://chameleon-decorators.co.uk/blog/...See MoreMixing black window frames with another colour?
Comments (1)I think it may look a little odd. Sorry. A neighbour added an extension recently with different coloured windows and it jars for me....See MoreHelp with window frame colours? All over the place!
Comments (4)We have had almost all our "mahogany" UPVC windows and doors replaced with Aluclad windows in RAL 7044. This is an on going project and we still have a couple of the old windows which will eventually be replaced. I have painted these in a colour matched paint by Valspar. I washed the frames, applied two coats of primer/ undercoat and two coats of exterior wood/metal paint. I have also painted the front door. I am very pleased with the results. I just need the UPVC windows and front door to last a year or two longer before I am able replace them. Might be worth a try....See More- Kate Renouf thanked Jonathan
- 5 years ago
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5 years ago
5 years agoI don’t think dark grey suits the exterior of your house at all. It has a country cottage look which would be so much better in a pastel, including a pale grey. Darkest grey looks great on industrial style buildings, but I’m just not feeling the love for dark grey on your pretty house.
Kate Renouf thanked Sonia- 5 years ago
- 5 years ago
I like the idea of a moody colour for a coastal cottage, have seen a few. I’m slightly on the fence with the tile colour but then colour is not my forte! I cropped the paint colour from an exterior btw as it normally reads a couple of shades lighter (for the render, windows are obviously exterior 😂)
Here‘s one of my bad photoshops for you to give you an idea 😊
Kate Renouf thanked minnie101 - 5 years ago
5 years agoThe roof looks quite purple, and Downpipe is a bit greenish so that may be something to be aware of. It's a gorgeous house and could carry off so many different looks. The second image below is all Downpipe and does look smart but it's not a look I would choose as I think it could look dated. I actually love the pink and would go for a dirtier salmon colour with windows matched to the slate colour or something like the image below.
Kate Renouf thanked Juliet Docherty
Jonathan