Decorating & Design
July 5, 2018
Design Debate: Are Black-Framed Windows Trendy Or Timeless?

If you’ve flipped through a decorating magazine in the past couple of years, chances are you’ve spotted black-framed windows. In House & Home‘s June issue, our publisher Lynda Reeves talked about our recent office move and the decision not to paint our new space’s window frames black. “It’s a look we’ve all seen in so many trendy, creative offices. But not anymore,” she said. “Black window frames are becoming cliché.” We’ve rounded up some of the black-framed windows that have graced our pages and we want to hear what you think: Are black-framed windows trendy or timeless?

A circular seating plan and large expanse of windows make this bright living room a sweet spot for entertaining.

Heavily veined quartzite counters and a matte metal vent hood play off this kitchen’s dramatic black windows.

This kitchen’s daring design, featuring oversized pendants, bright red stools and abstract artwork, works nicely with the equally impactful dark window frames.

Incredibly large windows balance the visual weight of the expansive black Cambrian stone fireplace in this open-concept space.

A bright canary yellow banquette is a cheery counterpoint to dark black window frames.

A single 7 1/2′-tall front door, stained black and set between a pair of sidelights, makes for a grand first impression.

This kitchen’s bold black vent hood is a nice match with the home’s industrial aluminum windows.

High ceilings and wall-to-wall steel-cased windows frame the lush garden beyond this dining room.

A set of windows with thin mullions draw the eye from this spacious walk-in closet into the principal bathroom.

The steel-framed windows ground this mostly white kitchen nicely.

Light pours into this living room through the black French doors and the transom windows, which are painted white to disappear.

Painting the mullions, frames and doors black gave this kitchen graphic impact.

An interior pass-through window ups this homework zone’s architectural interest.

Black-framed windows work well in small spaces, like this 425-square-foot apartment.

This screened-in porch features dark wraparound windows and doors that make the most of the cottage views.

Black-framed windows blend perfectly into this home’s deep walls, which are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue (30).