Are you thinking about redoing your windows and modernizing the exterior of your house? If so, then your windows are a good place to start. There are several interesting ways to modernize them while keeping the wood frame structure in place. Here are eight good options to start with.
1) Match Your Window Frames to Your Door Frame
If you want to make your house look cohesive and completely modern at the same time, then matching your window frames and your door frames is a good place to start. These configurations tend to consist of sleek lines without any of the decorative touches that appear on older houses.
That’s how you make this look very modern. Some of the best options include using the same type of wood and leaving it exposed, not painted. This will add a nice touch to the finished project.
2) Use Thin Frames Instead of Thicker Ones
Another house modernization option involves getting rid of the thick window frames that are commonly used and instead of replacing them with very thin ones.
There’s a bit involved here since you do need to ensure that your windows receive the right type of support and that none of the cross pieces that hold your house together (or at least hold the windows to the frame) are exposed. As long as the thin frames do the job, then you can replace those original, thicker ones, and give your house a modern look.
3) Paint Them Contrasting Colors
If you don’t feel like doing any construction on your house, then feel free to bust out some exterior paint and a few brushes (or one of those spray applicators that the professionals use.) Then, just paint those frames a color that contrasts with the rest of your home.
For example, if your house is dark in color, then choose a bright cheery shade for those frames. However, if your house is already light in color, don’t pick black for your window frames. This won’t produce the modern look that you want. Instead, go with jewel tones or slightly muddied colors – not pastels or anything that looks too bright. You want to go modern, not old-fashioned.
4) Build out the Areas around the Windows
You can recess (pull in) your windows in order to modernize your house and you can also build them outwards. The latter creates an interesting effect on your frames since you’ll have more space to work with. As a result, your home will look modern, and you’ve created additional floor space for yourself. There’s nothing with that! Who doesn’t want more room?
5) Arrange Vertical Bars around Them
You can place vertical bars around your window frames not only to cover them slightly but also to give them a very modern look. Most of these modern ideas come from Northern European design ideas, and they involve using vertical structures in order to change the look of the design.
If you truly want to modernize your window frames, then this is a good way to go about it. However, you do need to slightly incorporate the bars into the design and not just slap them on.
6) Make Them Stand Out With Thick Wood Blocks
While you’re considering adding things to your window frames in order to modernize them, you should think about adding in thick wood blocks to bulk them up. As long as the lines are clean and not the blocks aren’t covered in carvings or other designs, then they will look very modern. That’s the overall look that you’re going for, isn’t it?
7) Use Louvered Window Frames That Cover Every Inch of Space
Did you know that you can use louvered (slatted) wood window frames that not only blend in with the matching wood window covers, but they can also be moved in order to adjust the amounts of light in your home? These window frames are simple, stained, not painted, and look very modern.
Choose a type of wood that looks good with the rest of your home, and place the frames and attached pieces to the exterior of your windows. Just make sure that every piece moves so that they pull double duty.
8) Recess the Windows and Hide the Framing
Pushing the windows back or recessing them deeper from the exterior walls of your house, does cut into your interior space a bit. However, it also provides a clean, modern take on those windows. If you do this, you can completely hide the framing by placing multiple boards in those areas.
They’ll look like panels, not window frames. Although the frames are still there, they can’t be seen. This is a very modern, even slightly European, take on design. Once all of the pieces are in, your home will look very different indeed.