Window frames seen from outside

In new houses, window frames are like black eyes — they ruin any face. And people come to us too late to fix it.

I see websites that "sell" only the inside of a window, but for a private home the outside matters too and is always visible, because windows are the focal points. And outside, they often look really bad. There are no proper classic frames or good modern ones. They all look like some dull mush — as if the frame were molded from kids' sausage-shaped balloons. I won't even get into the bluish-white color, which is gradually becoming a thing of the past.

Don't be fooled. Choose frames that are beautiful inside and out. On the outside, a window should have finely detailed reveals, classically shaped or sharply defined, depending on the style. If you're thinking about facade design, think first about the expressiveness of the window frames.

One of the great glories of the classic style is still the divided-light window. Such windows are especially expressive and have just the right amount of depth. These days you can find modern double-frame windows with double glazing and muntins that look exactly like the finest classic windows.