What Window Suits Your Style?

Colonial

The Colonial home features a simple, straightforward facade, often two stories, in brick, clapboard or shingle. Colonial house plans usually feature one gabled roof or a hipped roof. Entrances are sometimes accented with columns reaching both stories.

Pella experts say most Colonial homes showcase symmetrically placed double-hung windows.

Grilles: Traditional, evenly divided grille patterns — small and equally sized — add character to Colonial designs.

Colors: Color options typically include white, green or blue.  

Georgian

Georgian homes are formal, with a sense of grandeur. They feature prominent chimneys, often at either end of the rectangular form of the home. There is almost always a center entry hall, with formal rooms on either side at the front of the home. Today’s Georgian Revival homes often feature two story entries, with overlooking balconies.

Pella experts see double-hung windows as most popular for the Georgian-style home. Georgian homes feature five windows on the second story and four below, plus the entry. They will often have a Palladian window featuring a curved-top arrangement on the second floor, centered above the entry, with two narrow windows flanking a central window and an arched transom for added drama.

Grilles: The use of traditional, evenly divided grille patterns often mark Georgian-home windows. Most likely, the home will feature six-over-six lights or eight-over-eight lights in terms of grille patterns.

Colors: Exterior color options typically include white, green or cream palette.  

Southern

Southern-style homes offer a warm, historical connection. Exterior design elements may include inviting stacked porches, verandas, shuttered windows, arched transom windows and dormers, which lend themselves to nostalgia and lasting appeal. The Louisiana Creole and low country (South Carolina and vicinity) styles are often topped by a metal roof, adding a distinctive appearance.

Pella experts report that double-hung and sometimes casement windows are most popular for the Southern home. Windows will sometimes be more elongated, with lower sill and higher head, which reflects the proportional aesthetic appearance of its original mid-19th century Greek Revival design.

Grilles: Traditional, evenly divided, grilles accent windows of most Southern homes.

Colors: A common, conventional color like white leads the way.

Craftsman

The Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century grew from a reaction to the over-the-top house design of Victorian homes during 1870 – 1900. Embracing simplicity, handiwork and natural materials, cozy Craftsman houses, like the bungalow style, feature wood siding, shingles or brick and almost always sport a front porch. Bungalow homes rise from one-and-a-half-story plans marked by low-pitched roofs, shallow “shed” or gable dormers and deep porches. Exposed rafter tails — the ends of roof rafters that project past the outside wall and support the roof overhang — are also a Craftsman characteristic. Typically cut in an ornamental fashion instead of just flush cut, exterior rafter tails may be found on wood, brick or stucco projects.

According to Pella experts, the most popular window styles for the Craftsman home are double-hung windows. Awning windows are used sparingly — flanking the fireplace, for example.

Grilles: Windows often feature grilles in the top sash only. Traditional grilles (evenly divided rectangular patterns) are more accurate to the original Craftsman home, and Prairie-style grilles are often used today.

Colors: Earth-tone choices (such as bronze, putty, cream, white and green) and transparent-stained doors accent the neo-craftsman designs used today.

Contemporary

Contemporary home designs gained in popularity in the 1970s and remain sought-after today. Pure contemporary homes display eye-catching features like asymmetrical design, unusual angles, flat roofs with varied

or multi-level rooflines, boldly articulated windows, silo-like towers, little ornamentation, and stucco, wood or metal siding. Metal siding panels have become enormously popular in upscale contemporary homes, borrowing

a material used more often in commercial architecture. And, of course, large walls of glass. Contemporary is a post-modern interpretation of the modernist mindset, which pared buildings down to stark edifices with little warmth. Today’s contemporary home designs include references to traditional architecture redefined and reinterpreted.

Pella experts note that most popular window styles for the contemporary

home feature simplistic, clean lines, like casement, awning and fixed windows. Pella® ProLine® windows enhance contemporary designs, as do those in the Pella Impervia® and Pella vinyl collections: ThermaStar by Pella®, Centura by PellaTM and Encompass by PellaTM. The home may also feature skylights for balanced interior daylight that resonates deep into the floor plan.

Grilles: Windows of many contemporary homes include large areas of unobstructed glass. If grilles are used, they are often designed to enhance a home’s horizontal line, or are aligned to aid the eye in transitioning from one building material to another.

Colors: Contemporary homes may use exterior colors like black to help “hide” the window frame in shadow, or will take an opposite approach, sporting a bright color to “pop” windows in exterior contrast.

Green

Today’s trends find many homeowners building an energy-efficient “green” home. As energy costs rise, interest in green building is growing. Attributes of a green home may include extra insulation; geo-thermal heating; ENERGY STAR® -qualified windows, doors and appliances; and other energy-saving applications.

According to Pella experts, the most popular window styles for the energy- efficient home are triple-pane wood windows featuring blinds or shades between glass, like Pella’s Designer Series® line. The homeowner may want to choose different types of glazing for the north face of the house versus the south. For instance, a home in a climate with cold winters can be oriented east-west so that the northern exposure can let in natural light, while the Southern exposure can gain heat from the sun during the winter months. Differing goals may require different types of glazing.

Grilles: Designer Series window and door styles can change as you do. Homeowners may easily add or remove grilles, blinds, shades or decorative panels, with no special tools, for a new look any time.

Colors: Energy-efficient homes often feature natural exterior cladding colors to blend with the home’s exterior color.

Features: Pella’s choice for a green home is the triple-paned Designer Series® window and door collection — the most energy- efficient wood windows among leading national brands, including blinds or shades neatly protected between glass for optimal coverage and energy efficiency.

The Not So Big House

People are naturally drawn to intimate spaces. In her book, The Not So Big House, noted architect and author Sarah Susanka offers clear guidelines that include designing for specific lifestyles, budgeting, building a home from scratch and using energy-efficient construction. Basic design principles for a Not So Big House include extensive use of natural light, an emphasis on comfort, varying ceiling heights, contrasting colors and space- maximizing details.

Pella experts report that popular window styles for the Not So Big House are wide open; virtually any window style can be used. For example, a bay window with traditional grilles may be a smart choice for a small reading nook, providing an “away” place and adding visual interest to the home.

Grilles: Grille choices are also limitless for the Not So Big House. Leading choices range from Prairie-style grilles to top-row-only options to custom one-of-a-kind patterns, providing a focal point both inside and outside the home.

Colors: Contrasting window colors or accent trim can add exterior interest. Alternately, matching window colors to the home’s exterior tone or using subdued colors can enhance the play of light and shadow across the facade.

Features: For the “Not So Big House” look, Pella’s pick is the new Architect Series® collection of woods to complement or contrast with other woods in the home. With natural insulating qualities, Pine, Douglas Fir, Mahogany or Alder woods add a rich, warm look to a room.