12 Ideas for Applying Color to Windows & Doors

12 Ideas for Applying Color to Windows & Doors

December 29, 2023

Never underestimate a coat of paint! Express your individual aesthetic through the color of your windows and doors.

Did you know that the amount and type of color in your home can affect your mood? Quality windows and doors do wonders to provide natural light and create comfortable environments, but the colors that are utilized in their construction add that finishing touch.

Different colors have various connotations. Perhaps the most common colors you’ll encounter on windows and doors are neutrals: white, gray, black, brown, and others. These convey elegance, reliability, simplicity, and more, and often serve as the canvas on which more vibrant colors – usually divided into warm and cool tones – are used. Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow are exciting, urgent, and passionate. Cool colors like green, blue, and purple are more serene, restrained, and regal.

Considering these concepts and the vision for your project, explore our list of 12 ideas for applying color to your windows and doors.


1. Green with Envy

Green Tea Leaf is a refreshing accent for a coastal home and pairs beautifully with light stucco exteriors. Calm, cool, and relaxing, the color reflects the tranquil mood of the surrounding flora, swaying palm trees, and light ocean breezes.

Ultra Series Y211 Y237
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2. Go for the Bronze

The color bronze symbolizes reliability, stability, and comfort, so it’s only fitting that Kolbe’s high performance Forgent® Series windows and doors feature a bronze exterior finish on this lakeside home. The color blends with the trim and grounds the home with the landscape for a natural, organic feel.

AJ601 Forgent Windows
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3. Double the Effect

A color is sometimes most effective when contrasted with another. For an aesthetic steeped in tradition, combine stained interior frames with painted sashes. This provides an industrial, two-toned effect. Thin black performance divided lites look like steel and contrast with the warmth of the stained wood. Perfect for farmhouse or modern designs, contrasted accents in the architecture help pull the concept together.

AH709 At Home in the Forrest
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4. Starry, Starry Night

For something a little more celestial, try an exterior mica finish to give the unique visual appeal of twinkling stars. Visible light reflects off the mica flakes within the coating, resulting in vibrant, dimensional colors. Kolbe’s Dark Sky Mica windows and doors give off a subtle shimmer in the moonlight of a clear night sky.

AI205-AI202-Ultra-Series
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5. Americana

Today’s farmhouse-style homes are perfect for incorporating windows and doors with deep, dark red finishes like Chutney or a custom blend. Use rustic barn colors to represent your love for life, family, and rural living.

P903 Z3006 Red Windows
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6. Restoring History

Add a dash of color to freshen up a traditional design or create a custom color to replicate original windows and doors on a historic structure. This custom Steel Blue exterior finish was influenced by the serene tones of the ocean to balance the natural, earthy hues of the stone, shingle, and mahogany wood.

AG800 AG817 Blue Gray Windows
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7. Matched Materials

Paint windows to unify the home. Coordinate with the materials of the roof, staircase, or other architectural elements, and carry the consistency across other buildings on the property. Slate Gray offers a strong, timeless appearance to this sprawling Southern estate and contrasts elegantly with the neutral, off-white siding.

AI800 Blue Gray Windows
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8. Texturize It

Try combining a custom color and texture into one window or door. Enhance a showpiece window with a textured Terra Cotta finish for a unique twist on a traditional design or enhance your entrance door with a Decoral National Walnut finish – a woodgrain texture applied to the exterior cladding, stained to look just like wood.

AK801-ultra-series-door
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9. Monotone

Paint the windows the same color as the walls to achieve a modern, spacious feel. This also provides a blank canvas for art, décor, and views to stand out with fewer distractions. For a minimalist effect, use just one dominant accent color; this produces a clean, focused space with a neutral, uncluttered atmosphere.

AK908 AK505 White Windows
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10. Just Be Natural

For windows and doors with wood interiors, instead of applying opaque paint that hides the character of the wood, finish the frames with Clear Coat so the natural tones of the wood show through. This creates a warm, organic feel that softens the space and allows you to see the details of the wood’s color, grain, and texture.

AJ306 natural wood window
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11. Colorful Stains

Staining the wood interior of your windows and doors maintains the essence of the material while sporting a tint of color. While wood stains are available in a range of colors, the darker the stain, the less visible the character of the wood becomes. This home features an Ebony-stained TerraSpan® Lift & Slide corner door unit, with dark, heavy frames that dramatically showcase the views and contrast with the lighter tones of the landscape.

AG513 VistaLuxe WD
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12. Time to Reflect

For something a little more shimmery, an exterior anodized Champagne finish offers a reflective, metallic sheen that demands attention. Windows and doors with anodized finishes emit a delicate radiance when they catch the glint of the sun and the light of the moon.

AA109 Ultra Series Windows
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Colors are always a hot topic for designers of all domains. What color do you think will dominate 2024? What shades do you hope to see in architectural design in the new year? Let us know!

From new construction to remodeling, our distinct product lines, options, and custom solutions allow your project to express your individual style and aesthetic. We have 44 standard colors in a 70-percent PVDF fluoropolymer paint. We also offer standard anodized colors, standard mica colors, and custom finishes. You're sure to find the perfect hue for your project.

Kolbe Windows & Doors can help bring your vision to life. For more information about our one-of-a-kind products and options, explore our website to find out why – We’re for the visionaries.®

We're for the visionaries.®

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