adding curb appeal | black window edition
We see you big sexy beautiful black windows. You are the new coveted trend on the market. If only we all had the budget for those eye catching features that give other new homes major curb appeal bonus points. What if we told you that there are some hacks to get you very close to achieving that look for a fraction of the cost...would you believe us? Do you have the guts to try some DIY's to get you there? Can you take a leap of faith and some dedicated commitment to bring your plain Jane windows (we still love white) to the dark side?
First things first: are you committed to this bold look? You won't be able to go back after you make this commitment. Do you need to see it on your house first? If so, take a picture of your home and draw over your windows with a black sharpie. They will be that bold, so it will give a good gut check. If you hesitate...don't do it.
Second, let's just put it out there that while we encourage DIY and do it often ourselves, there are some DIY hacks that we cannot get on board with. In this particular topic, we've seen the "hack" to put black electrical tape over your existing window grille pattern. This looks cheap and feels cheap and there is no good way to really apply this as neat and tidy as painting or real true black windows.
Third, consider other details on your home so that you are solid in your decision that the windows are going to be the bold black feature. If you are hesitant that the combination is not fitting right or you want a second opinion, feel free to reach out to us for a design consultation (hourly rate applicable) and we would be happy to walk you through the decision making process. Siding, shutters, window boxes, grille pattern, other doors are all things to take into consideration for your exterior combination.
Fourth, need a change with your window style or do you desire to change the grille pattern? First, if you currently have grilles, make sure they can be removed. If not, then it looks like those are the prettiest grille pattern you could ever find and embrace the style...they will be going black, so that will certainly change the look. Look at it as a one of a kind look that only YOU have! And for those who want to change it up and have that flexibility with your removable grilles, you now have to decided if you want grilles and if so, what pattern. Common styles that are both timeless and trendy are:
You are probably thinking, how do you change the grille pattern and that is where this cool company comes into play. https://www.newpanes.com/ is a cool way with three installation methods to create any of the above looks all on your own. And the best part is that if you paint your windows, your grilles will be able to be painted on both sides as well. And who are we to stop you at just your windows? Add these panes to garage glass windows, transoms, side lights by the front door or interior doors too!
Fifth...lets do this! Black beauties, we are coming for you! Prep is always a very important part in any type of painting. If you follow proverbs31girl on instagram, you will learn that she has a tried and true method done to transform her windows in her home (old, new, existing, doors, etc.) and she is is Minnesota, so cold weather has been the sure way to test out the longevity of her system. In watching many of her stories, its clear that she has perfected the process to make the transformation look as good as possible. Follow her steps to guide you to a whole new house and see what else she spray paints too. Products and the step-by-step process can be found here: https://proverbs31girl.com/how-to-spray-paint-your-window-to-look-new/
And just in case painting your windows on your house is too much of a commitment but you want to add elements that are similar to your home that would be easier to change out, consider the interior version of these wanna be windows...the black grid shower door. So cool right? Did you know there are a handful of ways to achieve these. Some can be found at the big box stores to fit some standard size showers. But, what if you have a custom shower. Well, you have two options:
1) grids on the outside panel of the custom glass unit
OR
2) simulated grid pattern that even has a shadow line but is merely printed on the
window. Sounds cheap, we know...but there is a time and place for everything. And
this is perfect for the homeowner who fears cleaning or maintaining any sort of a grid
system (even on the outside of the shower)