Your home has style. Add excitement with Milgard's® architectural windows and doors. The following examples show ideas on how to match windows and patio doors to your home's style.
Cape Cod
The Cape Cod home style originated in colonial New England and usually is one-and-a-half stories. Frequently, there are dormers. Windows are generally multi-paned, double hung windows with shutters at their sides. The best windows for these homes are double hungs, traditional in style, with grids to match the multi-pane look. French swinging or French-style sliding doors are best for patios.
Colonial
There are many styles of Colonial homes—Dutch, French, Spanish, New England and Georgian, for example. These homes look best with small double hung windows with grids that create the look of multiple panes. These divided panes are usually referred to as "6 over 6" or "8 over 8" depending on the number of panes in each sash. French swinging or French-style sliding doors are best for patios.
Victorian/Queen Anne
These fanciful, ornate architectural styles of homes take on many shapes and sizes. They can include gables and other outstanding features. These homes use a much wider range of windows. In addition to the traditional double hungs, you'll also find bay windows and single hung windows with arch tops in this home style. Many of these homes also have picture windows in unique shapes. French swinging or French-style sliding doors are best for patios.
Tudor
Tudor homes predominantly feature combinations of tall, narrow windows (single hung, double hung and casement) and often have darker trim. Many of these homes contain exposed wood features that the windows may match or complement. Simple French swinging or French-style sliding doors are best for patios.
Prairie Style
Frank Lloyd Wright revolutionized the American home when he began to design "Prairie" style houses with low horizontal lines and open interior spaces. Clerestory (pronounced clear story) windows—a high band of narrow windows—are popular in these homes. Large picture windows, simple awning windows and sliding glass doors fit in well.
Craftsman/Bungalow
California bungalows, craftsman bungalows and Chicago bungalows were variations of an affordable housing type that swept across America in the early twentieth century. These homes used double hung and casement/awning windows with larger profiles and interesting grid patterns (often just at the top of a picture window). This architectural style is known for having many windows and abundant light. Many of these homes have wood features that the windows may match or complement. Fiberglass windows and French patio doors with wood interiors are an excellent choice for replacement windows and doors in these homes.
Ranch/Split-Level
Today, these are often called mid-century homes as they were most popular in the middle decades of the twentieth century. They often contain very large sliding glass and picture windows. Many were built with sliding glass doors leading to patio areas. Windows and patio doors can be more contemporary with this style of home. Grids are often very simple, if used at all.
Spanish/Mediterranean/Stucco
Influences from Spain, Italy and other Mediterranean countries combine with North American ideas to create a Spanish/Mediterranean style of home. These range from older homes with small windows and large doors topped by arch windows, to new-style Mediterranean homes that have larger windows, use banks of windows and employ much larger arch windows. Grid patterns create an illusion of multiple panes. Use careful attention to design a grid pattern that complements the rest of the home. French swinging or French-style sliding doors are best for patios.
Modern
There is no single style that epitomizes "modern." However, modern homes tend to feature large picture, casement, awning and horizontal sliding aluminum windows with very slim profiles and very little, if any, ornamentation. These simple, clean lines complement the home's sleek appearance. Narrow-frame vinyl windows and doors offer a way to update windows with greater energy efficiency but maintain the slim profiles of their window frames. Large picture windows over half vents also are popular for allowing air to come through while keeping their full views.
Choosing a window or patio door style that goes with your house can greatly enhance the look and style of your home and increase its resale value.
Matching Windows to Home Styles
There are far too many home styles to cover them all here. But Milgard has a comprehensive network of dealers, each familiar with the home styles in their area. Many have showrooms to help you choose the right patio doors and windows for your particular home.
Some tips:
- When adding additional windows to an area with an existing style of window, such as double hung, consider installing the same style to keep that look consistent.
- When shopping, look at a manufacturer's full line of choices. For example, find frame materials and grids that match the look of your home's current architectural style.
- Bring pictures of your home, or even a home you admire, to the dealer or showroom. This makes it easy for a dealer to offer suggestions that work well with your home's architecture and window styles.
