Windows are one of the most important features of any home. Considering how much time we’ve all spent at home, it’s no wonder that window replacement/upgradement projects have seen an uptick recently. With these projects, came several new trends. Here’s a roundup of the most stylish.
1. Black window frames
Clean, bold, and sophisticated, black window frames represent a growing resistance to the bland white and neutral window frames of the past. The black frames act as a focal point, drawing the eye in, while remaining incredibly versatile. You can use various shades of black and dark-tones to give a dramatic look to any home, regardless of its architectural design.
2. Big, big, better
Big window designs include massive picture windows, floor-to-ceiling, and bay and bow windows. They can be stark and modern or timeless and picturesque. What they have in common is their ability to bring the outside in, connecting you with the outdoors from within your four walls. They’re also a great choice to let in natural sunlight and to make small rooms seem larger. And if you really want to go big, consider a window that covers the entirety of your wall, making the most of a beautiful backyard or view.
3. Mixed finishes
Trends come and go, but the personal touch that reflects a homeowner’s unique style will always be eternal. Mixed finishes are a great way to experiment with contrasts and open up new possibilities. The look is usually achieved by using dark paints on the window sash, while painting the surrounding framing to match the walls around it. According to designer Mary Douglas Drysdale, “color and pattern enliven and allow you to actually see space and its details in new ways…this renewed interest in contrast reflects a more daring idea about design.”
4. Built-in window seats
Built-in window seats are space-saving, intimate and stylish. This trend can turn any unused space into a practical nook for storage, or into something more stylish to relax in, while adding a cozy focal point to any room. Window seats work for pretty much every architectural style, whether it be colonial or contemporary. You can choose beautiful bay windows for your living room or bedroom, and double-hung windows to brighten your kitchen.
5. Corner unit windows
Corner-unit windows capture light and views from multiple directions, heightening the aesthetics of a room without any visual disruption, becoming a focal point from both the interior as well as the exterior. Because they open up the interiors to the surrounding landscape, they’re ideal for a home with pleasant surroundings.
6. Sidelights
Sidelights are a wonderful option if you want to make the entryway into your home more inviting or welcoming. They are narrow vertical windows that embrace a door, letting in more light and creating a sense of space. Traditionally, sidelights were fixed within frames that flanked a door, but today’s trends are more functional, letting in fresh air and adding an important security element as well.
7. Energy-efficient windows
More and more homeowners are opting for sustainable, energy-efficient options and rightfully so. Energy-efficient windows reduce your home’s energy consumption and improve its thermal enclosure system. Of these, you might want to consider awning windows. They are clean and minimalists, providing your home with plenty of ventilation and protecting it from water during rain. You can position them easily and group them together with other windows for maximum airflow.
SG Blocks, based in Brooklyn, has created and delivered container-based structures in collaboration with architects, developers, builders, retailers, and even the military. Their projects span from the Hamptons' first eco-friendly container home to a seasonal cocktail bar in Battery Park in Manhattan. In 2017, SG Blocks became the first provider to get an ESR number from the ICC, which speeds up approval procedures for their marine-grade containers.
8. Honomobo
Honomobo is a Canadian company that specializes in energy-efficient modular homes. The H-Series of plug-and-play shipping container homes are made of repurposed containers insulated with polyurethane cell foam. Their homes range in size from a 534-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment to a 1,530-square-foot three-bedroom, two-bathroom family house constructed from five 40-foot containers. All Honomobo homes are also photovoltaic-ready, allowing homeowners to reach "net zero."
9. Giant Containers
Giant Containers, established in Toronto, has created offices in Miami, Brooklyn, and Los Angeles to serve clients south of the border, where the company does an estimated third of its business. The company designs contemporary shipping container residences ranging in size from small bachelor pads to huge family homes, as well as working with businesses to design stores, offices, exhibition spaces, and more.
10. Tomecek Studio
Tomecek Studio, situated in Denver, has a portfolio that includes modular buildings, panelized construction, and cargotecture cabins, all of which are prefabricated. Their site-specific shipping container projects are entirely custom-built and purposely designed to highlight, rather than conceal, the construction material's industrial roots.