Pros tap the latest looks for today’s home, in the ‘window’ department.

BLACK

“From modern mountain to farmhouse styles, everybody wants a contemporary look for their home,” says Sierra Pacific’s Mark Crowley. Black windows advance the style, whether they’re pricey steel or popular aluminum-clad versions, he explains. Indoors, wood windows are frequently painted black to mimic steel and pop against white walls.

MORE GLASS, LESS SASH

Expansive vistas and abundant light drive our desire for larger windows with minimal framing and sashes. “We max out the glass to max out the views and foster a contemporary look,” Crowley explains. People are also opting for fixed set-in windows rather than operating versions. “People want to see views, not hardware and screens.”

CLEAN LINES, SQUARED SHAPES

Forget arches and clusters of small windows. Big, clean-lined windows with squared-off shapes are in demand. “We’re seeing a lot of big rectangles, triangles and trapezoids with lots of glass,” says Crowley, likening their look to updated versions of windows popular in the ‘70s.

DRAMATIC DOORS

In many homes, doors eat up much of the budget, according to Crowley. “It’s not that there are a large number of them, but that they are massive specialty doors,” he says. They range from bi-fold (accordion-style) doors to sliding doors with multiple panels that stack over a fixed window or disappear into a wall. Lift-and-slide models are designed to seal the threshold to prevent leaking.