The best colours for window frames work with three things you can’t change: the walls, the roof and the light. Hold large samples against the house in daylight, check the undertones, and pick the shade that sits comfortably with all three. On timber you can paint almost anything, and repaint it later if your taste changes.
We finish windows in the workshop every week, and this is the decision people agonise over most. It’s also the hardest to judge from a small chip on a screen. A shade that looks soft on a phone can turn blue against yellow stock brick. This guide gives you our expert tips: how we’d approach the choice, which shades tend to work where, and what each one asks of you in maintenance.
Any RAL colour
Farrow & Ball matching
Factory finished
Dual colour on request
Around 20 working days
In this guide
What You’ll Discover in This Article
- A simple method for choosing a shade
- The finishes homeowners are ordering now, with RAL and Farrow & Ball references
- Which tones suit period houses and which suit modern ones
- What dark finishes and stains mean for maintenance
- How to order a factory finish, including a different shade inside and out
01 · Choosing
How to Choose a Colour That Complements Your Home
Choosing the right finish starts outside, not in a brochure. Colour selection is far easier with the house in front of you.
Start With the Walls and Roof
Red-brown brick usually suits warm whites, creams, deep greens and off-black. Yellow London stock looks good with soft stone and green. Bath stone and Cotswold stonework favour putty, stone and muted greens rather than bright white. The roof matters too: slate pulls a scheme cooler, clay tiles pull it warmer.
Look at the Undertones
Every shade leans warm or cool. Neutrals can lean blue, green or brown, and whites can lean yellow. Match the frame to the brickwork and roof, and the window will look as if it belongs.
Test Large Samples Outdoors
Paint a sample board at least A4 in size and look at it at different times of day. North-facing walls make a hue look cooler; south-facing walls warm it up. Natural light changes everything, so never decide under a showroom lamp.
Think About the Whole Elevation
The front door, gutters and garage are part of the colour scheme. Use one accent colour at most, and keep the frames calmer than the door. A good colour combination is usually one strong shade and two quiet ones, and a colour wheel won’t tell you more than a sample held against your own home’s exterior.
02 · Trends
Window Colour Trends for 2025 and 2026
The colour trends 2025 brought in have carried into this year. These are the colour options we’re asked for most.
Greens and Sage
Sage, olive and deep heritage greens are the most popular change we see. They suit cottages, Arts and Crafts houses and older brick, and they soften a façade without shouting. Farrow & Ball’s Mizzle and Green Smoke, and RAL 6021 Pale Green, are common choices.
Grey and Anthracite Grey
Grey is still a timeless choice on modern properties. Lighter shades such as RAL 7035 suit render, while RAL 7016 gives a sharp modern look against plain walls. Warmer tones like Little Greene’s French Grey suit period houses better than cold blue ones.
Off-Black and Black Window Frames
Black frames and other dark finishes make a strong statement on new builds and extensions. Off-black, such as Farrow & Ball’s Railings, is usually kinder than pure RAL 9005 Jet Black, which can look flat in strong contrast with pale render.
Terracotta and Clay Tones
Earthy tones, from terracotta to warm browns, add warmth to rendered and rustic houses. They’re on-trend but harder to get right, so test them carefully. Brown windows went out of fashion with dark-stained hardwood; the new versions are softer and subtler.
03 · Whites
White Windows and Neutral Tones
White is still the most common choice, and for many homeowners it’s the right one.
Which White?
Brilliant white can look stark against old brick. Softer whites such as RAL 9016 Traffic White, or off-whites like Farrow & Ball’s Pointing, look better on most houses. White frames also make rooms look brighter from inside.
Cream, Beige and Stone
Cream (RAL 9001), stone and putty are versatile shades for Cotswold stone, Bath stone and older render. They’re a good compromise if bright white feels too clean.
04 · Period homes
Shades for Period Properties
Period houses were painted from a fairly narrow colour palette, and the right shade helps new joinery look original.
Georgian and Victorian Houses
Georgian sash windows were mostly off-white, stone or dark green, and Victorian woodwork often used deeper browns, dark reds and greens. If you’re replacing Georgian windows, an off-white or soft stone is the safest choice. Dark green or off-black suits a smart Victorian terrace.
Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
A dramatic colour change on a listed building can need consent, and some conservation areas control front elevations through an Article 4 direction. Check with the council’s conservation officer before you order anything outside the traditional range.
05 · Modern homes
Finishes for Contemporary Homes
Newer houses give you more freedom.
Minimalist and Modern Homes
On a minimalist house, charcoal, off-black or crisp white keeps the lines clean. Slim sections in a dark finish work well with large areas of double glazing and plain render.
Accent Shades
Pastel blues, pinks and greens suit seaside towns and painted terraces. Used carefully, they’re cheerful rather than twee.
The Inside Face
The inside face of the frame is part of the room’s interior design. Many people choose white or a soft neutral inside so the window disappears, and keep the bolder shade for the outside.
06 · Maintenance
How Your Choice Affects Maintenance
Frame finishes age differently, and the right window finish for a sunny wall isn’t always the right one for a shaded one.
Dark Finishes and Heat
Dark finishes absorb more heat in sunshine, so the wood and coating work harder on south- and west-facing walls. Paint makers like Sikkens produce coatings designed for this, and engineered wood is more stable than solid boards. Even so, expect a dark finish on a sunny elevation to need recoating sooner.
Paint or Stain?
Paint gives an opaque finish and the longest gap between recoats: a good factory coating usually needs its first recoat after about six to eight years. Translucent stains show the grain of oak or meranti but need attention more often, typically every three to five years. Our maintenance guide explains what to check each year.
Wood Compared With Other Frames
Timber frames can be lightly sanded and repainted whenever you fancy a change. White uPVC and most aluminium windows can’t be changed so easily, which is worth weighing up at the window replacement stage, when the colour choice is still open.
07 · Ordering
Ordering a Factory Finish: RAL, Farrow & Ball and Dual Colour
Factory finishing is what makes a shade last, so it’s worth getting the order right.
RAL Colour or Paint Brand?
We can finish new window frames in any RAL shade or match a paint brand such as Farrow & Ball. A RAL number is the most precise reference for industrial coatings; a paint name is fine, but give us the exact one.
| Shade | Reference | Works best with |
|---|---|---|
| Soft white | RAL 9016 / Pointing | Brick, render, period houses |
| Cream | RAL 9001 | Stone, older render |
| Pale stone | RAL 7035 | Render, coastal houses |
| Anthracite | RAL 7016 | Modern brick, extensions |
| Sage green | RAL 6021 / Mizzle | Older brick, cottages |
| Off-black | Railings | Victorian terraces, new builds |
Inside and Out
A two-tone finish lets you have, say, sage outside and white inside, so you can use different colours for each face. Ask when you order, because it’s specified at the finishing stage.
Matching Doors and Windows
If you’re ordering replacement windows and doors together, have them finished at the same time so they match exactly. Composite doors rarely match wood perfectly, even in the “same” shade, so take a sample from the door to the window maker.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular colour for windows in the UK?
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White is still the most common, but sage, anthracite and off-black are the shades we’re asked for most often for new joinery.
What goes with red brick?
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Warm white, cream, deep green and off-black. Avoid cold blue neutrals, which can look harsh against warm brick.
Are dark frames harder to maintain?
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They need recoating sooner on sunny walls, because dark finishes absorb more heat. On shaded elevations the difference is small.
Can I have one shade inside and another outside?
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Yes. A dual finish is specified when you order.
Can I repaint wooden windows later?
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Yes. They can be sanded lightly and repainted, which is one of timber’s advantages over uPVC and aluminium frames.
Summary
Conclusion: Let the House Choose
The right finish is the one that suits the brick, the roof and the light, not whatever is in fashion this year. Test large samples, check how the shade sits against the brick and think about maintenance before you go dark. Browse our gallery to see finished windows on real houses.
Ask us for a quote with your sizes and your chosen reference, and we’ll finish every window in the workshop before delivery.
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