Even when we moved into our home three years ago we knew we would have to replace our windows. The seals had been broken on some of them, and they were fogging up. It took us a while to get to that project on our list (plus we knew we had to budget for it), but I always thought that having black on the interiors would be the perfect look for our moody modern traditional home.
I was so in love with the idea of that dark outline that we even painted the interior trim of the primary bedroom & the guest house black and the interior trim of the bonus room navy before we replaced the windows. I just felt like it was more me.
Chandelier | Sconces
When we selected Sierra Pacific as our window vendor, we were thrilled to find that they had an option to do a paintable exterior trim (so I could choose a custom color — which we just revealed on Instagram!) and a black interior window trim. After months of them being on order, we finally got them installed last week. Installation was actually remarkably quick! In our last house when we got new windows, we actually had to move out for a week. It was in Idaho and it was cold, so that makes sense. But here we had five guys and they knocked it out in two days with little disruption.
And let me tell you, these new black windows took my breath away!
Desk (similar) | Step Stool Chair (similar) | Table Lamp | Marble Bowl | Vase (similar) | Faux Hydrangeas | Candle | Lidded Boxes | Leather Desk Mat | Acrylic Scissors | Acrylic Tape Dispenser | Acrylic Stapler | Wicker Hamper (similar)
I just love the historic vibe that this adds to the kitchen desk view from the kitchen. I was actually a little worried about this room. They’re the only windows in the kitchen and I thought it might be seem distracting, but it’s like adding a picture frame to the scene. (You can see in the photo above that the window panes have been masked for when they paint the exterior trim this week. We’ve used that same window painting technique in the past — it’s really helpful as the film just peels right off when it’s done.)
Now on to the living room, one of the real showstoppers. Here’s the before photo:
And here’s the after photo:
Shop The Living Room
I mean, jaw drop, right?? Not only does it add so much more drama, look at the difference in clarity! I seriously can’t believe how much more light it lets in. How were we living in that fog for so long?!
I read once that if outside is not the best view, use white curtains. And if what’s outside is a pretty view, use dark curtains. (I can’t find the source, so someone let me know in the comments if you know!) Using that analogy on window trim seems to have the same effect. I can’t believe how much the windows magnify the beautiful greenery outside of our house.
Here’s a look at the new black windows in Polly’s room. This was another room I was little hesitant about — it’s just such a sweet room that I wondered if I should keep them white. But I should have known better, because every room needs a little bit of black. That’s been my theory ever since I can remember. I love how they provide a grounding tone against the white shutters and the more whimsical wallpaper.
Wallpaper | Blue Velvet Bed | CLJ x Loloi Judy Natural/Ivory Rug | Plush Bunny | Boucle Throw | Bunny Wall Decor | Dollhouse Bookshelf | Lidded Hamper (similar)
Meanwhile, we had previously painted our bedroom window trim black years ago to fully color drench the room. And we painted the trim in the bonus room to match the walls. Just going from having the windows match the walls to being like this black eyeliner in the room — it pops! And the quality of the windows…whew, no more drafts.
Mirror | Floor Lamp | Polly Smoke/Sand Rug | Curtains | Motorized Blinds | CLJ x Lola Blanket | Side Table (similar) | Vase
I’m so glad we finally got to this project — it was entirely worth the wait. Black trim on our windows makes such an impact on our home’s aesthetic. Once the exterior windows are finished being painted, it’s really going to feel like a brand new house!
