There are all kinds of architectural styles all around the world and each one has its own charms F and unique features. It’s truly something that any homeowner can get excited about, especially if they’re building or remodeling their home.

If you own your house, the different parts of your living space can look more harmonious and aesthetic if they all follow or match the same architectural style. But there’s no strict rules on how you can do this because designing is a form of art that isn’t too strict, although there are design theories behind it.

Importance Of Door And Window Designs

Doors and windows are essential in a home, but they don’t have to be plain, boring, or worse, in a clash with the rest of your home. Aesthetic value can sometimes be undermined by people as an unnecessary luxury. While it’s true that making your home look good can get expensive, its value can vary from person to person.

Products like Marvin doors and windows have been around for a long time, so there are many to choose from, making it even more difficult for home owners to choose. And these different design options can help make some individuals feel happy or proud of how their home looks.

There are also those who can feel more relaxed in a home that looks good, so it can also reduce stress. Besides, for those who are looking to improve their home’s value, upgrading their windows and doors to match the architectural style can boost the curb appeal.

Match Windows And Doors To Your Home

There are ways to match doors and windows with the architectural style of your entire home. It can be tough to figure out how to do this on your own, but it’s possible with the help of these steps below.

1. Identify The Architectural Style

When it comes to making sure that the architectural style of your home matches your doors and windows, it’s important to identify it and understand it. As mentioned, there are numerous styles and even sub-styles which can all have similar and dissimilar features. And this means it can be incredibly confusing if you’re not familiar with architectural styles.

It’ll also be difficult to look for the right windows and doors if you’re not sure about what the architectural style is. To help identify it, here are the most popular architectural styles in the country:

• Colonial;
• Ranch;
• Cape cod;
• Victorian; and
• Mid-century modern.

2. Define The Style

Each architectural style has its own unique features that define what it is. This will help you understand the type of front door or window frames you should get. This will also help you understand what styles would complement the home.

For instance, Victorian homes have porches that go around the home and it also features scalloped wood sidings. Some use big way windows that can help bring in so much natural light to a room.

As for colonial designs, its most prominent design element is symmetry. So, you’ll usually see that the door is at the center, and the windows are equally spaced around the door. The windows also make use of multiple grilles which can add to the symmetrical aesthetic of the home.

Either way, while researching, you’ll want to define the style and see which types of windows and doors would be a good match.

3. Look For Styling Inspiration

The next thing you’ll want to do is to look for inspiration. To do this, you could look at magazines, watch home and lifestyle channels, or surf the internet. Social media is the perfect place to find inspiration since there’s a growing number of people and businesses who want to show their gorgeous homes, or building projects.

To narrow down your options, you could limit your web searches to the architectural style of your home. You can create a mood board, or simply a folder on your computer to save the files, pictures, videos, or websites that inspire you. Keep an eye out for window designs or doors that strike your fancy. Save them and set them aside for further reference later on.

4. Consider The Color Theme Of The Style

Another element to architectural style is color, which is definitely something that you can add to the windows or doors you’re planning to use.

In colonial homes, matching themes and symmetry is important. This is why the shutters and the doors are often the same color. But the door can also be red but the shutters are black, either way, all the shutters should be the same color.

However, it doesn’t always have to be painted. For instance, the doors of ranch style homes often show off the natural wood color and texture. But it’s not just a bare plank of wood, it can also feature glass panes.

5. Make Use Of Similar Or The Same Materials

Another thing you can do is to ensure that the materials match. For instance, if you have exposed wooden beams inside and outside your home, it might be fantastic to use the same kind of wood for your window frames and the doors.

On the other hand, if you have exposed brick that’s often used in industrial style interiors, perhaps iron sliding barn doors would be fantastic. Even if it’s not the same material, it is similar in a way that it’s within the same architectural or interior design style.

Expert Tip:

If you’re not sure whether or not the materials will look good with the rest of your home, make sure you get samples. Get as much as you want so that you can hold it up to your walls or against windows or doors, to see how well it matches.

6. Use Architecture Design Software Or App

A lot of people like to say that imagining the architectural design would be a great help. Yet visualizing it can be difficult because of how your imagination can be limited by doors and windows that you’re familiar with.

A way to get around this would be to use an architecture design program so you can actually create the design with the right visual aid. And it can also help you experiment with mixing and matching windows and doors for different architectural styles. 

Conclusion

When it comes to architecture, there can be a fine line between strict style choices, theory, and creativity. It’s true that there are certain windows and doors that’d easily match the rest of the home. But there are also ones that might not be common for a certain architectural design, but you’ll realize that it looks good and fits well. So, when coming to a decision, you can follow theory but also leave some wiggle room for creativity.