When we moved into our 1968 tract house 31 years ago, my vision for replacement of the aluminum sliding windows and doors was FRENCH, MULTI-PANE AND WOOD. I set about having these installed with a clarity of purpose and determination. I believe it took us close to 10 years to trade out all of the aluminum windows and sliding glass doors that had been installed by the builder.
This picture was taken last summer when Olivia was visiting (child latches in place)…you can see the French doors off the atrium, and Winnie~keeping an eye on things.
At the time, in Southern California, screens were out of favor. Back in the day, if you were going to install French doors, the trend was to skip the screens. As a young wife I followed the trend, and probably still do to some small extent. Another preference/trend was to paint the French windows and doors in a high gloss enamel in some shade of white. Guilty as charged. We love(d) the look, and I still lean toward the fresh appeal of some form of white paint on windows and doors. That is until I started seeing dark trim (black) on windows and doors.
I know that in some cases the dark mullions you see in pictures are actually steel doors, another new-to-me trend. I have seen steel doors in a couple of homes and absolutely would have them installed without delay if it wouldn’t be certain to cause divorce in my otherwise great marriage.
So, typical of me and my daydreams where my house is concerned, I compiled a group of images of dark painted (or steel) doors and windows, that I think of as swoon-worthy. I hope you enjoy!
{Traditional Home}
I’d love to be able to tell you that this final image is a reflection of my widow on a rainy day!
Do you like this look, do you have it in your home? Would you installed steel windows in any part of your home?
{Oh, and on the screen issue, I wish I had screens on every door, I do have them on all of the windows and we have installed an invisible screen on the French door going out to the back yard}
Garden, Home & Party 
Msshe said:
I love your pictures, and I do like the black trim. I an not so sure I would use steel unless it were maintenance free. I have purchased black paint for my exterior doors. Just waiting on the painter.
About 5 years afo I was in a beautiful new home in Lexington, KY and the owners had painted all of the interior doors black. All other woodwork was white. It looked good I have to say!
I have lots of black in my house. Black queen ann chairs from pottery barn. A black field karastan wool rug. Black lamp shades here and there. Black mats around pictures. I do have a love affair with black!
Sheila
Karen B. said:
Sheila, I have seen a house with all black doors and agree, they look stunning. I’m truly a little chicken to do it, though. 😀 I too have black lampshades on a number of lamps and we have a custom built in pantry that is made to look like an antique hutch that is painted black. My friend has black steel windows in one of the living spaces in her home and they are beautiful, but her color palate, everywhere else, is light. It’s fun to imagine something so different, even if never actually implementing the idea. xo, Karen P.S. Let me know how the black door turns out.
Kelly - Talk of the House said:
All of these images are GORGEOUS, but they all play the dark trim against a very light wall color. Since the walls in my home are dark, I don’t think I will be going that route. In fact, if I ever paint all the wood trim, it will be white. I love the light too much to go any darker.
Karen B. said:
Kelly, None of my interior walls are white either.Good point. I probably like my white more than I let on, but I confess, when I see images of houses with black accents such as doors and windows, it does capture my attention. 😀 xo, Karen
westlakemusings said:
I have painted my bathroom window sill black. I recommend using a high gloss – which I didn’t. Perhaps it needs an added coat of gloss because I am finding it really shows the dust, which is difficult to remove. It always looks kind of grey.
Karen B. said:
I wondered about that. I do love black but as strange as it sounds, we have a built-in pantry that was custom made to look like a piece of furniture and it’s painted black. I dust the ledge on the front of that daily due to dust. Something to think about, thank you for weighing in. So nice to meet you.
Karen
debra phillips @ 5th and state said:
dear fellow anglophile, would LOVE to have that reflection out of my window!
my first home/cottage was built as the “home of the future” for the chicago world fair in the 30’s, it had steel windows. i was crazy for the look but come winter…..dreadfully cold. definitely for southern clime
xx
debra
Karen B. said:
Debra, Brrr. How fun to have lived in a cottage built for the World’s Fair. 😀 While I’ve admired the black interior door look and love the look of steel windows, I’m a bit of chicken when it comes to actually trying it. xo, Karen
Victoria • Restoring our Victorian said:
We have all white molding/doors/trim… and I’d never paint it, just because it was such a pain to do the first time.
BUT if I could pay someone, I might consider it. Of course, if we’re getting rid of budget restrictions, I’d just rip out all the walls in the addition and replace them with the giant glass and steel doors I’ve been seeing so much of.
Gorgeous photos as always!
Karen B. said:
I’ve decided it’s a good thing that I have budget restrictions, otherwise my compulsive nature would have things changing all the time in our house. 😀 Karen
D'Arcy H said:
I like this look–very fresh and dramatic, but as others have pointed out, you need pale walls. Many of us have darker or more colorful walls because that’s been “in” for a few years … which just means it’s on the way “out” now, and pale, neutral shades are coming in. Trim is such a pain in the keester to paint, though … it’s hard for me to get excited about it, no matter what the color scheme! Oh–I like metal frame windows, too, but not in my present house! Has to be the right era, like Debra’s.
Karen B. said:
I agree, as trends change you know that the dark trim will become passe at some point and even though I’m pretty comfortable with what I consider my style, some things wear on me and I embrace the change. 😀 I hate painting trim, in fact, I just painted our bedroom and let the trim slide. The metal framed windows are a certain look, aren’t they? Thanks for weighing in, it’s fun to hear the varying opinions on this stuff. Karen
Taylor Greenwalt said:
I love the look of black and dark trim with white walls…I do prefer wood over steel in my own home…but love the look….
Karen B. said:
Julie, I like the traditional wood trim and mullions as well. My friend that has the steel window has a very large Mediterranean influenced home and they look great. Like Debra said, in a colder climate they can feel cold. We Californians are lucky to not have to worry too much about the cold. 😀 Karen
Linda Coble said:
Karen,
I love this look and I’m seeing more and more of it in magazines. The pics you used are fantastic! However, I don’t think that look is for me. Given our forest location and Craftsman style home, the window frames and sills are all fir and I love that look too. I think the white trim in your home is beautiful and I wouldn’t change it. Besides, I agree with Victoria — repainting it would be such a pain and so expensive. Of course, there’s always the possibility that you could win the lottery!
Karen B. said:
Linda, Yeah, that’s not going to happen (lottery win) since I don’t buy a ticket very often. Besides, one of my readers pointed out that black paint can always look dusty…that would make me crazy. I love the looks of your craftsmen style detailing and with your forest in the back it’s so beautiful. xo, Karen
Keri said:
I love the steel windows, but between painted white or painted black (or dark) wood, I prefer what you have in your house– the painted white wood. My house has white painted wood casement windows. The only thing I don’t like about them is the need to keep them painted! Pretty things come with a price.. I’ve also had aluminum, and I’d say its worth the painting to have pretty wood ones.
Lovely post as always. 🙂
Karen B. said:
Hi Keri, I’m with you. Wood is so much prettier than the aluminum windows this house had when we first moved in. Mr. B doesn’t mind painting the wood, I paint the walls…it works. 😀 Karen
Sent from my iPad
Gretchen said:
I’ve never been much of a fan of black trim, but your pictures made me reconsider. I had a client whose vintage house had steel windows and she fought rust all the time. I think black painted wood windows could be wonderful. It doesn’t work with my decor, but I think it’s very dramatic and can really accentuate the architecture.
Karen B. said:
Gretchen, I know what you mean, the steel and rust had crossed my mind. Is that a new set of steel windows, I wonder if mnaufacturers have figured out a way to powder coat the steel so it doesn’t rust? The black front door is probably most likely in my home. Karen