Anthracite windows outside and inside? Help

[Monra]

Hello 🙂 Me and my husband have just bought our first house. As exciting as is it, oh my goodness so many decisions to make. We are starting the renovations in the entire house. We are also changing the windows. Initially we were going with anthracite outside and inside but a few people have mentioned how the grey on the inside can darken the room and how it's better to go with white.. I'm planning to paint the current window just to see what it ends up looking like but would love any advice. Have any of you had the same dilemma? 😔

I'd definitely avoid in north facing rooms, it would look quite gloomy.

I'd be wary of them on the outside too TBH. It's very 'trendy' but will date the house quickly - is it in-keeping with the style of the house? If you want to sell in ten years will it look a bit naff? Our neighbours across the road have it and it really marks out their house from the others. In saying that, you could always paint over them externally if they date.

Sorry, just realised how negative my post sounds. It was just something g our builder mentioned to me when we were having work done and it has stuck with me.

Go anthracite on the outside and white on the inside. Simples

Go anthracite on the outside and white on the inside. Simples

I was going to suggest the exact opposite! How long do you intend to live in the house? The windows can always be repainted in 5 years if you change your mind.

Are they wooden/timber windows ? Wood is easy to repaint to any colour, UPVC is better in the colour you want (for the next 20 years) so most likely white. You don't want to be stuck with windows that have gone out of fashion like those orange wood effect UPVC ones.

Sorry, I really wouldn't unless it was a modern looking house. A couple of people in my area have put in those windows and they are going to age badly as soon as the next trend comes around...

If they are UPVC, go white inside and out. They are like bathroom suites, only white really appeals to the majority of buyers over a long period. White definitely makes the rooms feel lighter too.

Depends on lots of things such as style of house, positioning re sun etc, but having lived with dark wooden window frames inside and out, and then with white frames inside, I’d say that id always choose white inside.

I imagine as PP said it will date badly and is just the in thing at the moment, like kitchen islands and bifold doors were a few years ago.

I agree, 90% of houses look better with white framed windows (inside and out).
I inherited wooden windows on the front which is great because they were that horrible orange pine look when I moved in.
I nearly didn't even look at the house as online it looked grim.
As soon as I moved in I repainted them a soft colour, they look great now, but if they were PVC I wouldn't have bothered buying the house (there was lots in the market at the time) - that's how much of a difference the colour of the windows made.

I think white too as although very nice, the anthracite ones are VERY of the moment. I remember when everyone had travertine bathrooms (not v long ago) and it looks wrong now. My top tip is be true to the house rather than a slave to the latest fashion. Congratulations on you new house!!

@googledontknow we also almost didn’t look at our current house due to the rosewood upvc windows, but the white inside made it tolerable. The house did really need re-rendering though so I made sure to choose a colour that really complemented the windows and now it looks ok.

The windows were only a few years old otherwise we might have replaced with white inside and out though for sure

White on the inside definitely. Anthracite will darken rooms and give you less flexibility on colour schemes for your walls.

I'd have while for both, because it's essentially the non-colour for window frames.

You don't sound remotely sure about the effect you want, so stick to neutral.

If you want a colour than anthracite would be ok for a newish house, especially one with fairly pared down lines in an urban setting. Be cautious if Edwardian Victorian or Georgian, and definitely not on a cottage (try duck egg blue, other blues/greens or ointment pink)

I hadn't thought about how dark it would make it inside. You can get any colour but I think they only really work on cottages.

Is it uPVC?If so, go pale neutral, you’re stuck with them for ages. If wooden then have whatever you fancy, they need repainting every few years anyway.

We’ve got white uPVC, not exactly beautiful but we’re not g ping to replace them- maintenance free, affordable, etc.

Thank you for all the advice. The house was built in 2000 and has a modern look. A few on the cul de sac have white and some anthracite. We aren't planning to sell probably for the next 8-10 years. Who would have thought making these kind of decisions would be so difficult 😁 from picking floors to windows.. wow! I think we'll have to end up playing rock paper scissors to decide.. haha thanks again 🙂

Depends what colour your bricks are?! We’ve got Bradstone and changed the original rosewood windows for agate grey.

Regardless of the outside though always white on the inside!!

We went for black on the outside and white on the inside. We felt black was more classic than anthracite and wouldn't date so much. It also looks great with some of our internal crittle style doors.

We have grey outside and white inside. The house looks great and is keeping with its era/style