Those who have anthracite grey window frames on the outside... Talk to me about interior frame colours please!

[mummabubs]

We've discovered all ten of our interior windows and the front door need replacing ASAP, so we've decided to take the opportunity to drag our 1980s home into the modern age. We'd talked about having anthracite grey on all the outside frames and the door, which I agree with, but I'd assumed we'd go white for the inside. However DH has announced it's literally the one thing he wants most in the reno process is to have anthracite as the interior colour as well. While I can't lie that I'm not a fan, I've said I can compromise for most rooms, but I'm really struggling to accept that our bedrooms will also be anthracite on the inside, it just seems so dark and cold... Not homely and a bit prison-like? I've recently redecorated the kids' rooms and painted the dark wooden frames white, it made such a positive difference to how light and airy the rooms felt that I'm worried that going with dark grey frames will be a step backwards.

I really, really, don't like the idea (especially when the person we had out to quote said it's actually cheaper to have a white interior frame), but I can also tell that this means a lot to my husband so I really want to try and like it.

So... Anyone who went with anthracite frames can you either tell me what colour you went with on the inside if it was different? And if you did go with anthracite inside throughout please can you share whether you regret it or reassure me that it won't make the bedrooms feel like I'm serving time in HM Mummabubs.

Thanks all!

You don’t see both colours at the same time so choose what you think will look best on the inside. We don’t have anthracite on the outside it’s a brown colour, but we chose white on the inside- completely neutral, goes with with all decor, and bear in mind too that windows are expected to last for 20 odd years. Grey furnishings are in fashion now , but might not be in a few years time. You want a colour that will go with everything. Also white helps to brighten a dark room

We went for white and I really can’t imagine having the grey inside too! Too dark for inside surely?

Beware you’re probably get loads of posters telling you how shit grey windows look etc but I like mine :)

We have anthracite bifolds and floor to ceiling frames in an extension/living room, both inside and out, but the windows are all white on the internal finish and coloured on the exterior. We had very dark brown frames on all windows prior to their replacement, and I found them too dark and it felt outdated. I would also say that new low profile window frames might look lovely and modern in dark grey, but if your new window frames are quite bulky or beveled, then they might look outdated still. I would recommend looking at the type of window style available before making a decision. Perhaps DH just needs to sit with the idea for a few days? He might decide otherwise.

Just as an aside, we had our back door (exterior) spray painted last year, so if you did decide to go with anthracite inside and out, then it isn't too tricky to have them sprayed. The door cost £100, so it isn't an exceptional cost.

We have white (new build)

We have anthracite outside and white inside. White matches skirting boards, architraves, coving, ceilings and doors. I think the grey inside would be too dark and it wouldn’t match anything.

Thanks for the replies, I was really hoping to have a lot of people say it's the done thing and it looks fine 😩 I honestly don't mind it in downstairs areas, so kitchen, dining etc and I can compromise on the front door. But the things you're saying so far are things I've said already - about it being too dark and not going with anything other than white neutral walls. Suffice to say DH not in agreement. He really, really wants this and I wish I didn't feel as anti it as I do 🤦🏻‍♀️ I would say could we compromise at anthracite downstairs and white upstairs but I'm not convinced he'll go for that. He says it's the one design thing he wants the most.

I think also knowing it's going to cost more to have it when I'm as anti- it in bedrooms as I am stings a bit too. He really doesn't think it will clash with anything and I don't want to openly offending him by suggesting that his sense of design might be 'different' to mine/ most others in that way.

I agree with the pp above grey windows are going to look very dated soon. Would a cream be a better option. Also make sure the windows aren’t chunky as that really dates windows as well.

white is neutral will match with anything and will never date, grey will certainly date and look too dark and not match with all decor I personally would stick with white for that reason I also prefer white frames on the outside to be honest but each to there own preferences. sounds like you really don't want the grey inside and seems like most posters on here prefer white inside too. Could you show your dh these posts and hope he'll change his mind?

@bigyellowTpot I can try, but I'm not convinced it will change his mind!

Thanks all, at least I don't feel so alone in thinking it's not the best choice.

To show him the error of his ways, could you re-paint one of the children's window frames in anthracite? Let him see how grim it looks, then paint it white again.

@fluffedup I would, but I honestly think he wouldn't see an issue with it!! I said earlier I think grey goes with other neutrals but it's hard to match it to colours, he said he doesn't think that's true. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Where's Linda Barker when I need her?

I’m going to go against the grain here, as we’re building a new house and the windows will be dark grey inside and out. It goes with pretty much everything so I wouldn’t worry about that.

I think there are a couple of things to consider though. Firstly the impact the colour has obviously depends on the width of the frames. If the frames are bulky then the dark colour will be a lot more imposing than if they’re slim. Ours will be frameless or very thin framed. Secondly I think it works well in modern, minimalistic homes especially.

Like you say, you could go dark downstairs and white upstairs. You could also get some black masking tape and tape over some of your windows to get a feel for what it will look like.

I will post some photos as I’m spending my life obsessing over our windows at the moment.

Tell him you absolutely want pink on the inside, you’re not budging. Then EVENTUALLY “compromise” on white on the inside.

I’m with you, I think anthracite on the inside will be very stark – lends itself to certain looks but isn’t very flexible for softer decorating styles.

And some photos…

Struggling to find kids’ rooms with the windows shown though!

And some more…

Totally normal in much of continental Europe. My parents both have dark windows in their respective houses - inside and out. Looks fine. Less plastic and cheap than white IMO.

We have gone for white inside. We're building and still have a long way to go so I can't tell you how it looks in a finished house! I just think the white matches things better on the inside. We have a big sliding door in the family room and decided to go for anthracite grey on the inside of it though as I just didn't like the look of white for it. Our front and back doors are anthracite grey on the inside and outside.

Thanks @chloechloe, I really like some of those. As you point out though, bedrooms don't seem to be the common place for them 🤣

Negotiating has concluded. I asked for upstairs white, downstairs anthracite... Nope. Then I shifted to bedrooms white, everything else anthracite.... Nope. So it's currently locked with him having agreed for the two kids' rooms only to be white, but ours and everywhere else to be anthracite. I'm telling myself that worst comes to worst we can paint the bedroom frame in years to come when he realises that it's too dark for a bedroom 🤣 It feels bonkers to me in our room as the panoramic view is the reason we bought the house, so chopping it up with dark grey frames doesn't make the best of it to me... We'll see.

@confusedlots

We have gone for white inside. We're building and still have a long way to go so I can't tell you how it looks in a finished house! I just think the white matches things better on the inside. We have a big sliding door in the family room and decided to go for anthracite grey on the inside of it though as I just didn't like the look of white for it. Our front and back doors are anthracite grey on the inside and outside.

This sounds similar to what I assumed we'd go for! Bet it will look lovely :)

@ISeeTheLight

Totally normal in much of continental Europe. My parents both have dark windows in their respective houses - inside and out. Looks fine. Less plastic and cheap than white IMO.

Thanks, it's helpful to hear this. Out of interest are your parents' houses quite minimalist in decor? I know dark frames can suit this... Suffice to say with two young children and a large dog our house is not minimalist in the slightest 🤣 I can't picture how the dark window frames would go with colours other than a very neutral palate if that makes sense?

@stuntbubbles hahahaaa I love this idea. Fuschia pink, blatantly. 🤣

I have this. Am restricted to certain colours outside (has to be dark) and several of my neighbours have already gone grey so actually the street looks quite similar and smart.
Inside white, was fake wood before and looks so much better. Brighter.
I think it also depends on how thick/thin the frames are. I can imagine thin grey frames would look quite elegant. Mine are chunkier and the white works well.

Our house has aluminium modern anthracite windows which are low profile and look much sleeker than the UPVC alternatives. We agonised over what colour to have inside and in the end went with grey inside and out. I've never regretted it and love them 8 years after they were installed. The advantages are that they don't show every little mark or fingerprint, the grey blends easily with all colour schemes and looks lovely.