From Charlottesville to Richmond to Virginia Beach, we’ve loved seeing homes with bright white board-and-batten siding and black window frames and mullions. Fiber and cement based siding allows remodelers and home builders to add board and batten and even shake shingle siding to homes without the downside of using materials that don’t weather well.  Without the texture board and batten and shake shingles offer, the high contrast look of black frames and white siding can look a bit sterile.

One of the drawbacks to consider with black framed windows is that using window treatments can be tricky. So if you’re thinking about updating a home with black mullions and frames, consider whether or not you’re comfortable without window treatments. And if you absolutely can’t live without window treatments you might look at clean and simple roman shades.

Another consideration is heat transfer. The black absorbs more heat which transfers into the home. So on a south or west facing window where I live in Richmond, Virginia, black can make a significant temperature difference in the summer.

If you’re considering adding black frames to a period home with earth tones like exposed brick you might want to paint an existing window black before you go all-in. Black windows and earth tones can be tricky. You might want to try to draw on some of the tones in the brick; maybe slate gray.