We went traditional with thicker trim, and honestly, I did notice a slight difference at first. Maybe it's because our room isn't huge or because we had really thin trim before, but the wider trim seemed to frame the view differently and subtly narrowed the feeling of openness. Not saying it's a dealbreaker—after a week or two we got totally used to it—but if you're super sensitive to changes in natural light, it's something worth keeping in mind.
"the wider trim seemed to frame the view differently and subtly narrowed the feeling of openness."
I totally get what you mean about that initial adjustment period. When we switched ours, I felt like the room shrank a bit at first too... but honestly, now it feels cozy and intentional. Glad you're getting used to it!
I see where you're coming from with the trim affecting how open the room feels. It's pretty common actually—especially when you're switching from a contemporary style (thin, minimal frames) to something more traditional with wider trims. The visual weight of a wider trim naturally draws your eye inward, framing the view differently and sometimes making the space feel slightly smaller at first glance.
One thing I've noticed over the years is that lighting plays a huge role in how trim affects perceived openness. If you haven't already, try experimenting with window treatments or adjusting your lighting setup. For instance, sheer curtains or blinds that let in plenty of natural light can offset the heavier look of traditional trim. Also, consider placing mirrors strategically opposite or near windows—they bounce around natural light and visually expand the room.
Another trick I often recommend is painting your trim a slightly lighter shade than your walls (or even matching them exactly). This subtle color harmony can help minimize contrast and soften that "boxed-in" feeling. On the flip side, if you prefer highlighting architectural details, going slightly darker on the trim can create a cozy, intentional vibe—like what you've described you're starting to enjoy now.
Ultimately, it's about balancing aesthetics with function and comfort. I've had clients who initially regretted choosing wider trims but ended up loving them after tweaking a few small details around the room. It sounds like you're already adjusting nicely though... give it some time, and I'm sure it'll feel just right soon enough.
"Also, consider placing mirrors strategically opposite or near windows—they bounce around natural light and visually expand the room."
Good tip. Mirrors can really help open things up. Have you tried rearranging furniture too? Sometimes just shifting things around a bit makes the heavier trim feel less noticeable...worked for me anyway.
Mirrors definitely help, but furniture placement is a good point too. I was skeptical at first about rearranging furniture making much difference visually, but when we swapped our sofa and chairs around, it actually did help balance out the heavier window trim. It didn't completely solve the issue, but it made it less obvious somehow. I think it's because your eye naturally moves around the room differently depending on where the larger pieces sit.
As for Simonton's contemporary vs traditional styles, I went through a similar debate last year. Ended up choosing contemporary because the cleaner lines seemed to make the room feel more open. But honestly, either style can work if you pay attention to the overall balance of the space. Good luck with your decision—it's tricky, but sounds like you're already thinking through the right details.
"Ended up choosing contemporary because the cleaner lines seemed to make the room feel more open."
Did you find the contemporary style easier to match with existing trim and moldings? I've noticed traditional styles sometimes clash unless you're really careful with proportions. When we replaced ours, measuring out the exact frame thicknesses and comparing them visually helped a lot. It's surprising how a small difference in frame width or profile shape can change the whole room's feel...
"Did you find the contemporary style easier to match with existing trim and moldings?"
Honestly, I was skeptical at first about contemporary windows blending well with traditional moldings. Our house has pretty detailed trim, and I worried the clean lines might look out of place. But after seeing a friend's renovation, I realized contemporary windows can actually highlight the existing trim rather than clash with it. Traditional styles sometimes feel heavy or overly ornate, especially if your room isn't huge. We ended up going contemporary too, and it surprisingly made the trim stand out more—like a nice frame around a painting.
Still, I think it depends a lot on your home's specific details. Did you find the contemporary style worked better because your moldings were simpler, or did you have more elaborate trim? Curious how much that influenced your decision...
"Traditional styles sometimes feel heavy or overly ornate, especially if your room isn't huge."
Totally get what you're saying here. We have some pretty elaborate moldings too, and I was worried contemporary windows would look like sneakers with a tuxedo—just totally mismatched, lol. But honestly, once we installed them, it was like the trim suddenly popped in a good way. The simpler window style actually gave the detailed moldings room to breathe, if that makes sense.
I think you're spot-on about it depending on the specifics of your home though. Our rooms aren't massive either, so the cleaner lines helped open things up visually. If your space is smaller or already busy with details, contemporary might be the way to go. Either way, sounds like you made a solid choice—bet it looks great!
"The simpler window style actually gave the detailed moldings room to breathe, if that makes sense."
This is exactly what I've seen happen in a lot of homes I've worked on. People often worry contemporary windows will clash with traditional details, but usually, they end up complementing each other surprisingly well. I installed Simonton contemporary picture windows in a client's older home recently, and at first, they were hesitant—thought it might look too stark or modern. But once everything was in place, the clean lines really highlighted the craftsmanship of their original moldings and trim. It was like the windows stepped back and let the home's character shine through.
You're right though, every space is different, and sometimes traditional styles can feel cozy rather than heavy. But from what you're describing, sounds like contemporary was definitely the way to go. Glad it worked out for you...it's always nice when a design choice pays off.
I've noticed the same thing in my own place. My house is older, built around 1920, and when we moved in the windows were these heavy traditional style ones with lots of small panes. At first, I thought I'd stick to that look because it seemed to match the character of the home better. But then we had one window break during a storm, and I ended up replacing it with a simpler, more contemporary style picture window out of necessity.
Honestly, I wasn't sure about it at first either—thought it might look too plain or sterile compared to all the detailed woodwork around it. But what surprised me was exactly what you described:
"the clean lines really highlighted the craftsmanship of their original moldings and trim."
It’s like once you simplify one element (like the window), suddenly all that beautiful detail in your moldings and trim really pops. In our case, we ended up gradually swapping out most of our windows for simpler Simonton contemporary styles over time because they just let everything else feel more balanced and less overwhelming visually.
Of course, there are exceptions—I’ve seen some homes where traditional windows add warmth and coziness rather than feeling heavy or cluttered. It probably depends a lot on the scale of your rooms and how much natural light you're getting too. But from what you described about your project, sounds like going contemporary was definitely a smart move. Glad you're happy with how it turned out...it’s always reassuring when those tricky design decisions pay off nicely.