@soniccoder Great question. I wrestled with a similar one given our terracotta roof and stucco. Here’s my take:
For your tan walls and red tile roof, bronze frames would likely complement the color scheme nicely. Bronze (dark brown) echoes the earthy tones of the roof without exactly matching. In our case, as I mentioned, bronze frames on tan stucco with a red roof gave a warm, cohesive look. It doesn’t scream for attention; rather, it blends with the overall palette. Our window frames sort of “disappear” into the design, which lets other features (like our wooden front door and the iron accents) shine.
White frames, on the other hand, would give you a crisp contrast. They’ll outline each window strongly against the tan and tie in with your white trim. This can look very clean and is somewhat traditional Florida (lots of Spanish revival homes in older neighborhoods here used white frames against stucco and red roofs too, so it’s not unheard of).
A few considerations:
Existing trim and features: If all your trim is white and you have white gutters, etc., then white frames will blend with those, and bronze/black would introduce a new element. Not bad, just something to consider. If you go bronze frames, you might consider painting the window surround trim to match or a complementary color so it all gels (we ended up painting our exterior trim around the windows the same bronze color for a seamless look).
Dirt and maintenance: White frames can show mildew/dirt in our humid climate more than dark frames. It’s true. Bronze or black might hide the occasional dirt or water drip stain better. We get those rains that leave a little residue – on white, you’ll notice it sooner. Not a huge deal, just means cleaning more often if you care about that.
Heat: The frame color's effect on interior heat is minor if the window is well insulated. Dark frames will get hotter to the touch in direct sun though. Our bronze frames do get warm on a summer afternoon but I don’t feel any extra heat radiating into the room from them versus what the glass is doing. Modern frames (vinyl, aluminum with thermal breaks, etc.) are designed to handle it. Perhaps if you had old metal frames, dark vs light would matter more.
Aesthetic/style: Bronze or black frames will give a more modern or upscale twist to the Mediterranean look. White frames will give a more traditional, classic Mediterranean feel. I notice that many newer high-end Mediterranean style homes around here actually use dark bronze/black frames to look more updated, whereas the 90s-era ones often have white. Both can be beautiful.
Maybe try this: get some sample colors or even just paint some boards white and dark brown and hold them next to your window/trim/roof to visualize. That helped me. I literally painted a strip of wood bronze and propped it in the window to see from the street how a dark frame might look.
In my personal opinion (since you asked for opinions!), I’d lean bronze for your house. It will tie in with that red roof elegantly. White will definitely pop, but it will be a higher contrast look. If your tan is light enough and you have a lot of white trim already, white frames could just reinforce that trim, which is fine but maybe less distinctive.
No wrong answer here – it might come down to whether you want the windows to be an eye-catching feature (then white for contrast) or a blended design element (then bronze).
One more thought: If you have any grids or decorative mullions, dark frames with grids might make the grids less visible from afar, whereas white frames with white grids you’d see the pattern more. For example, a prairie grid in white really shows up; in bronze, it’s subtle. So factor in if you want the grid design to stand out or not.
Hope that helps! Can’t wait to hear what you choose.
@soniccoder I’m in the camp of white frames are timeless. My home in Pasco has white windows on a pastel yellow exterior with a gray roof. Granted, different scheme than yours, but I just love the clean look. White frames can also make windows look larger (since they blend with light trim or curtains inside).
For your tan and red roof combo, white would give that classic Florida/Spanish colonial contrast – think of the historic Don CeSar Hotel on St. Pete Beach (pink walls, white trim) or many Mediterranean-style homes: they often have white or light window trim. It’s a very fresh look, especially in our bright sun.
Bronze will certainly blend in more and can be elegant, but I worry it might make the exterior a bit too monotone (tan walls, brown frames, red-brown roof – all warm tones). White would add a “pop” of brightness that could make the architecture sing.
Also, if you ever repaint your house a different color in the future, white windows are pretty versatile and will go with anything. Bronze you’d have to consider in your color scheme each time.
No issue with heat if you go white, obviously (though like others said, good windows are fine either way).
In short, I vote for white frames to highlight your windows and match your existing trim. It’ll look crisp and never go out of style. 😊
@soniccoder Just to present the other side – dark frames (bronze/black) all the way! They can seriously elevate the look. On a tan and red roof house, dark frames will add that modern touch that sets your home apart.
Think of all the newer luxury homes; many use dark frames because it outlines the windows nicely and gives that polished look. If you have any black or bronze accents (light fixtures, fence, etc.), it will tie in great.
One practical note: as @mark_chef said, dark frames hide grime better which is nice. I have black frames and I hardly ever notice dirt on them.
Honestly, imagine your tan house with those terracotta tiles – now picture some dark bronze window frames with perhaps some white stucco trim around them. Sounds beautiful to me, like a Tuscan villa style. White frames would be more “Florida traditional”, which is fine but maybe less unique.
It comes down to style preference, but since you said you like the modern bold look, I’d say go for the bronze/dark. You won’t regret that rich look it gives. And as others have noted, these dark colors are made to last in our sun if you get quality windows.
Good luck deciding – can’t wait to see what you pick!
Has anyone chosen between double-hung vs. slider windows for their replacement and have thoughts on that? Most Tampa homes I’ve seen have single-hung or slider windows (sliders especially in 60s-80s ranch homes and condos). I’m considering switching some of my windows from single-hung to horizontal sliders for a change, and because some of my window openings are wider than they are tall.
Any pros/cons to sliders vs double-hung in our climate?
Do sliders seal as well? (I wonder about wind-driven rain – can it push through the slider track easier than a double-hung’s seals?)
Cleaning: I know double-hungs can tilt in for cleaning. Sliders often allow you to lift out the operable pane to clean, which isn’t too bad.
Look: I feel like sliders give a more contemporary look (and maybe better for wide panoramic windows), whereas double-hungs give a classic look and nice symmetry with the sash split.
Maintenance: Fewer moving parts in sliders maybe, but tracks can collect dirt.
I have a two-story. Thinking upstairs maybe keep double/single-hung, downstairs maybe sliders for some large openings.
Curious if anyone made a switch one way or the other and what their experience has been.
@architecture902 I had a similar debate during our project. Our original windows were a mix of old sliders and single-hungs, and we ended up using both styles in our update. Here’s how we decided in our South Tampa home:
Sealing & efficiency: Modern sliders can seal just as well as double-hungs if you get a quality product. Both types on our house are double-pane with good weatherstripping, and we haven’t noticed any drafts. Impact sliders especially have robust locks and seals. I will say our casement (crank) windows seal the tightest (compression seal), but between slider vs double-hung, it’s a toss-up when new. We haven’t had any leaks even in driving rain with either.
Ventilation: Double-hungs allow you to open both the top and bottom sashes a bit, which can create a nice airflow (cool air in at the bottom, warm air out at the top). Sliders, you usually open one side at a time (unless it’s a double-slider where both sides can move). For wide windows, a slider actually gives you a larger opening than a double-hung of the same width. Example: we have a wide living room window; a double-hung would have two narrow sashes side by side, but we chose a 2-panel slider there so half the window width opens up for breeze. It’s great for those cool evenings – big opening to let air in.
Cleaning: Double-hung’s tilt-in feature is awesome for cleaning the exterior glass from inside upstairs. That was a selling point for us to use double-hungs in all the second-floor bedrooms. For sliders, you typically lift out the sliding panel to clean the outside glass. It’s not too hard (I’ve done it), but you do have to handle a big piece of glass. On ground floor it’s fine; upstairs it’s a bit more of a pain (or you clean from outside with a ladder). So we avoided sliders upstairs except in one hallway window where we have a balcony for access.
Look: This was a big factor. Our house front has a more traditional look, so we did double-hungs with grids in the front for charm. On the side and back, where we wanted a more contemporary/open look, we did sliders with no grids. Sliders tend to give a more horizontal emphasis which suited our mid-century-ish rear elevation. Double-hungs give that classic vertical window look. Neither looked out of place in our house once done, because we chose where to use each intentionally.
Maintenance: There’s a tiny difference: sliders have tracks that can collect dirt or sand (especially here in Florida with wind-blown sand or if you’re near the beach). You might need to vacuum the tracks occasionally to keep them sliding smoothly. Double-hungs have balances and springs, which eventually could wear, but good ones last a long time. Honestly, both types are pretty low maintenance nowadays. Just keep the moving parts clean and lubed (I give the slider track a little silicone spray occasionally).
Security: We found both to be secure. Our sliders have a hefty lock and even a secondary “stop” device that prevents them from being slid open from outside. Double-hungs have the traditional cam locks (we did two per window for larger ones). No issues there.
In our project, we ended up with mostly double-hungs upstairs (ease of cleaning, consistent look, and egress requirements) and a mix downstairs: a big slider in the living room and a couple of sliders in the sunroom for wide openings, then double-hungs in other rooms for aesthetics. It’s really about matching the window style to the shape of the opening and the room’s needs.
If your openings are wider than tall, a slider can be a great choice and look natural. For more square or vertical openings, double-hung (or single-hung) might look better proportioned. Some folks stick with all one style for uniformity, but we’ve proven you can successfully mix them.
Hope that helps! Both styles can work perfectly in Florida – it comes down to your personal preference and how you plan to use the windows. Good luck!
Quick practical tip for anyone doing window replacements in the Tampa Bay area – make sure to pull permits and get inspections. Our neighbor tried to DIY some window installs in unincorporated Pinellas and skipped permits... ended up with a hefty fine and had to have the work redone to meet code. 😬 Florida (and local counties) are strict on windows because of hurricanes.
If you use a reputable company like many mentioned here, they’ll handle the permits/inspections for you. Just don’t be tempted to cut corners. The inspector will ensure your windows have the right impact ratings or that you have shutters, and that they’re installed properly (secured, caulked, etc.). It’s for your safety. Plus, unpermitted work can be an issue when you sell the house.
So dot those i’s and cross those t’s – get it done by the book and you’ll have peace of mind.
Hello from the coast! I have a stilt home on Clearwater Beach (Pinellas), so I wanted to share some coastal-specific window advice:
Living literally on the Gulf, my top concerns were corrosion and wind. Salt air can be brutal on window materials. We opted for impact-resistant aluminum windows but made sure they had a high-quality powder-coat finish and stainless steel hardware (hinges, screws, operators). If you’re near saltwater, ask about this! Standard hardware can rust out fast near the ocean. Our window rep even suggested periodic rinsing of the exterior hardware with fresh water, which we do occasionally, to wash off salt deposits.
So far, so good – after a couple years, no corrosion and they still operate like new. The glass is impact-rated (a must here; code requires it in the velocity zone). We went through a close brush with a hurricane last year and had no issues. The windows didn’t even shudder.
Style-wise, for our coastal look, we chose white frames to match our white Hardie board siding – very “beach house” vibe. We also installed Bahama shutters (those cool louvered shutters that hinge at the top) on some front windows. They serve a triple purpose: style (hello tropical look 😎), shade (they cut some midday sun), and extra storm protection (they’re rated as functional shutters). With the combination of Bahama shutters and white window frames, our house looks like a quintessential Key West-style beach home. We get compliments from tourists walking by all the time.
One more coastal tip: if you have large sliding glass doors (we have one for our balcony), consider impact-resistant sliding doors or adding storm shutters to those too. We didn’t want to be boarding up our balcony door every time, so we invested in an impact-rated slider with multiple locking points. It has a subtle gray tint to the glass to help with the glare off the water.
Coastal homes really showcase how you can have stylish windows that are tough. We didn’t sacrifice the look at all – in fact, upgrading allowed us to add those nice Bahama shutters. The key is choosing the right materials (vinyl or powder-coated aluminum, stainless parts, etc.).
So for anyone on or near the water in Tampa Bay, keep durability in mind with all this style. Salt and wind are the enemies, but the right windows will stand up to them and keep your home looking and feeling great.
I’m in Wesley Chapel (Pasco) in a newish community, and one thing I noticed is our builder and HOA had a say in window colors. They gave us bronze frames by default to match an earth-tone design palette. At first, I thought I wanted white, but the bronze actually looks quite nice on our beige/brown house – very cohesive and upscale.
One consideration if you have an HOA or community guidelines: they might have preferences or rules on window style/color. In our case, all homes in the neighborhood had to have either white or bronze frames (no black, to keep a certain look). We chose bronze to go with our brown roof and tan paint as per the designer’s recommendation. It turned out lovely.
The only thing I wonder about is future flexibility – if a few years down the line I wanted to repaint the house a cooler color (say light gray or blue), the bronze windows might not match as well as white would have. White is more universally adaptable. But since the HOA here will likely keep everyone in the neutral color scheme, it’s fine.
Functionally, our bronze vinyl windows (they’re impact and Low-E) have been great. No heat issues, and the color hasn’t faded at all. It’s more of a matte brown look. We have grid options too, but we actually went grid-free for a more modern feel even though the house architecture is sort of Mediterranean-ish. The combo of bronze frames + no grids makes the windows look larger and more glassy, which I like.
So just a heads-up: if you’re in a neighborhood with design guidelines, check those. But even with constraints, you can still get a stylish outcome. Sometimes the developers have thought out a pleasing scheme. I ended up liking the bronze so much I’m glad we didn’t do white. It’s different from the typical, and visitors often remark on how nice our windows look without even knowing why.
@math109 Thanks for confirming the noise reduction aspect! That “quiet oasis” feeling is exactly what I’m hoping for. I will definitely invest in the laminated impact glass now – it’s convincing to hear real-world experiences like yours. I’m already dreaming of peaceful sleep without trucks jolting me awake 😴.
I might mix in a couple of casements in the bedrooms for that tight seal (plus easy crank open for breeze). The rest will be single or double-hung with impact glass. Feeling much more confident that this will address my noise issue as well as storms.
Appreciate it!
@science536 Thank you for the grid styles 101! That explanation was super clear. Now I can visualize it: colonial = lots of little panes, prairie = cool border pattern, craftsman = mostly top sash grids.
Given my mid-century ranch vibe, I’m leaning towards no grids or maybe a very minimal grid on just the front picture window as a decorative element (maybe a simple horizontal bar or something, not full prairie). You’re right that many mid-century homes had none, and I do like the clean look. Perhaps I just got tempted seeing grids on other houses, but I think I’ll stay true to my home’s style.
If I really want some detail, I might do a single prairie-style grid on the large front window, because it could add a touch of retro without being too colonial. I’ll mock it up and see.
Again, thanks for breaking it down – super helpful!