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Looking for ways to show your Colonial-style New Jersey home some love? Updating or replacing your colonial style windows is just one way to brighten up your home’s look—and to make it more authentic. These style tips and tidbits on different types of Colonial homes will make it easy to update your windows (and more).
New Jersey and New York boasts many Colonial-style homes, but as you’ve probably noticed, design features differ dramatically between the different Colonial styles. Below are three popular styles in New Jersey influenced by early settlers bringing design features from their homelands.
French Colonial homes feature eyebrow dormers (that slight arched shape above windows), “hipped” roofs, and symmetrical, tall, narrow windows with shutters on either side. To update the curb appeal of a French colonial home, double-hung windows are a style-appropriate choice.
You can paint the grilles on your classic double-hung windows any color that will complement your home’s style—usually a light neutral color like cream or ivory. Renewal by Andersen of New Jersey’s double-hung windows come with a tilt-out feature that makes them easy to clean as well, so they’re beautiful and functional.
Give those shutters a fresh coat of paint to further update the look. French patio doors on the main level add a classic touch and as an added bonus, they’ll add both light and an aura of breezy class to a side or back room.
This is one of the most popular styles of colonial homes in America—even here in New Jersey. Georgian-style homes are characterized by a large central dormer flanked by gables. Windows are almost always multi-pane (or with added grilles). Bay windows on the main floor add sophistication while giving the eye a balanced focal point rather than just surrounding the front door.
Replacing your bay window can make a big difference in your home’s style and in your electric bills, especially during our sultry summer months and frigid winter months. Transoms add an era-appropriate architectural detail that’ll transform your Georgian home from basic to beautiful.
Dutch colonial homes are among the coziest, and they’re making a comeback. Traditional Dutch colonial homes feature a gambrel roof (similar in shape to a barn roof), a double Dutch door at the main entryway, and, like most colonial homes, they value symmetry and balance in design.
Dormers or regular windows at each end of the second floor and a dormer or picture window centered on the top of the first floor characterize the style. Flared eaves often set off those windows as essential design elements of the Dutch colonial home. Double-hung windows are a practical and attractive choice for these homes, as are strategically-placed picture windows.
Colonial-style homes are as varied as the designers who draft and build them, but all share a few common traits that you can take advantage of when remodeling or decorating your home.
All colonial homes prize symmetry, even if they’re not architecturally symmetrical. Look for ways to balance out your landscaping and design choices to capitalize on the classic style of your colonial home.
Outward-swinging shutters, wood-shingled roofs, and grilled windows set wannabe colonial homes apart from those that really capture the spirit of the colonial era. Pedimented* windows and even something as simple as lantern-style sconces flanking your front door add to the colonial charm.
*Pedimented windows are low gables; often triangular. They have molded or decorative horizontal cornices and/or sloping cornices that mimic the roofline. Originally, sloped cornices – also called raking cornices – served to guide rainwater away from the home. Today, they are more often valued for their unique decorative qualities than functional features.
Steer clear of a sterile, green expanse of lawn and embrace a variety of vegetation. There’s nothing like a flower-bordered brick sidewalk leading up to your entryway to add real life and sophistication to you home. Adding old-world colonial style lighting to your garden will add a bit of detail during the day and highlight the best features of your home after dark.
While Renewal by Andersen of New Jersey replacement windows are manufactured with cutting edge technology and design features to meet the high-performance demands of 21s century homeowners, we also value our classic heritage. With diverse hardware and style options we’re able to help you create a look and feel that is authentic and functional.
Need more tips on updating your home with energy-efficient windows and doors? Our design consultants are just a phone call away. Dial 866-609-5033 or fill in the form on this page for more details about designing replacement windows for your colonial style New Jersey home.
Check out these posts for more information on replacement windows for different home architectural styles:
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