Different styles of windows: How to choose the best windows for your home
The right windows can shape the way your home looks, feels, and functions inside and out. We’ll help you explore the different styles and explain how to decide between them when picking out windows for your new home or remodel.
Good windows are easy to take for granted. They can bring in feel-good natural light, let you enjoy the beauty in your own backyard, and complement your home’s architecture. They also can provide the right level of functionality by being energy efficient, easy to clean, and practical to open.
However, when you get to the moment in your project where you’re actually picking out windows, it can feel pretty overwhelming to find ones that tick all the boxes. We’re here to explain the most popular window styles, how each works, and how to choose the one(s) that best meet your needs!
Understanding the six most popular window styles
The most popular window styles (or "types", as we call them) are double-hung and casement windows, but you’ll also see single-hung, picture, gliding, and awning windows commonly featured in many homes. At a glance, learn what you need to know about these popular styles.
| Window style | Pros | Cons | Rooms where it works best | Popular products to consider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 A double-hung window includes two vertically stacked sashes (the glass and framing around it) that slide to open. |
A double-hung window has a timeless look that suits any home.
The tilt-wash feature makes it easy to clean, exterior too, from inside your home. |
With more parts and pieces, a double-hung window can be more complex to maintain over time compared to a single-sash casement window. | A double-hung window can give peace of mind when featured in a first-floor room or a child’s bedroom because of its ability to open from the top. Its ability to tilt in for washing makes it a great choice on a second floor as well. In short, a double-hung window works great in any room. |
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 A casement window is a single-sash window that cranks open. |
A casement window has a sleek, modern look. It’s also the most energy-efficient operable window. Its crank makes it very functional. It’s also easy to clean, exterior too, from inside your home. | With its outward opening, a casement can take space away from patios, decks, and walkways compared to a double-hung, single-hung, or gliding window. Those windows all have sashes that remain flush to the window. | The crank-operated casement window is a practical choice over a kitchen sink, higher on a wall, and anywhere else you’d have to reach to open the window. |
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 A single-hung window includes two vertically stacked sashes, but only the bottom one opens. |
A single-hung window looks identical to a double-hung window, so it has a classic look that’ll suit many architectural styles. The fixed top sash makes this window more energy efficient than a double-hung window and less expensive. | With its fixed top sash, it won’t allow for as much fresh air as a double-hung window. | Anywhere your window will be too high or too tall to reach the top sash, a single-hung window is a practical choice. |
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 A picture window is a window that doesn’t open. |
A picture window can be very large because it doesn’t open. This also makes it the most energy efficient type of window. | Due to its inoperability, it won’t let fresh air into your home. | Anywhere you want to make a statement, an oversized picture window is a great choice. |
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 A gliding (commonly called sliding) window includes two or three horizontally oriented sashes that slide from side to side to open. |
A gliding window has a sleek look and offers great functionality. It can be an economical alternative to a combination unit (more than one window joined together) anywhere you want to fill a wide space and bring in fresh air. | It’s important to plan for how you’ll use this window because various configurations are available. It can open from the right, left, or from both sides — but you can’t change how it opens after ordering, so planning is key. | A gliding window can make a particularly nice signature in the front of the house — think living room or dining room. But really, it’s a room-agnostic window. |
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 An awning window is crank operated and has a single sash that’s horizontally oriented.
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An awning window has a sleek, modern look and great functionality due to its crank. | Like a casement, an awning window opens outward, so it can obstruct outdoor living space and paths. | An awning window makes a great choice when you want an opening (operable) window high on the wall. It can be automated to open with the touch of a button. It’s also a good choice for a transom window (window above another window or a door). |
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Want a comprehensive list of all the window styles we offer, their pros and cons, and more need-to-know details? Check out how to pick out windows for a new construction home.
How to pick window styles to match your home’s design and your lifestyle
Now that you have the basics on the most popular styles, how do you pick the right style for your home? There are a few different ways to think through this decision, including focusing on matching your home’s architecture, focusing on how windows could improve the functionality of each room, and thinking through how your lifestyle could be enabled by the right windows. Ideally, all these factors will be weighed. Let’s walk through how to do that.
How to pick out windows to complement your home’s architecture
If your home has a distinct architectural style, this might be easy. Either your architect will be specifying windows to complement its style if you’re building new or remodeling. If you’re simply replacing windows and not working with a designer, you can find lots of resources on picking out windows to match your home style, including here in our Home Styles Library.
However, there are many homes that aren’t authentic interpretations of a distinct style. If that’s your home, you actually have quite a lot of freedom to pick the windows that appeal to you. Start wrapping your head around home style by thinking of it in the broadest terms of traditional, transitional, and modern. Once you understand what traits are usually associated with these categories, you can tailor selections to your tastes.
Traditional homes generally align with more historic recognized architectural styles like a Colonial, Cape Cod, Craftsman Bungalow, etc.
Popular window choices for a traditional home might include:
- Window style: Double-hung or single-hung windows are simply classic.
- Color/Stain: A wood interior is especially beautiful in a traditional home. The particular paint color or stain will likely align with the particular home style.
- Grilles: Add a touch of tradition to windows especially with patterns like colonial and diamond.
- Hardware: Generally, prominent hardware with curves and ridges in a standout finish.
Transitional homes pair characteristics of traditional architecture with more contemporary elements — think Modern Tudor.
Popular window choices for a transitional home are flexible. It’s more about balancing traditional and modern window characteristics in a way that suits your sensibilities. Here’s a quick primer:
- Window style: All six of the most popular window styles could work well. Large sizing will help any of these styles lean more contemporary.
- Color/stain: A more contemporary choice could be black frames or white oak frames.
- Grilles: Skip them or add a simple 2-over-2 pattern on a double-hung or single-hung window.
- Hardware: This detail could be a place to lean into contrast — go with more traditional hardware on a more modern window or vice versa.
Modern homes align with various styles from International Modern to Ranch. They’re united by certain characteristics like clean lines and lots of glass.
Popular window choices for a modern home might include:
- Window style: Picture windows (especially in floor-to-ceiling format), casement windows, and gliding windows are all solid choices.
- Color/stain: A dark color that frames the view and doesn’t draw attention to itself works well — think black or dark bronze.
- Grilles: Often they’re not used or are more subtle, like equal divided light in a 1-over-4 pattern.
- Hardware: It should blend in with the windows, so hardware that’s the same color as the frames and lacks ornamentation
How to pick out windows for each room in your home
From cleaning to opening, the right window in the right place will make life easier. It might sound overwhelming to dive into this level of detail but don’t worry. We have quick answers to the question of which window works best in every room. And if you want to get into the detailed considerations associated with picking out windows for a kitchen, bathroom, and other rooms, we’ll walk you through how to pick out windows for every room.
| Room | Window style | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Casement window | A casement window opens with a crank, which is simply easier to open when you’re reaching over a sink or countertop as will likely be the case in your kitchen. |
| Bathroom | Awning window | An awning window lets in light and fresh air while preserving privacy because its horizontal shape limits how much of the room is on view. |
| Basement | Awning window, gliding window, or casement window | An awning window’s horizontal shape will help it fit where there isn’t a lot of above-ground space. Gliding and casement windows work well because their size can meet egress code requirements, i.e., allow for emergency escape. |
| Bedroom | Double-hung window | A double-hung window will offer the greatest advantages in second-floor bedrooms. This is because you can open the top sash, which is a nice ventilation option for a child’s bedroom. You can also clean a double-hung window (exterior side, too) from inside your house — no need to break out the ladder on cleaning day. |
| Living room and dining room | Picture window | These rooms where your family and guests will gather are the right place for big, showy windows that flood your space with feel-good natural light and make the most of your views. |
| Home office | Any style window | While any style window will bring in natural light, which has been shown to boost productivity, there are certain selections that can make an office window more functional — like the right glass coating for example. |
| Sunroom | Joined casement windows | These rooms are meant to blur the line between indoors and outdoors. Joined casement windows maximize natural light because they can be installed without wall framing in between for more glass overall. Additionally, a casement’s top-to-bottom opening helps maximize fresh air. |
What’s the best window style?
In short, any of the popular window styles we’ve introduced to you here might be the best one for you. It’ll all depend on your home, design goals, performance needs, and lifestyle. Most likely your home will feature a few different window styles to meet your needs in different spaces.
As you work through your window decision-making, remember to lean on your pros for help. Both architects and builders have experience specifying and installing windows on every single project, so they have invaluable expertise when it comes to selecting windows that balance all your priorities while also fitting your budget.
If you’re still doing your research, check out our Window Selection Guide for a comprehensive look at picking out windows.
Your most common window questions answered
What window style is the most energy-efficient?
A picture window is the most energy efficient window because it doesn’t open. If you’re looking for an energy-efficient window that opens, casement and awning windows are both top performers due to their single-sash designs and seals.
Which window styles are easiest to clean?
The easiest windows to clean are our double-hung windows and casement windows. Both these styles (we call them "types") of windows allow you to clean their exteriors from inside your home. Our double-hung windows tilt in for easy cleaning. Our casement windows can be cranked open in a way that allows enough space between sash and frame for you to reach the window’s exterior side. Windows that are easy to clean are a particularly good choice on upper floors because you don’t have to get up on a ladder to clean.
How do sliding windows work?
Sliding windows, we call them gliding windows, open by sliding along a track. It’s the same concept as a sliding glass patio door. Our gliding windows are available in various configurations, which means they can open from the left, right, or from both sides. For this reason, you want to think about how you’ll access the window before you decide on the ideal configuration for your space.
One place where a sliding window works particularly well is next to a walkway or an outdoor living area with limited space, like a porch, balcony, or deck. In places like these, an outward opening window, like a casement or awning, would impede movement and take away from living space, so a flush-opening sliding window is ideal.
How do awning windows work?
An awning window cranks to open just like a casement window. Its single sash is hinged at the top, so it opens from the bottom and projects outward.
Are picture windows a good idea?
A window that doesn’t open might seem like an odd proposition at first, but it can bring some major advantages. The first is a picture window can be much larger than other windows because it doesn’t need to operate. This is why picture windows are used to create floor-to-ceiling openings. Their simpler design can make them less expensive than a similar window that does open. Finally, a picture window can be a good idea anywhere your window will be out of reach — think high on a wall, on a stairwell, or in combination with other windows that do open. Sometimes the window that doesn’t open is actually the best idea.
What style of windows are in?
Windows transcend the trends. We say that because really most window designs have been around for a very long time, and they continue to exist because they work — well. Double-hung windows might be the most timeless of all. Though you could argue that casements are equally so.
However, if you’re interested in knowing what’s new in the world of windows, there’s a style you might not be aware of, and that’s the pass-through window. A pass-through window is ideally located in between a kitchen and an outdoor living space. Its role is to facilitate entertaining by making it easy to prepare drinks and food while staying connected with everyone outside. Get all the details about the dreamy pass-through window.
Are black frame windows a passing fad?
No, dark framed windows have been around for a long time. Just look at Tudor homes, where dark windows were often used to match the characteristic timber framing. That said, it’s undeniable that black windows have become more popular in recent years. People love their bold look and ability to frame a view. For these reasons, we don’t see them as a passing fad but rather as a “new standard” as one designer so aptly described them. Want to explore more about black windows?