Window Color Popularity: What’s Trending in Replacement Windows?

White window frames have long been the default in American homes, and white is still a popular, classic choice. But dark frames, especially black, have become one of the most talked-about trends in replacement windows. Let’s look at what the most recent 2025-26 survey data says about window and trim colors and how to pick a color that suits a Cleveland or Akron home.

Note: All figures come from surveys of industry professionals and renovating homeowners, and we explain what each one measures.

What the Data Shows About Window Frame Color

One of the most detailed recent looks at window color comes from Fixr’s 2026 Windows and Doors Report, which surveyed window and door industry experts in December 2025 about what their customers are asking for. Experts could pick more than one color, so the percentages add up to more than 100%.

The same survey found that 50% of experts see dark frames and trims as a leading window trend, and 17% point to dual-color frames, such as a dark exterior with a light interior.

The trend has held steady. In Fixr’s 2025 report, 72% of experts named black and 56% named white, nearly the same as this year.

What this data does and doesn’t tell you. These are the opinions of a panel of industry professionals about what’s popular with their customers, not a count of windows sold. Nearly half of the respondents work across national or multi-region markets, and among those focused on a single region, the Northeast was the most represented. It’s a useful read on direction, but it doesn’t mean 71% of all new windows are black.

Homeowners Are Choosing Black Trim, Too

A second source points the same way, this time from homeowners themselves. The 2026 Houzz Outdoor Trends Study surveyed 1,191 U.S. Houzz users who had recently completed, were working on, or were planning an exterior project.

• Black is now the most popular exterior trim color, chosen by 39% of homeowners. That’s up 17 percentage points since 2024, and it pushed white (19%) out of the top spot.
• 69% of homeowners are pairing contrasting wall and trim colors, which Houzz notes can highlight details like window frames and porch columns.
• Wall colors are warming up. Beige is now the most popular exterior wall color at 24%, more than double its 10% share in 2024. White walls fell to 14% and gray to 12%.

Trim isn’t the same as window frames, but the two are closely linked on a home’s exterior. Taken together, the Fixr and Houzz data point in the same direction: dark accents, including trim and window frames, set against lighter walls.

What to Know Before Choosing a Dark Frame

Dark frames look great, but they come with a few practical considerations—especially on vinyl windows:

• Dark colors absorb more heat. Vinyl softens as it heats up, and a dark surface in direct sun gets much hotter than a white one. Window manufacturer Ply Gem notes that black and other dark colors absorb heat that can cause warping in vinyl windows. Manufacturers address this with finishes designed for dark colors, such as heat-reflective pigments and protective layers over a lighter-colored base.
• Ask how the color is applied and tested. A color that’s built into the window at the factory, with a finish designed for dark colors, is different from paint added later. One standard to ask about is ASTM D4803, the test method for predicting heat buildup in PVC building products.
• Don’t paint vinyl windows a dark color yourself. A finish not designed for the heat load can lead to the same warping problems, and painting may affect your warranty. Check with the manufacturer first.
• Consider a two-tone window. Many windows can be ordered with a dark exterior and a white or woodgrain interior. That gives you the curb appeal outside without committing every room to dark frames. Fixr’s 2026 survey found 17% of experts naming dual-color frames as a leading trend.
• Think about the whole exterior. Window color works best when it’s chosen with your siding, trim, brick, or stone, not on its own. If you’re also replacing siding, it’s worth choosing both at the same time. Our siding guide covers the siding side of that decision.

Choosing a Color That Suits Your Home

Trend data is a starting point, not a rule. The right frame color is the one that works with your home’s exterior materials and style.

A few other tips:

• Match or contrast the trim on purpose. Matching your window color to the trim gives a quiet, unified look. Contrasting them, which 69% of homeowners in the Houzz study are doing, makes the windows stand out.
• Look at samples outside, in daylight. Colors can read very differently on a sample chip indoors than on a whole house in natural light.
• Check before changing colors on a historic home. In Cleveland’s locally designated historic districts, window replacements go through Landmarks Commission review, and changes to a window’s appearance on a main facade may need full design review.

Empire’s Window Color Options

Empire offers separate interior and exterior color choices, so you can pair a bold exterior with a classic interior.

• Exterior colors include White, Beige, Desert Clay, Castle Gray, Hudson Khaki, American Terra, English Red, Forest Green, and Architectural Bronze. Black is listed as an exterior option for Empire’s casement windows. Ask about availability for other window styles.
• Interior colors include White and Beige, plus woodgrain finishes: White Woodgrain, Soft Maple, Rich Maple, Light Oak, Dark Oak, Foxwood, and Cherry.

Empire’s exterior colors use a polyurethane coating with heat-reflective pigments, designed for darker colors as well as light ones. The finishes are UV-resistant for color retention and meet or exceed these industry standards:

• AAMA 613 and AAMA 615, performance standards for organic coatings
• ASTM D4803, the standard test method for predicting heat buildup in PVC profiles

See all the options on our window color options page, or see them in person during a free in-home consultation, where Empire’s representatives bring window samples to your home.