Why painting window frames is a favourite interior designer trick
When admiring the work of some of our favourite interior designers, you might start to notice a recurring theme: that seemingly smaller details are given as much thought and attention as the larger, more obvious elements. Among these finer details is the painted window frame, which is a relatively simple yet effective way to make a space feel considered and visually interesting.
The benefits of painting window frames are manifold: it can add a colourful accent or pleasing contrast without overwhelming the room; if you choose a gloss paint, it can help to bounce light around the room; and it can totally transform your outlook, be it a grey cityscape in need of some colour or a beautiful landscape that would be perfectly complemented by a shade from nature’s palette. What’s more, this small detail can also help to pull an entire scheme together, whether by picking up on a specific colour in a patterned fabric, a piece of artwork or any other decorative element, or by tying in with the colour of the walls. According to Venetia Rudebeck, one half of interior design studio Studio Vero, ‘painting window frames can transform the entire look of a room – they create a focal point and allow you to highlight architectural features’.
If it’s a more striking contrast you’re after, take a leaf out of interior designer Lonika Chande’s book, who opted for a bright red gloss on the window frames of the sitting room pictured below. ‘I like the way this gloss red stands out against the wall colour,’ she says. ‘There is a depth to a rich colour like this, it’s very grounded, but at the same time elevates the space, much like a smattering of lipstick boosts a more casual outfit!’
As well as being aesthetically pleasing, painting window frames can actually help to protect your woodwork, too. ‘Historic joinery has survived so well because it was painted with linseed oil paints,’ explains paint specialist Edward Bulmer. ‘This paint cross-links with the fibres of the wood and literally repels moisture through a process known as wicking. Nowadays water-based film forming paint can be used to a similar effect.’
To inspire you to transform your window frames with paint, we have gathered together some of our favourite examples, which range from subtle neutral schemes to eye-catching colour combinations.
Inspiration for painting window frames from the House & Garden archive
Rachel Whiting1/24The charming Kensington townhouse of doll’s house creator Lucy Clayton, decorated with help from Ben Pentreath, is filled with colour and character. In this tiny bedroom, a tented bed is lined with a blue textured linen and covered with a vintage Welsh blanket, emulating Lucy’s childhood doll’s house. These blues are contrasted by the bright red-painted window frame and ceiling trim, which highlights the clever tented effect.
Simon Brown2/24Painted window frames do not have to be brilliantly bold in order to make a difference. In designer Henry Jonsson-Robinson’s 19th-century cottage in Derbyshire, the white walls are subtly contrasted by window frames in a pale greenish grey, setting the tone for this beautifully restrained scheme.
Dean Hearne3/24Green was a particularly fitting choice for this utility room in a country house in Oxfordshire decorated by Victoria von Westenholz, which is often filled with cut flowers and looks out over the beautiful garden. Farrow & Ball’s ‘Calke Green’ has been used on the cabinetry and on the window frame.
Christopher Horwood4/24Tasked with bringing this historic Cotswold house back to life, Turner Pocock have used colour in a wonderfully creative yet considered way. The stone mullion windows throughout the house have been left untouched, while this wooden-framed window in the pantry has been brightened with Farrow & Ball’s archive colour ‘Yellowcake’, which is also used on the archway. It is especially striking here in combination with the blue Spanish tiles and the under-counter curtain in ‘Textile Mirakel’ in red from Svenskt Tenn.
Lindsay Brown5/24Interior designer Avery Cox has given this 100-year-old house in Atlanta a much more youthful feel by injecting the rooms with colour and pattern. In the open-plan kitchen and dining room, the woodwork is painted in a strong blue that pairs perfectly with the geometric patterned wallpaper for a fresh yet timeless look.
Christopher Horwood6/24The recently overhauled kitchen of Cindy Leveson’s south London flat has window and door frames painted in the same indigo blue as the cabinetry – ‘Woad’ by Little Greene. This works perfectly with the new Antoinette Poisson wallpaper. ‘It gave the whole room a complete facelift,’ says Cindy, who ingeniously painted a layer of decorator’s varnish over the top of it, making it wipeable.
Tom Griffiths7/24Gabby Deeming, a former House & Garden style director and founder of clothing brand Daydress, has painted the window of her study at home in Devon in ‘Pea Green’ by Little Greene, which echoes the verdant views through the window. It also brightens the walls in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Matchstick’ and tones with the other green accents through the room, including the chair, shelving unit and rug.
Christopher Horwood8/24Production designer Anna Rhodes worked with OEB Architects to help transform the back of her 18th-century workers’ cottage in Greenwich. They added double dutch stable doors and a huge working sash window painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Truron’.
Chris Horwood9/24In the main bedroom of Anna Rhodes’ house, blinds in Soane’s ‘Seaweed Lace’ frame the windows, which are painted in ‘French Gray’ to provide a subtle contrast with walls in ‘Drop Cloth’, both by Farrow & Ball.
Paul Massey10/24In one of Nicola Harding’s projects in Bath, Farrow & Ball’s ‘Stone Blue’ was used on the ceiling of this basement room and carried down to create a false cornice above the walls in ‘Tanner’s Brown’, also by Farrow & Ball. The windows are in the same blue as the ceiling, providing a contrast with the red ‘Basset Sofa’ from Howe and the pale green antique Swedish rug.
Sarah Griggs11/24For the owners of this small terraced house in Chelsea, a couple with a young child, it was a priority to live in a house that lent itself to family life as much as to entertaining. With the help of Tiffany Duggan, they have created a space that delights as well as functioning seamlessly. The walls of the sitting room are painted in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Apple Smiles II’, and the woodwork is in Little Greene’s ‘Aquamarine Mid’.
Owen Gale12/24When choosing the colours for the living room of her four-bedroom Victorian house, Sandra Barrio von Hurter was keen to create a grown-up space. She landed on ‘Lichen’ by Farrow & Ball on the walls, with ‘Hunter Dunn’ in a gloss finish from Paint & Paper Library for the woodwork. The pink and orange tones in the fabrics chosen for the upholstery of the furniture and the rug provide the perfect contrast.
Simon Brown13/24With its ‘Poppy Sprig’ paper by GP & J Baker and blue bespoke paint colour ‘25-18D’ from Papers & Paints, this guest bedroom of the same Studio Vero house pictured previously was designed to be suitable for children later on. The headboard by Trove by Studio Duggan is covered in ‘Hector’ fabric from Vanderhurd.
Christopher Horwood14/24Despite its compact space, this south London flat on a pioneering 19th-century estate is both pretty and practical thanks to the imaginative decoration of Carlos Garcia. A chimneypiece in Fenwick & Tilbrook’s ‘Caspian’ matches the window frames painted in the same colour. A Pooky lamp complements Carlos’s ‘Hibiscus’ saffron wallpaper and fabric in the main bedroom.
Mark Anthony Fox15/24The bespoke four-poster bed in this former vicarage decorated by Anna Haines is by Titchmarsh & Goodwin. Woodwork in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Lichen’ frames a custom version of Tess Newall’s ‘Herbarium’ wallpaper.
Chris Snook16/24The same wallpaper, ‘Herbarium’ by Tess Newall, this time in soft pink lines the walls of this bedroom in a 16th-century cottage in West Sussex decorated by Holly Vaughan. Here, it is complemented by woodwork in a lovely raspberry pink, which brings added warmth and colour to the space without taking away from any of its period charm.
- west London house</a> is a dramatic space with glossy turquoise panelling and a riot of patterns on the bed. ‘The drawings that line it are by Edward Le Bas, my husband’s great uncle, who was part of the Bloomsbury crew. They are his costume designs for a production of <em>The Duchess of Malfi</em>, given to me by my mother-in-law.’","contentType":"photo","credit":"Tom Griffiths","segmentedSources":{"sm":[{"height":213,"width":320,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/62e28a81335f8686d969dabf/master/w_320,c_limit/HG_MelindaStevens0034-CREDIT-tomgphoto.jpg"},{"height":427,"width":640,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/62e28a81335f8686d969dabf/master/w_640,c_limit/HG_MelindaStevens0034-CREDIT-tomgphoto.jpg"}],"md":[{"height":427,"width":640,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/62e28a81335f8686d969dabf/master/w_640,c_limit/HG_MelindaStevens0034-CREDIT-tomgphoto.jpg"},{"height":854,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/62e28a81335f8686d969dabf/master/w_1280,c_limit/HG_MelindaStevens0034-CREDIT-tomgphoto.jpg"}],"lg":[{"height":683,"width":1024,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/62e28a81335f8686d969dabf/master/w_1024,c_limit/HG_MelindaStevens0034-CREDIT-tomgphoto.jpg"},{"height":1366,"width":2048,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/62e28a81335f8686d969dabf/master/w_2048,c_limit/HG_MelindaStevens0034-CREDIT-tomgphoto.jpg"}],"xl":[{"height":854,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/62e28a81335f8686d969dabf/master/w_1280,c_limit/HG_MelindaStevens0034-CREDIT-tomgphoto.jpg"}],"xxl":[{"height":854,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/62e28a81335f8686d969dabf/master/w_1280,c_limit/HG_MelindaStevens0034-CREDIT-tomgphoto.jpg"}]}}}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
Tom Griffiths17/24Melinda Stevens’ bedroom in her west London house is a dramatic space with glossy turquoise panelling and a riot of patterns on the bed. ‘The drawings that line it are by Edward Le Bas, my husband’s great uncle, who was part of the Bloomsbury crew. They are his costume designs for a production of The Duchess of Malfi, given to me by my mother-in-law.’
Lucas Allen18/24Formerly a therapist’s office, this reading nook on the first floor of Joanne Burgess’ house in Henley feels cosy and warm. The walls are painted in ‘Ball Green’, with woodwork in a glossy ‘Bancha’, both by Farrow & Ball. An archive Josef Frank fabric has been used to upholster the cushions on the armchair. Joanne bought it 20 years ago and the cushions have since ‘lived in three different chairs and in five homes’.
Lucas Allen19/24In the same house, Joanne Burgess’ son’s room is a striking bright blue: Farrow & Ball's ‘Stone Blue’. The window frame, meanwhile, is painted in a ‘India Yellow’, also from Farrow & Ball.
Mark Roper20/24An unmodernised house in Sussex, dating back in parts to the 15th century, has been given a fresh, vibrant look by interior designer Phoebe Hollond, with playful elements creating a distinctive yet comfortable family home. In the children’s bathroom, the blind in a Pierre Frey check and woodwork in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Yellow Ground’ create a sunny feel.
Paul Massey21/24The entrance to the loo of this Sussex rectory designed by Emma Milne Watson is clad in brass. It makes for a glamorous and contemporary feature. The bright yellow woodwork surrounding the window feels like a bright fun addition, and picks up on the gold of the door.
Dean Hearne22/24A similar effect has been created by Bodil Bjerkvik Blain in the bathroom of this Victorian farmhouse, where a copper bathtub and yellow-painted window frame bring vibrancy and warmth to the scheme, and bounce light around the room.
Owen Gale23/24Interior designer Angelica Squire’s Victorian terraced house in London is a youthful, exuberant space that combines smart artworks and fabrics with clever vintage finds and joyful colours. The walls in the kitchen are painted in ‘Setting Plaster’ and the cabinets are in ‘Preference Red’, both by Farrow & Ball. The blinds are in Guy Goodfellow’s ‘Pomegranate Print’ fabric, while café curtains on the bottom half of the windows allow for privacy while still letting in the light.
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James McDonald24/24This extraordinary nine-storey townhouse in Notting Hill is the work of designer Bryan O'Sullivan and his studio, who saw it as a place to experiment with colour and work with a host of artisan makers. The experimentation is most notable in this room, which Bryan transformed into a library with the help of blue high gloss lacquer walls and an orange ceiling. These were lacquered by the specialist painter Matthew Bray and make this room a wonderfully enveloping space.
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