A window style is the way a window is built to open and how its glass is divided, such as double-hung, casement, sliding, awning or picture. To choose one, start with the front of your house, then match each room’s job. Last, check the bedroom escape rule and your neighborhood’s approval process.
The short answer
- Start with the front of the house and choose a window style that repeats what it already does.
- A room’s job decides how the window should open, such as crank, push or slide.
- A bedroom needs an escape opening, so a fixed window alone will not meet the rule.
- Grilles and frame color shape the look of a house more than the type of glass does.
- Skip a trend unless you would still like the choice in ten years.
Window style gets chosen at the showroom and lived with for years. The street-facing side of the house is where a wrong choice shows most, and the bedrooms are where a wrong choice can be a safety problem. Work through the house first, then the rooms, and the catalog gets much shorter.
How do you choose a window style that fits your house?
Look at the front of the house and copy what it already does. Notice whether the windows are tall or wide, whether the glass is divided into small panes or left clear, and how big each window is compared to the wall. The best new window looks like it was always there.
| House type | Styles that tend to fit | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional brick, colonial | Double-hung, often with grilles that divide the glass | Grille patterns that do not match across the front |
| Single-story ranch | Sliding or casement, wider than tall | Tall narrow windows that fight the low roofline |
| Craftsman or Prairie | Double-hung or casement with a distinct grille pattern | Plain clear glass that loses the character |
| Modern or contemporary | Large picture windows with casements beside them | Thick frames that break up big glass |
| Stone or Mediterranean look | Casements or arched tops, deeper frames | Flat standard shapes that skip the arches |
| Farmhouse | Tall double-hung or casement, clear or simple grids | Fussy grille patterns that look dated |
These are starting points, not rules. If you are unsure, take a photo of each side of the house and sketch what each style would look like in place.
How does each room change the answer?
The room’s job decides how the window opens. A window you reach over a sink or a desk should open with a crank or a push. A window above a bed or over a tub should be easy to lock and hard to knock open. In a hard-to-reach spot, pick something you can operate from the floor.
- Double-hung: both sashes move, so you can vent at the top and the bottom. Easy to screen, familiar to use.
- Casement: cranks out and seals tight when it shuts. Opens nearly the full opening, but needs space outside to swing.
- Sliding: glides sideways with no swing at all, which suits a window above a patio table or a walkway.
- Awning: hinged at the top, so it sheds rain while open. Good high on a wall or in a bath.
- Picture: fixed glass for a view. It does not open, so pair it with a window that does.
Can you change styles inside the same opening?
Often you can, and the opening itself does not have to change. A double-hung can be swapped for a casement or a sliding window of the same overall size. The look changes, though, because the sash lines move, and a casement needs clear space outside to swing past a deck rail, a shrub or a walkway.
Before you switch, stand outside the window and check what the swing would hit. Then check the inside: blinds, a sink faucet or a desk can block a crank. If either is a problem, keep the style you have and upgrade the glass and frame.
What is the bedroom escape window rule?
Building codes expect sleeping rooms to have an opening that someone can climb out of in an emergency. That is why a fixed picture window alone will not do in a bedroom, and why the size and the sill height of a casement or double-hung matters. The 2021 model code, the International Residential Code, sets out these rules, and your city adopts its own version.
Ask your installer to confirm that each bedroom window meets the escape requirement for your city before you order. It is a quick check on paper and a hard one to fix after the glass is made.
How do grilles and frame color change the look?
Grilles are the bars that divide the glass into smaller panes, and they set the character of a house. Colonial and Craftsman fronts usually lean on them. Modern fronts usually go without. Frame color matters just as much: a black frame reads as crisp on a modern or farmhouse look and heavy on some brick fronts.
Among the Andersen lines we install, the A-Series has the wider range of grille patterns and exterior colors. See our A-Series page for details. Our post on matching new doors and windows to your home’s style shows how the pieces tie together.
Should you follow window trends?
Only the ones you will still like when the next trend arrives. Black frames, big glass and smart shades each suit some houses and look out of place on others. A good test: picture the house in ten years with the choice in place. If it still looks right, it is a good choice.
If you want to see what is moving, our post on window replacement trends for 2026 covers it. Skip a trend that needs a feature you will never switch on.
Do you need approval before changing a window style?
It depends on your city and on how much changes. Swapping a window for the same size in the same opening is not the same as enlarging an opening or adding a new one. Check with your city. For example, Arlington posts its permit information online, and Southlake lots often have an HOA review as well.
American Eagle Builders is a family-owned company in Arlington. We prepare your openings and your questions before the visit, so ask about it when you book a free estimate.
Questions we get asked about this
The double-hung is the most familiar style on traditional brick fronts, and sliding and casement windows are common on ranches and newer houses. The right one depends on your home’s lines and on how each room uses the window.
Casements open nearly the full opening and seal tight when closed, but they need clear space outside to swing. Double-hungs vent from the top and bottom and look traditional. Match the choice to the room and the wall it sits on.
Building codes expect sleeping rooms to have an escape opening, so a fixed picture window alone will not do in a bedroom. Confirm the size and sill height for your city with your installer before you order.
Grilles are mainly a look. The glass package, the frame and the installation matter far more for comfort, so choose grilles for the style of the house.
Yes. American Eagle Builders installs Andersen 100, 400, A-Series and E-Series windows. At a free in-home estimate we look at the front of the house, each room’s use and the opening sizes, and talk through the styles that fit.
