Get Some Grille Glam

Find out how to use grille options to match, enhance, or define the architechtural style of your home.

One of the most essential things to consider when updating your windows is your home’s architectural style. You want to consider the glass and trim, of course, but grille options are also an important variable. Grille patterns can help define the overall look of your home, fit in with neighborhood style, craft a historical feel, and more. In part one of an occasional series, we'll talk about how to use grille patterns to enhance some the most popular American architectural home styles!

Cape Cod

Simple and modest, with distinct English roots, the Cape Cod is a quintessential American home style. It evolved in New England from Colonial style houses in the early 1700s, primarily in response to the availability of materials and the area's harsh, stormy climate.

Cape Cod homes feature steeply pitched roofs with side gables. Shed or gable dormers are often aligned with windows on main floor. Multi-paned double-hung windows are common, often with shutters. (Modern-day homes of this style often use casement windows that have a grille pattern mimicking a double-hung.) 

A popular variation of this style is the “cottage style,” where the top and lower sash are of different heights, which is determined by the grille pattern. 

The dominant grille pattern for Cape Cod homes is the Colonial grille. This grille option usually featured in double-hung windows (and simulated double hung) and is recognizable by its muntins dividing six individual panes of glass in both the top and bottom panels of the windows. It’s simple, classic lines perfectly match the traditional look of Cape Cod and Colonial-style homes.

The ideal glass pane size for Cape Cod style windows is 6" wide and 8" high, although they may also be as large as 8" wide and 10" high. Vertically oriented panes are most common, but square is also used.

Prairie

The Prairie style is a uniquely American style of home, and is common in the Midwest, where it was popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright. These homes are characterized by strong horizontal lines and earthy materials, designed to reflect and evoke the broad plains of the Midwestern landscape.

Typically single-story, these homes include rows of doors and small windows banded together by continuous head trims. They also have low-pitched, hipped roofs with overhanging eaves, an open floor plan with central chimney, and built in furniture.

Because Prairie-style homes often include large expanses of glass, casement and picture windows are popular styles. This allows for the style’s trademark art glass to be easily integrated into the home’s design.

The quintessential grille pattern for these windows is the Prairie grille pattern—although many homes feature a mix of grilles and no grilles. With this grille style, the grid pattern lines the sides of the window, with small square panes or light in each corner. These corner panes are connected by a longer light along the top and bottom, which leaves the center plain. A common dimension of these corner squares is 4" x 4".  For double-hung windows, the Prairie grille pattern is typically only used on the window's upper sash.

Colonial

Originating in the 1600s, Colonial style has been a mainstay in American home styles. And, of course, its popularity means there are also many versions of it, including Dutch, Federal, and Georgian (one of the most popular).

The Georgian and Federal styles are closely related, and may look familiar to you as they have lent a great deal to the history of American housing. Georgian style, named for King George III, became popular in New England in the late 1700s. It was at the beginning of a period of increasing wealth for the colonists and their homes became bigger and more comfortable. By the late 1700s, the Georgian style became more refined and evolved into the Federal style. 

Known for its symmetry, Colonial architecture is most often characterized by evenly spaced shuttered windows. These homes typically feature two-story symmetrical façades with five openings across both stories, a paneled front door in the center with elliptical transom window, and commonly include a medium-pitched gambrel or hipped roof, occasionally crowned with a balustrade. Dormers, columns and chimneys are also evenly proportioned to complement the formal style. 

The most popular window style is the double hung (or casement/simulated double hung) featuring (not surprisingly) Colonial grilles.

American Farmhouse

Unpretentious, straightforward, and functional, the American Farmhouse style ranges from small, simple structures to more elaborate homes bordering on Victorian. 

A typical home in this style is one-and-a-half to two stories and features asymmetrical massing with a gable at the front of the house. These homes feature simple detailing, open floor plans with central chimneys, a mix of formal and informal spaces, and large, functional porches—often wraparound style. 

Traditionally, the American Farmhouse-style window is a double-hung window that is taller than it is wide. Accent windows may also be used, particularly in gable locations. 

The farmhouse grille pattern is characterized by clean and sleek lines. A common configuration is two panes of glass separated by a muntin on both top and bottom sashes of double-hung windows. This results in a four-pane glass window when closed.

Mission Revival

Mission Revival-style architecture first appeared in California around 1885, and drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions. It quickly spread around the American Southwest with railroad travelers. 

Mission Revival homes are typically two stories with smooth stucco and low-pitched, red tile hip roofs. They often include gables with curvilinear parapet walls, open eaves with exposed brackets, and visor roofs below dormers or parapets. Arched entryways and windows, as well as prominent one-story porches with arched openings are common.

Both double-hung and casement windows are common in Mission Revival style homes. A typical grille pattern divides the upper sash (or what appears to be the upper sash in a simulated double-hung) into individual panes that are square or close to square.

Arts and Crafts-Style Bungalow (American Craftsman Bungalow)

While the terms “craftsman” and “bungalow” may seem interchangeable, in truth, the former actually refers to a particular style of bungalow that came out of the Arts and Crafts movement and was popular in the early 20th century.

Similar to its architectural cousin, the Prairie style home, a Craftsman home has an organic feel, as if it has risen from its site. Craftsman bungalows tend to be low and spreading, not more than a story-and-a-half tall, with porches, sun porches, pergolas and patios tying them to the outdoors. They feature shallow-pitched roofs with deep overhangs and exposed rafter tails at the eave overhang.

While these homes utilize a variety of window types, there are several consistent themes. Both double hung and casement windows are common. The windows are usually vertical in proportion, although single-opening accent windows are often square.

Typical grille patterns for a Craftsman bungalow are in the upper windows and are vertically proportioned or square. Common patterns include modified colonial or tall fractional (similar to a farmhouse, but only on the upper half of the window).

YOUR Dream Home/Custom

Do you have an idea for a unique pattern? Want to revive a pattern from the past or match something already elsewhere in your home? Custom grilles can be designed to many specifications and allow you to express your individual style.

What you see here is just a handful of home styles and a small selection of available patterns! If you’re in the market for creative grilles that enhance the look and matches the style of your home, turn to Renewal by Andersen. Our selection of grilles offers lasting*, low-maintenance performance with durable construction and design. Options come in full divided light, between-the-glass, and interior wood grille types. 

Call or click to schedule your free consultation today!

^{*See the limited warranty for details.}