Hi! White against the red brick is a traditional contrasting combination that works well, so it's quite a safe option. Similarly inside - with your white walls, it's an easy, neutral match (assuming the whites are tonal matches). By making the frames a contrasting color from the inside, you are making a color scheme decision that will affect future decisions about decor colors and styles, so keep that in mind. White is a classic choice that gives you greater scope for change later on. As for making the view/window seem smaller...it really depends on what your view is and how strong the contrast is. If your view is of a dark, densely leaved garden the white will stand out. On the other hand if you look out onto a view of sky and horizon white will fall back more. Hope that helps frame up your thinking a little... Pun intended :) Natalie

Are the windows available in Woodland grey or a grey colour close to Woodland grey? I'd still frame them in white. You do see through black but for my posts and deck railings I went Woodland grey instead of black which I find too heavy looking now. Against the foliage in my backyard the Woodland grey really "disappears". My patio roof is also Surf mist.

The house we are building now is totally designed for low maintenance on the coast. The windows are and powder coated. This was chosen by our designer, also we had our current house renovated 22 years ago with white powder coated windows and they are still pretty perfect. Like you we have taps to wash the salt of regularly. One thing I did change on the new design is I removed all the fly screens and plan to add them where needed later. We ended up removing most of them because they make cleaning windows harder, block the view and tend to deteriorate over time and you tend to pay for heaps more than necessary. Once we have settled into our new house I will be getting the window man back and installing them where I want them. Not on the garage etc. Hope this helps with your choices, as I said I've lived on the coast for years now and I get your concerns and it is very important to make the right choices on materials.

The psychology within your home will be more affected by being in an environment you like and feel comfortable with rather than someone elses thoughts. It's really a style choice - do you want a softer look - consider your furnishing styles and preferences. The darker options are good for crisp and contemporary such as in full height multi paned steel Criffal windows. Try Google and Houzz for pictures. A good compromise is silver pearl which is soft but also contemporary.