It’s the post you’ve been waiting for! Well, some of you have been asking about the window, so this post is for you.
If you’ve been following our 1970 kitchen renovation, you know that the window was delayed by several weeks. I ordered it with the garage and dining room windows back in February, but this one didn’t come with the rest and we’ve been living with exposed, dirty insulation and an off-centered old window for a couple of months.
The funny thing is I’ve started to look past it since the rest of the kitchen is so beautiful, but I was looking forward to window day along with everyone else. My window came in a couple of weeks ago and we needed to wait for everyone’s schedule to line up to get it installed. Since our exterior is brick, it is a bit more complicated than cutting a larger hole for the new window. It was also quite noisy and messy since they had to cut and chisel out the brick. The bulk of Tuesday was spent with a sheet of plastic over the window and shadowy figures working on the exterior to get the new space ready for the window.
You might not think a couple of feet of new window space would make a big difference, but it really does! There was so much more light coming through and it was glorious to see, even through a sheet of plastic. At the end of the day, though, there was more to do on the brick, so the opening had to be covered in plywood and the window would be installed the next day. I was getting messages on Instagram and from my mom asking for updates on the window and I assured them that I would show the window once it was in.
And, the new window went in on Wednesday! We decided on a centered picture window with two casement (crank out) windows on either side. I was absolutely thrilled with it as soon as they put it in. Of course, I wish it came in when it was supposed to, but it was worth the wait.
It sort of freaks me out (in a good way) when I walk past it because it’s so bright and we can see so much more of the sideyard.
One of the issues with increasing the size of the window was replacing the brick that would need to be removed in the process. Our brick is 50 years old and isn’t a common brick. It’s sort of a pinkish color with some green and gray variations and a light whitewash. We weren’t hopeful that we would be able to find a good match, but our contractor found a wonderful match for it. The mason also mixed in some of the bricks removed from the right side of the window, so the new bricks would integrate even better. Most of the new masonry will be covered by the shutters, but it really looks good.
I asked about the mortar being darker but our contractor told me they mix it a little darker than the existing mortar because it will lighten over time. It also lightens as it dries, so it looks even better today.
They are allowing the brick to set up and will finish the trim on the window this weekend.
While they were replacing the brick around the windows, they also removed the old dryer vent and patched that area. (It’s just up and to the left of the hose, if you can spot it.)
Lest there be smooth sailing, the crank handles for the casement windows weren’t in the box, so we have to wait for those to be ordered.
We’ll all have to wait a few more days for it to be trimmed out and finished, but the light coming in is amazing.
It’s hard not to love a good kitchen window that floods the room with morning light.
Once the window is done, the sconces can be installed! I kept thinking the window was the last of the big things to happen in the kitchen, but the sconces are pretty exciting, too…
34 Responses
Wow, the window is so cool! It will be fun to see the sconces installed. I think, eventually, the tile backsplash will definitely be the cherry on top. What you have accomplished so far since you bought the house is beyond impressive. Job well done! The cozy charm warms the heart and who can’t use that these days.
The new window looks beautiful. After such a long wait it must give you extra, extra pleasure every time you see it!
Beautiful. Love the natural light!
so happy and I know you are soooooo happy. Thank you for letting us come along.
Oh, it’s so beautiful! I think if I could have anything in a kitchen it would be a lot of window space at the sink, especially if it let in lovely morning light 😍. So happy for you that it is all turning out even better than you had hoped! (Love how the pool area turned out too! What a sweet gift from God to your family 😁)
All your hard work and planning is paying off…big time. The kitchen will be a real joy to work in and create happy memories. Hope you have many years to enjoy it.
By the way, the pool area is fabulous!
It should have looked like this all along. You just had the vision to see this.
❤️
What a beautiful difference the new window makes w regard to the amount of light! It is a dream window for a kitchen! Your contractor and the mason have done a stellar job once again!
They did a fabulous job blending that brick in!
It just looks great! I’ve been dying for that window to arrive. Can’t imagine how you must have felt. It was completely worth the wait for me. It is perfect.
The brick match up is AMAZING. I was thinking if it didn’t match, you could always put in plants/trees to hide….BUT NO NEED!!!! The shutters will be a nice touch too. I love a big kitchen window. All looks GREAT!!!
You are soooo lucky to have a big, beautiful window above the kitchen sink!! That is my dream. My kitchen is quite dark and does not have a window above the sink but maybe someday. It looks absolutely stunning! Congrats on a fantastic job with planning your dream kitchen and seeing it unfold before your eyes!!
Worth the wait. Did they put a steel support across the top to take up the load bearing? Looks like it. Beautiful job on the brick.
A new kitchen! A pool! A window! You must be in heaven! It looks great.
It just keeps getting better and better. I am thrilled for you. The only thing that stuck out to me as slightly wrong is I don’t see the “Priory” sugar jar for your dish brushes. 😥 Always been one of my absolute favorites of yours. I have spent years looking for something similar. If that poor little lid-orphaned sugar jar ever needs a new home where it will be loved, adored and cherished, please let me know. 😉
I have one for sale in my Etsy shop, Myrlenes Vintage 🙂
It really makes a huge difference in the light! I love a bright and sunny kitchen! It was definitely worth waiting for it. They did a great job with the brick. I know you must be over the moon with how this is all coming together so beautifully! I really enjoyed seeing the beautiful changes to the pool area.
The kitchen is spectacular. Along with the pool/patio area and all the updates you have accomplished. You are
HOME!
Yay!! So thrilled the window is in! It looks beyond amazing and of course just adds to the whole incredible look and feel of the new kitchen. Congratulations – I really am so happy for you. Like someone said above; the pool, the kitchen, the garden…everything coming together so beautifully!
Ohhhhh Marian!!! It looks BEAUTIFUL, even without the cranks and finished woodwork!!!
The entire space is just beautifully done. You did a LOVELY job of it as I KNEW you would and I’m just so excited for you to see it all coming together for you.
Beautiful with all of the light highlighting how gorgeous this kitchen really is! You’ve really done a fantastic job, Marian, and also on your gorgeous pool area. I happen to have the same window over my kitchen sink and then one in the front of the kitchen. After they were installed I was also tickled, so I get it! Bright kitchens are the best!
Well done!!! Absolutely gorgeous! ❤️😘❤️
My late stepfather was a brick mason, and he would be very happy with the mortar work that was done to install the window which by the way looks amazing. It really makes the kitchen look even bigger! Somethings are worth the wait.
P.S. I thought about you today when I went to an estate sale in my area. This was a sale in a very upscale neighborhood near the Country Club of VA. There was lots of copper, several nice pieces of ironstone and lots of blue and white decor.
The bigger window does make all the difference. I love the crank out side windows. Bravo.
Nothing is ever easy or goes smoothly, but with vision and patience,the good things come. It looks lovely. You had a Very Good mason on that job!
Windows do make all the difference to a room & your new window is a beautiful upgrade.
We had a very large window custom made for our kitchen in our new farmhouse, it is the first thing visitors notice when they enter our kitchen & comment on – it was worth every cent. 🙂
The window is beautiful but I do hope it is not west-facing. In Colorado, a West-facing kitchen window is a curse with glare, heat and eyestrain if you can’t fully shut out the sun. For some reason I had a west window in every kitchen I’ve had here! I recommend plantation blinds from Hunter-Douglass that can be micro-adjusted for light and air. Those work! Have fun figuring it all out, though. It’s a beautiful room.
Awesome big window to have above your sink. It’s nice to let your mind wander out the window while doing dishes. You have done such a great job with your new home. Absolutely beautiful. Wish I had half of your vision and styling prowess!
Whoo hoo!!!! Great choice in window – and they did a fab job on the brick and mortar work.
It will be stunning with the sconces and finish work around the window. Yay!!!!
Looks wonderful! Windows are everything, in my opinion, the bigger the better! Brick work looks great, too. I think you lucked out with your contractor. (Except for the floor stain fiasco — there was no excuse for that — they’re supposed to be wood experts and they should have stained a piece of the new oak first to make sure the stain would match what you already had, then adjusted the stain accordingly.)
Looks old world charming. 💙
Y’all chose the perfect window and the contractor did a great job installing and blending the bricks. It certainly is a beautiful light filled kitchen! Enjoy the sparkle of all of that light shining in!
Wow, so amazing that the window looks HUGE from the inside and small from the outside! Too bad the crank handles weren’t in there. Looks like the installers have done a great job. Were they happy to have the cellar door to stand on for that installation?
Yes, the new window is beautiful! Just have to love windows and the brightness they bring to a home. When we built our house, I gave up cabinet space just so I could have three windows in my kitchen. Two large windows on the east and south walls, and one smaller window by the sink. I don’t understand how anyone can have a home without a window over the sink. It’s something I could not live without.