New Pella Window + Wooden Plantation Shutter

One of the daunting upgrades we've taken on in our house is replacing all of our existing windows with Pella Architect Series windows - aluminum clad, double-hung wooden windows that match the style of our home very well. They are a tremendous upgrade in terms of looks, both inside and outside, and also offer a huge thermal comfort/efficiency upgrade.

They are beautiful (and therefore not cheap) so we're taking a long view on this project, with the goal of replacing two per year. With a total of 27 windows on our two main stories (not including the basement or attic) that comes up to a 13.5 year project - so we're hoping to speed it up at some point in the future.

We replaced two of the windows during or big remodel - one over the kitchen sink (see the exterior here, and the interior here) and another in the upstairs bathroom (see that one here). Those two were installed by our contractor, so we had yet to take on installation ourselves. Until . . . . that time last fall when our baby was two weeks past due and we were about to tear out our hair!

What better time to install a new window?

As I was benched for that particular season, Chris took the project on himself, using this tutorial from our hero Tom Silva of This Old House. After hours of measuring, insulating, shimming, more insulating, more shimming, checking for level, more shimming . . . . we had a new window!

Exterior shot of the newly installed window. All three replaced windows happen to be on this side of the house.

So we're three windows down, 24 to go!

It took about one evening of living with this beautiful upgrade to confirm what we already suspected - that we needed to add some privacy to it. Somehow the new window, while no larger than the old one - made that side of the house feel especially like a fishbowl to our neighbors to the north.

So, I ordered a custom plantation shutter from The Shutter Store, the same company that crafted the plantation shutter in our upstairs bathroom. We were confident in the quality of the product based on our past experience with them, and they were among the best prices we could find in browsing for a ready-to-install custom wooden plantation shutter. (Some sites offered a puzzle-like option, where we would have to assemble frame pieces and doors, and then stain it ourselves. We also checked out this tutorial to build our own - but in the end we found these products offered minimal savings for a LOT of work).

So, we decided it was worth a few extra bucks to go ahead and order the ready-to-install shutter. The major con for us in purchasing this way is the lead time. It's hard to be patient when we feel like we're on display for neighbors, as well as itching to install this beauty, and the wait became even harder when the company missed their 4-6 week anticipated lead time, delivering the shutter almost eight weeks after we had ordered it.

But, it was exactly the color, dimensions and quality we hoped for, so in the end, we are very happy.

Chris installed it in about one evening (a few hours). He had to remove the window stop he installed when replacing the window, and used The Shutter Store's instructions and supplies to fairly quickly have the shutter in place.

Hardware and touch-up stain for hanging the shutter, provided by the vendor.

Window stop removed.

Shutter frame going up. 

And privacy! (You're welcome, neighbors).

In addition to the added privacy, we love the nice, finished look this product offers, which is perfect for this particular window. It still lets in quite a bit of light when the slats are open, and is a perfect privacy screen for the tight side yard we have to the north.

We Have Cabinets!

Well, I think I can pretty honestly say I accomplished nothing at work today, unless you count obsessing over the cabinets being installed at home. Needless to day, I sprinted out the door at 4:00 when I couldn't wait another minute, and came home to this stunning scene.

Again, still phone photos, sorry. I found the camera but the battery is dead, and this just cannot wait, right? Above is the view from the living room, and next is the view from the back door. There are still a few doors to install, and crown as well, so they'll come back next week to wrap it all up.

I'm so happy we went for inset doors - it creates such a clean, classic look. 

Glass still needs to be installed in the upper doors, but you can get the idea of the look without it. I love the clean white uppers, and look forward to arranging everything inside. 

We did just a few upgrades, including this spice rack next to the stove:

And this trash drawer next to the sink, with space for both trash and recycling. 

And finally, the show-stealer! Something about this little bathroom vanity just amazes me. It's so perfectly tucked in to our space, and the shallower depth makes for a very cute, streamlined petite look.

 

I couldn't be happier with how it all turned out. It shapes the space up so well, and we can really feel the layout of the rooms. The boxes and doors are perfectly smoothly finished, and feel solid and strong. 

Sneak Peek

For anyone who didn't catch the hint I left yesterday, get excited because cabinets are being installed in the house right now! This feels huge - this is really the big step we've been anxiously waiting for the most (other than the project being finished, of course).

Here are a few photos I snapped over lunch as the installers were working - forgive the poor quality. I was too excited to look for the camera so they're just phone pictures.

They seem to be off to a great start. They hope to finish installation today, or it could be tomorrow at the latest. I'll post more photos once everything is in.

Can you believe it? Cabinets!

All Walled In

When I left the house this morning it was all studs and insulation. Today when I came home all the drywall had been installed. What a change! It's amazing to see everything really take shape.

New den wall.

 Looking into the half bath from the den.

Looking into the kitchen from the living room.

Kitchen from the back door.

Wrigley cheesin' in front of the closet and dining room doorways.

Bathroom from the hallway.

New bathroom window, installed just this morning.

Bathroom vanity wall.

Drywall Begins

Today I was greeted by a large truck during lunch. Two guys brought in the longest strips of drywall I've ever seen. I walked upstairs to see our contractor taking measurements in the bathroom. He said that he's going to speed up bathroom production while the kitchen cabinets are made, so we may have a finished bathroom before a finished kitchen. This is good news for everyone in the house - walking two flights of stairs at 2:00 in the morning is just plain dangerous.

Back to the drywall. What's great about using a contractor is not having to worry about quantities of building materials required to complete the project. You deal with one guy, and he takes care of quantities, and deals with anyone taking care of tasks on the job site. By the end of the week we should have all of the drywall hung, taped and sanded to a smooth finish.

While this finish won't exactly match the rest of the house, we feel like the texture of the new walls will be a great look. 

In other news, we finally received a wall mount sink that will work great in our half bath. The third time was the charm on this one - right depth and right space. Can't wait to see this baby go up - she's going to be cute.

Finally, for work tomorrow I get to build a brick patio for a women's shelter here in Kansas City. A coworker saw our garden on the blog and "volunteered" me to lead this charge. Becca was gracious enough to join me this evening to get all the materials set up for the job site. As you can see, she laid out a beautiful flagstone path that will also be installed tomorrow. 

Can't wait to see walls begin to go up tomorrow. And that's not all. Hardwood floors come in next week. The show must go on!