What to do with this leftover kitchen window?

Kitchen West before painting rack

I’ve had the hardest time figuring out what to do with this old single-hung window in the kitchen that was once the back of the house, but now just opens into the back sleeping porch area.

We love the light coming in from the back door and windows into the kitchen. The former owner had the refrigerator in front of the window, blocking most of the light coming into the kitchen (see photo below). The pantry in the back didn’t help either, which is why we wanted to find a smoked glass pocket door back there to let in the maximum light.

This window is covered with 12 layers of caked-on paint and looks terrible. I’ve destroyed some of the inside edges of the window already getting the bottom part of the window out, and I’ll definitely take out the hung upper portion of the window in the top pretty soon.

The problem is trying to figure out what to do with the trim and frame. The inside edges of the windows look the worst, with all sorts of grooves and uneven surfaces that won’t look much better even if I did paint them. The trim around the window and the sill is covered in a ridiculous amount of paint. I suppose I could try to use Peel Away or something like that to take the paint off the trim, sand it and then repaint it.

My other idea was to try and put some flat pieces of facing wood along the inside edges of the window to make the surfaces flush and clean and get rid of all the grooves and slots for the old window to slide up and down. Basically laying in a flush, flat surface inside the window all the way around. That would give it a nice, deep platform in the sill area for plants, and a clean surface all the way around the inside.

Day 0: Kitchen East
On the day we took possession of the house

But is there an option I’m not thinking of? Should I take the entire window frame out and make it an opening flush with the walls, with no trim around it at all?

Anyone have any ideas or suggestion for the most design-savvy thing to do with this? I think I’m suffering from a lack of vision — I look at this window and don’t see many options. All ideas welcome. Speak your mind in the comments. I need help!

Pre-move photo, but what it looks like today

Momma says:

6 May, 2011 at 8:52 pm

I don't know the answer, but I really like the look of the window there, especially with the geranium in front of it.

6 May, 2011 at 9:06 pm

Even if you make it just open, it needs trim to be consistent with the house, I think. You?

Colin says:

7 May, 2011 at 1:17 pm

I think the idea of having an old window in your kitchen is a super unique design feature, and a reminder of the house's history, so I'd start by trying to make sure it stays recognizable as a windowframe. I also love the light that it lets in. What about redoing the trim consistent with the rest of the house, as Momma suggests, but then framing the inside of the window as you mentioned and putting shelves that are open in the back to let light through. You could even route the edges of the shelves, and put a vertical runner in too, so that the edges look like mullions of an old paned window. You could put small, plants or other little objects in the spaces as a design element, making it decorative, functional, and still evoking the original use. Does this make sense?

7 May, 2011 at 10:35 pm

I've seen people using a lot of very old windows with mullions – hanging on the walls, outside, all sorts of places. That's something else to consider. I don't know if it would work, but we saw a junk place that had a jillion of those windows on our way back from the beach to the Smiths house. Do you remember that? It was after we got off I-75 out in the country somewhere. I've wished I knew how to get back there. I think think of a couple of ideas of what to do with it. And I like Colin's ideas too.

whiteknuckled says:

8 May, 2011 at 10:40 pm

Well, I think the consensus between here, Facebook, twitter and people who came over and I've asked about it in the last few days is to keep the full windowframe with all the trim, strip it if i can and repaint it fresh, and then box in the window frame with flat facing wood to cover the grooves and unsightly bits with a new smooth surface. And then use little pieces of trim (like shoe moulding) to transition from the old window edge up to the new flat 1-inch or 1/2-inch pieces of wood, if that makes sense.

It's essentially adding a flat, smooth inch deep surface all the way around the wide inside edge of the frame. building a box inside the frame.

But I'll be sure to keep you updated whenever this happens. thanks for all the input, folks!

Lilly says:

13 May, 2011 at 1:14 pm

Double (triple?) support the growing consensus to keep it recognizable as a window frame. But you should think about adding one or two shelves inside it as well. I think the light would look really pretty coming into the kitchen through some glasses, vases or bowls. Otherwise, hang a flower pot from the top of the window so that it hangs in the middle.

holly says:

29 May, 2011 at 6:43 pm

This kitchen it looking great with all of the fab red touches Rachel! And the floors look AWESOME! I'd like to cook in here! Great job guys!

A year later, turning an old window into something new (Part 1) | Our Old Rowhouse says:

16 April, 2012 at 4:35 pm

[…] been almost a year since I turned to you, my…uh.. tens of blog readers, to ask what I should do with this old leftover window in the kitchen. I’ve had the hardest time figuring out what to do with this old single-hung window in the […]

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