One Room Challenge Week 3: Kitchen Windows!

It’s Week 3 of the One Room Challenge, and we have big progress happening over here! Our carpenter has finalized his rough-in of the project, the electrician will be wrapping everything up this week, and the plumber should get started. The progress is outstanding, but we have to get all the rough-in done before the city comes to inspect, which starts to feel like a bit of a waiting game. This week, I’m showing off all of the work that was done to create our new window wall, along with a few other updates…

Goodbye Door Wall!

The “door wall” was project number one for the kitchen renovation. This is obviously a load bearing wall, so a false wall had to be built inside the house to support the second floor while they did all the work.

The double doors and the single window were removed. (Yay!)

They had to cut into the header that had been over the door, to make room for accurate placement of the new header.

The new header is spanning the entire length of the three windows. The guys are also reconfiguring the framework to install the three new kitchen windows.

Because it’s an exterior wall, the siding outside had to be removed.

The new framework got installed in place.

Hello, Kitchen Windows!

So far, the best decision we made for this renovation was the black kitchen windows. They are STUNNING. Three windows span the center area of the exterior wall. You can see the entire backyard, and the light entering is amazing. These are Marvin Essentials windows–the only collection of Marvin windows we could purchase for self-install. Of course, our carpenter is installing them, but this was the option we had.

LOOK. Just LOOK at these gorgeous windows!!!

Here’s the thing. I love the windows. BUT, the hardware was supposed to be an antique brass, and instead, it’s shiny brass. Like mirror shiny. It was a miscommunication between hubs and I, since the windows we saw at the Marvin showroom were from the other collections and had other options for hardware. I don’t know what we’re going to do. (Yikes) Stay tuned.

Demo Update

Remember last week when the guys came in on Monday, and they ripped apart the entire kitchen, bathroom, closet areas? Well…they had to come back. By Tuesday, it was determined that the ceiling also should have been taken down. They were able to come back and make quick work of it. No shortage of dust over here!

New Spaces Created

We now have the studs in place for the new powder room–with closet, the fridge recess and the walk-in pantry! It’s so exciting to see it come to life! I have been working on designing the new powder room, now that I know how much vanity space we have. I had something very specific in mind–you know how I like to make small spaces have a big style moment. So, I’ve scrolled wallpaper sites endlessly, and I think I am set on a design.

Appliance Ordeal

We have been waiting to order the appliances, since they’re in stock, and we don’t want them sitting around. But, life seems to have other plans. If you’re following me on Instagram, you know that our fridge DIED. The fridge we were going to put in the new kitchen was the fridge we inherited when we moved in. It wasn’t necessarily what we would have selected, but fridges are expensive, and they have a much shorter life span than the fridges of past generations. So, I had made the practical decision to keep the current fridge until it gave out on us. Annnnnd, here we are. I spent all day Monday cleaning the garage fridge out to make room for food. Threw away a lot of stuff–and transferred everything else. We are now scrambling because I got the fridge working again after unplugging it for awhile, but the fridge we wanted is only on sale for ONE MORE DAY. What do we doooooo?

The Office Light Switch

I know, I know. This is a kitchen renovation. But, with the pass-through to the original dining room going away, the light switch had to be moved. That room functions as our office, and there is a double-door-sized opening to the space by the entryway, so I had to have the electrician spend time moving it while the walls are all open. This is exciting on another note because I’ve been waiting to do built-ins along the wall where the light switch and pass-through entry were. Once the drywall goes up, I can start on that project. Because I need ANOTHER PROJECT.

Stay tuned for next week’s progress!

Week One: Kitchen Planning (Mood Board & Before Shots)

Week Two: Kitchen Demo