Things I’ve Noticed Since Replacing Our Kitchen Windows & Our Next Order
We’ve officially lived with our finished and fully-renovated kitchen for 2.5 months now and it has been nothing short of wonderful. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing, but some design decisions we made months ago have surprised me for the better… our windows being one of those. I wanted to share a list of things I’ve noticed since replacing our kitchen windows. I’m also spilling the details on what we’ll be ordering next (YAY!), because now that we’ve invested in new windows for one room- there’s no turning back… I’m ready to update them allllllll. I’m obviously eager to make more replacements in the window & door department! Click through to read all about it…Â
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I’ve chatted a bit about the design and installation process when it comes to windows, so if you missed that post- it’s definitely worth a read! Today, I just wanted to give an honest opinion or review on how we’re liking and living with our new kitchen windows, because as I mentioned- we’re about to tackle more and have decided it’s a worthy investment!
We landed on the Pella Lifestyle Series mostly because of the energy efficiency and aesthetic (they’re wood windows and can be fully customized… again- more in this post), but have been pleasantly surprised by these five things:
- sound control // I didn’t realize just how much we noticed our neighbors prior to replacing the windows. These windows are great for sound reduction- they help keep outside noises out and inside noises in. It makes our home feel more private and secluded. We don’t hear their lawn mower, kids playing, or anything like that when we’re in the kitchen, like we used to. They also have giant wind chimes (the neighbors) and I’m happy that background noise has been blocked out.
- efficiency // Believe it not, we can actually tell a difference in the temperature in this room. The draft is gone and the space stayed nice & cool without the A/C kicking on a bunch during the hottest days of summer. We haven’t turned our heat on quite yet, but I can only imagine it’s going to be much warmer than last winter.
- rebate // The windows meet the ENERGY STAR® guidelines in all 50 states, and we were able to get a nice little kickback / rebate from our power company! We weren’t anticipating a rebate check, but gladly put it to use for other projects in our home.
- security // I had no idea the windows had an optional upgrade of built-in security sensors until the day of installation. Haha! I think that was Emmett’s doing… opting to add those, and I’m really glad he did. The installer showed me how to use the app and now I know the status of each window… if it’s open or closed, etc. That has been a happy surprise!
- warranty // I didn’t realize this until placing my window order, but Pella has a limited lifetime warranty. Knowing this won’t be our forever home, that’s a great investment and selling point in the future. I keep every single warranty for home products we install neatly organized in a binder, that way I can pass it along to the next homeowner when the time comes.
Aside from all the tech specs, obviously I love the look of the windows the most (hey, I’m a designer!)… that’s why I wanted them in the first place. They’re architecturally accurate and better suited for our brick colonial home. They make the kitchen look so much brighter and more seamless. I hated our cheap, builder-grade vinyl windows and was happy to see them go. They really made our previous kitchen feel cheap. Whether your home is traditional, modern, or somewhere in between- these were the windows I found to be the most customizable. There were tons of features, materials, finishes, and colors to choose from, and that was really important to me. They’re equally as stunning from the patio or exterior view. Did you see my new fall window planter box? I actually don’t mind drawing attention to the windows now…
So what are we tackling next, in terms of window & door replacement? If you follow along on Instagram, you already know we ordered and installed a new front door. That post is coming to the blog soon! It’s also Pella brand (but ordered from Lowe’s). I’m telling you- we’re now devoted super fans after living with our kitchen windows these past couple months.
We also unexpectedly had to order garage doors after ours broke. They are 25 years old and beyond repair, so that’s another door makeover I’ll be covering on the blog eventually. That was a pricey, but necessary, investment… at least they’ll look a thousand times better.
As for our next order, I really want to replace our formal living room patio doors and windows. As I announced yesterday, we’re renovating this space for the One Room Challenge and while we can’t order doors and windows that will arrive in time, it’s certainly on the docket for the future. This room bridges the gap between the patio, living room, and kitchen area. We probably use these doors 20+ times a day to access our backyard and one door is currently broken. I’ve brainstormed better solutions from a design point-of-view, but Emmett and I are both looking forward to additional sound proofing, performance, efficiency, and just better functionality in general. For reference… these are the existing doors I’m talking about. They’re also original to the home and were installed in the early 90’s.
This is the patio door and window wall view from the interior- before we started demo for the ORCÂ (see below)…
I would love to rework the entire wall and go with larger french doors or an entire wall of accordion patio doors on a wall-to-wall sliding track. I’ve been talking with my local Pella rep about my options… here is a peek at our brainstorming session.
Can’t you just envision the patio doors? I can definitely see opening the formal living room to the outdoor living space when entertaining- it would be so functional and beautiful… a true extension of our outdoor & indoor living space, seamlessly blended.
While we’re waiting and saving to tackle all of these other projects, we’re definitely enjoying our kitchen and admiring the fact that it’s now more efficient and sound proof than ever thanks to Pella. If you have any questions about windows, doors, the design process, installation, whatever… let me know in the comments below! I’m always happy to help… and look for the exterior / front door blog post soon.