We like to share projects from other home DIYers, and right now my parents are in the middle of an update I thought I’d share.

They have been slowly working on fixing up and improving their 100+ year-old-farmhouse since they got married. Their most recent project involves replacing some windows on the west side of their house. They are also replacing some boards and some siding. My dad has done most of their home remodeling himself…although he is in the middle of corn harvest right now…so they hired a crew to come do this first step (hopefully of several).

Upstairs, they are simply switching out some older windows with some better ones. The ones that are there are old and broken. And drafty. Time for an upgrade.

But downstairs in the kitchen, they are getting a pretty exciting new window because it’s unlike any window they’ve had before. I bet you don’t know how many different types of windows there are (unless you’re a window salesman?) so it’s worth a few spare minutes to go some checking before selecting which window is right for your project.

At first they considered getting a garden window…which would let it a lot of light and look lovely from the inside. They are great in a kitchen because it gives you a big sill to use for herbs, flowers, or stacking dirty dishes in (just kidding!). Those look something like this one I found online, here.

(source)

However, as nice as they look from the inside, it seems a little odd from the outside. It’s fine for a cottage or even a really modern home. But they decided this would be a bit funny off the side of their old farmhouse…especially since it’s the side people see from the drive way:

 

(source)

Of course, some people might love that look. It’s certainly a personal decision. But, they went with a box type window, which has a big sill, but is finished on the outside. It’s what we have in our kitchen:

On the outside, it looks like a finished part of the house…a little bump out that’s built in. Instead of a box that seems to be stuck on…if that makes sense.

Either way, the new one is going to be awesome! And how exciting is it that someone else is doing the work while you go off to work or relax at home? As DIYers, it’s a pretty entertaining thought to think that someone might come do the work for us!

And lucky for these workers, they have the benefit of a nice big shade tree and beautiful fall weather.

They are also replacing all the insulation on that side of the house, which means winters are about to get a lot less drafty. Woo hoo!

Here’s how it looks from the inside right now:

Just look at that big sill!

From the outside, the view is crazy…especially when I think about those boards being 100+ years old!

Here’s a close up of the outside of the window:

And their now-pink house:

My mom is pretty excited she’s finally getting the kitchen window she’s dreamed about for 20 years. And she really likes it so far, so that’s what counts, right? Just wait until we can share the finished product!

What are some of the updates you’ve been dreaming about for 20 years? I’d love to know what’s on your big wishlist! And while you’re at it, feel free to tell me how long it took (or you think it might take!) for you to accomplish those goals! (I’m dreaming of all sorts of things, but it’s so early in the house game for us that we don’t have any long term goals yet!)