Shading it old-school
The breakfast nook and kitchen sink windows face due south. The large garage and driveway reflect light and heat into these windows and can make the house temps unbearable.
When we bought the place, built around 1948, it had articulated metal awnings on these windows, plus on the west-facing kitchen window. The paint was chipped and flaking, the pulley ropes were rotted and caused the awnings to hang cockeyed. Cooler or not, DH couldn't stand them any more.
They were too useful, too well made, and too funky to just toss, so I found a man to strip the paint, then prime and repaint them. He used garage door paint. He added new ropes and brackets so they could hang on the slightly larger, new windows.
My house is at least 15 degrees cooler when these blinds are lowered in the summer. When fall arrives, we pull the ropes and the blinds fold up neatly above the tops of the windows to allow all the southern winter sun to come in.
Keep in mind our growing season is just beginning, so the garden looks rather sparce right now!
BEFORE - Here's the smaller, old window and the awning in its old, beat up, and peeling condition. The new double paned windows are wonderful.
That "ugly" vent? That's the outside ventilation for the stove fan. It's wonderful to have all the cooking odors and smoke (I cook with abandon!) go directly outside.
The new (still imaginary) kitchen will have a Vent-a-Hood that vents up through, and out of, the roof. Someday.
A good power wash didn't hurt anything, either.
This photo was taken the day we closed on the house. The real estate agent, in the tie, had to hurry off to attend his college graduation an hour later. The former owner is in the back center.
Comments (6)
desertsteph
7 years agocaroline94535
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Grew up with a old school mom that loved blinds
Comments (1)I grew up with a mom who made sure the house looked balanced from the outside--all the front facing windows had the same scalloped shades carefully pulled to the same level. Naturally, when I see a house that has blinds in one front window, curtains in another and nothing in another, it looks a little "off" to me. That said, do what is right for the room and appeals to you. It's your house and the only ones you need to please and satisfy are you and your family. Keep in mind you can always draw blinds to the top of the window when not in use in order to match the look of other windows that face the front....See MoreOld-School Traditional, but fairly recent.
Comments (24)I would not have much to do in this home aside from toning down some of the more florid red and gold schemes. It’s all tasteful (IMO) except for the topiary in the left wall of the entrance. This is, generally, why I dont like art ”niches.” Instead of taking the opportunity to put a beautiful bust in that space the owners or their designer used the most inane object they could find—-a topiary— just to fill it up. I’d also ditch the gold leaf candle sconces that are so very 80’s looking. I’m sort of surprised they havent been updated with hardwired sconces that look more…well behaved, for lack of a better description....See MoreOld-school stone house
Comments (11)I love a Pennsylvania farmhouse. Our house we bought 20 years ago? I much later learned that the developer named it Pennsylvania Farmhouse. Pal, it looks like the dining room floorboards have some replacements, too? and yes, I absolutely want the powder room and the poodle wallpaper. I grew up with standard poodles. mtn, it looks like all carpet cut and bound, not wall-to-wall....See MoreIs this house painter too old school?
Comments (1)"One of the house painters, who’s been in the business 30+ years and is very highly regarded..." That pretty much tells you all you need to know....See More
murraysmom Zone 6a OH
7 years ago
desertsteph