Here is my unfinished door. It is a 3 foot door with 12 inch sidelights. The door is 8ft tall with an 18 transom. My entry is 6'3 wide. edited: Fixed picture (sideways) Also, the glass still has the protective plastic. Molding for above door is being made and the door is very filthy (they just finished trim and sawdust is everywhere). Hope this helps you visualize your space. This post was edited by abrshafer on Fri, Sep 27, 13 at 18:42

We have sidelights. Just very simple. They are the same as the rest of our windows. I do not have a recent picture of them but here is what they looked like a few months ago when they were rocking. The post in the front are now all rocked. Our knotty alder door has just a small window at the top. I have always loved the side lights BUT the only reason I went with them is because we are building out in the country so I was not concerned about people being able to see in. My friend is building also right now (they are about to close and they stared after us...*sigh*)anywho, I do not care for hers. I mean they are beautiful but you can see right in her house and in part of her daughters room. City, no, country yes! I guess it just all depends on you. My sister has side lights but has small curtains up. I love the light we get from them! Here is that picture I think once the door goes in it will look great! Good luck with your decision! KEl

The problem of repurposing an old kitchen for a new use can be a thorny one, esp. a long narrow one. Witness the recent thread about where to distribute appliances in a modified kitchen and whether to start over elsewhere. It's ironic that we Americans have to think "how can I use the old space?" when we plan big kitchen additions. I'm not guiltless here--we have repurposed our corridor kitchen and put in one of those additions, but we worked 2 years to get the plan right so we didn't leave behind a marooned oddball space. The old kitchen has become a working hall between old house and new kitchen and routes people away from front door and kitchen. We worked in the old 8 foot wide kitchen for many years. As long as a room like this is not a frequently used hall also, it works, although some rules of civility must be agreed to. The 4 feet across is a good thing, although losing 6 inches on one side to a deeper counter wouldn't bother me (I don't think). Don't put dishwasher on the long sides unless you have to because it bisects the space when open and adults cannot move around it without extra caution. Don't go at the corridor project with a "sky's the limit" attitude and let go the idea of a fancy showplace with bare countertops. If you want a working kitchen you have to be very disciplined in deciding what you absolutely need and what is only a want. Don't let yourself be romanced by mega-ranges and refrigerators--examine the modest European model of space usage. Also assess what kitchen functions can be off-loaded to adjacent spaces....a second sink along a transition zone? dishes storage in dining area? large pantry items stored in adjacent closet? or storing "good deal" yet to be used foodstuffs in garage (from the Costco big shopping trip)? Adjacent to our old corridor kitchen we built an insanely big storage cupboard over the basement stair. We ignored the unreachable top of it but used the bottom shelf for picnic stuff, canning stuff, etc. Also, remember that a refrig can be pushed into the wall behind it to cut out 3+ inches of depth. If there's a window, it might be possible to make a bump-out so sink area has space for good faucet and items arrayed around sink. Examine the many kinds of customizing inserts and such for cabs and drawers. Consolidate as much space as possible for each function--two large lower drawers instead of four smalls. Next to range, try doing what we did--put knives and utensils into the countertop, freeing up two drawers for other uses. (The drawers were shortened to allow this adaptation.) This idea is one I gladly give to the GW to those people who aren't embarrassed to show that they own utensils and knives -- everyone who sees it loves it. Also put a niche or shelves over range to hold oils, salt and pepper, etc. Making the range a cockpit area "rocks" as noted above. There are examples of corridor kitchens out there to study. Look hard. Biggest challenge will be to make it work for two cooks, if you need that. Don't put range or sink into a corner because that guarantees that one cook will have to stand to the side waiting for the other to do something. Even look at the recently posted West Coast architect's corridor kitchen with the zipper door. I suspect that was close to 8 feet across.

Either a full-height door or a shorter door with transom will work. If you opt for the shorter door, be sure you can get at least a one-foot high transom or it will look odd. You already have some strong vertical proportions with the columns and windows under the porch roof. Good luck! PS: Why do the windows on the far left break the horizontal banding when no other windows do? Looks odd and a bit unthoughtful in an otherwise very appealing elevation!