This July House of the Month 2022 edition has us yet again working on one of those rock-solid homes from the 1950s—1954, to be exact. As we always reminisce, they just don’t build homes like they used to. You know, solid foundation, real brick exterior, not faux finish. Framing was done with real wood studs that are thicker than a snicker, no flimsy aluminum studs here. However, not all of the construction characteristics of 1950s homes are better than those today. For example, one of the biggest drawbacks of 1950’s homes are the windows. They tend to have more leaks than the Supreme Court!. In all fairness, back then, they didn’t have the science or technology of using Argon gas-filled double panes or virgin vinyl frames like The Window Source uses.
Before
After
Before
Thankfully, for Austin and Taylor Wallace of Midland, retrofitting their home with our energy efficient replacement windows was an easy fix. Not only did it give their electricity meter a break, but their home looks magnificent, and the windows blend right in with the 50s style.
The Wallace’s home did have a few windows that had been switched to vinyl a long time ago, but they weren’t the greatest quality and looked dated. The rest of the windows were old wooden windows that had seen better decades.
After
We wanted to keep their traditional style while adding efficiency and practical use of their space. So, at our suggestion, The Wallace family went all out and let us bring our vision for their home to life.
2 Qty. Single Casement Windows
1 Qty. Twin Casement Window
1 Qty. Awning window for the Kitchen
2 Qty. Picture Windows
2 Qty. Triple Casement Windows
1 Qty. Front Door
2 Qty. Back Doors
3 Sets of Raised Panel Black Shutters were installed in the front
The biggest change to get that vision involved us modifying 2 openings in the front of the house to make the windows taller. Originally the height was 21” but we modified the openings to accommodate 48” tall picture windows.
This simple adjustment let in a lot more natural light into the home and gave a nice break-up to the home’s ranch-style design.
Additionally, to enhance the views we went without grids on all the windows which were all casement windows. The one exception is the kitchen window which we went with an awning style for a little flair and efficient venting during spring and fall.
We wanted to give the window on the front door some more depth so we went with built-in simulated divide lites that give that effect more affordably. The result is stunning as you can see, it really looks more expensive than it is.
As far as the aesthetics, we went with white interior and exterior color for their windows, and the back door. For the front door, you always want it to be a focal point, so we went with a black exterior wrapped in white, and brushed nickel hardware for a nice color pop.
Rounding out the black and white contrast design we opted to install three sets of faux black shutters that brought everything together.
Do you want your home to get a fresh new face with our stylish and energy efficient windows? Call one of our design experts and schedule a free consultation in the comfort of your home!
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