This is one of those “needs” with a little “want” thrown in.

Any time I think about buying something or doing something I ask myself “Is this a need or a want.” Wants are okay…as long as you don’t go into debt for them or harm another person in pursuit of your “want.”

The “need” was new living windows. The old arch window was cracked and had condensation between the panes.

I have managed to ignore it for some time because in the hot months I have a temporary shade in it and in the fall and Christmas seasons I have cute little vignettes that block it…but this time of year it just consumes this room and it is near impossible to ignore!

The lower window was the original aluminum window and that thing might as well have been wide open on a cold blustery day. It leaked cold air like crazy!

So…a need.

As you will notice I changed up the “configuration” of the window…I went with a fixed window in the middle with two crank-outs (technically called “casement” windows) on each side. I have a crank out in my bathroom and I LOVE it…super easy to open and close!

When I measured for the new window I measured the outside opening…that is because the new window was going to be installed from the outside and I had to make sure it would slip between the brick.

While it fit snug between the brick…

… it had 1/2 “gaps” on the inside…

Usually the new window would slip in right behind the sheetrock that butted up to the old window…not the case here. I suspect it is because whoever bricked this house did not brick over the old window properly.

No biggy…it gave me ample room to put in A LOT of insulation! Silicone caulk around the outside…a must for ANY window! There is NO air coming in around this puppy!

It did mean I had to trim out around the new window. Again, no biggy. I used 1x4 pre treated boards and flat molding…good as new!

One issue I had was the existing seat cushions…they were not going to work because of the window crank….

The cushions are really not an issue for several reasons

I only added the cushions to help block some of the air leaking in around the old window. Second, the fabric has faded over the years and I needed to recover them! And lastly, nobody but the cats sit in this space so comfort is really not an issue.

So the cushions can go…but then I am left with the stark white of the faux marble…ick. Again so 90s!

Sooooo….I decided to remove the faux marble and add stained wood “bench” type seating before I put up the new trim!

Course I wanted walnut…but finding walnut boards proved to be impossible. I ended up using oak boards…NOT my favorite wood, but it was either that or poplar (too “green”) or pine (too ick).

The marble was super easy to pop off….heavy as crud but simple to remove. It was just siliconed in.

I bought 1x6 and 1x4 oak boards. I like the “plank” look so I used the router to add a VERY small groove on the top edge of each board. On the board that would be on the outside edge , I used the router to round the edge.

Again, I did not take pictures of the “process” or make a tutorial…I am a HORRIBLE teacher/blogger! Just sharing what I did!

After cutting each board to the proper width and routing the edges, I stained them with brown mahogany stain and sealed them well with poly BEFORE installing them.

Once the finish was dry, I finally got to use the biscuit joiner Matt got me for Christmas two years ago! I love this little tool. Because of the layout of this bookshelves, I couldn’t make the entire seat in one piece. I had to lay in each board one at a time. The biscuit joints allowed me to get a tight, even fit without having to nail into the top of the seat! Love!!! I just glued the “biscuits” and edges, and slipped them together!

After the new wood seats were done, I trimmed around the new window.

I removed the blind from the side window…after 20 years of neglect that thing was pretty nasty.

I will eventually replace this window as well since it is one of the original aluminum windows.

I haven’t decided what to do about window dressings. I have lived without a blind in the big window for years…we live at the end of a cul-de-sac and I don’t roam around in this room “indecent” and this window faces south so it doesn’t get a ton of sun in the summer months. The side window faces the fence and there is little view to the inside of the house so for the time being, I think I’m fine without a window covering!

I love the new look…again, I think stained wood always adds a little warmth to an area and this big sucker could use some “warmth.” And the new windows are AMAZING!!!! We have winter weather this week and not a drop of cold air can be felt around the window…and I CAN NOT WAIT to crank these babies open on a warm day!!!!

This photo of the outside reminds me of how “blah” the house looks in the winter compared to a summer view…

This one reminds me that we desperately need to power wash the brick this spring!!!!

I haven’t painted the trim just yet…truthfully this entire built in needs to be painted. I haven’t painted it in 20 years and I know it was originally painted with alkyd (oil-based) paint.

When we painted Matt’s bedroom a few weeks ago, he found a new “hybrid” paint…an acrylic alkyd paint they SAY will go over oil based OR enamel paints. I know the paint went on like an alkyd…leveled beautifully….and cleaned up like an enamel (with soap and water!)

While the paint went on well and cured well, my biggest concern is durability. This area gets a lot of wear and tear and I don’t want a paint that dings easily. Oil based paints are outstanding for furniture and wood pieces…super durable!

So I am going to wait a bit and see how Matt’s holds up…in other words, let him be the test monkey…lol! If his trim holds up well, then I will use the hybrid paint. Or I might just bite the bullet and use an oil-based. I know me well enough to know that a bug can bite me at any moment!

Over the years I have been able to remove all the wall-to-wall carpeting and install hardwoods. I learned the hard way (after raising 4 kids and several puppies) that I never want to spend a lot of money on area rugs.

Unfortunately they are a necessity on hardwood and tile. What isn’t a necessity is spending A LOT of money on something that gets tons of wear and tear and may go out of style on a whim. So several years ago I started experimenting with indoor/outdoor rugs…and honestly., I have found that I get serious bang for the buck!

It started with this rug…

….an indoor/outdoor rug I picked up at a big box store for less than $100. I just needed something simple to pull the room together. Since this room only gets used a few times a year, I wasn’t too terribly concerned with having “super comfy” under foot!

I was so impressed with the quality and look of the rug I decided to give the “indoor/outdoor” thing a shot in the den! Let’s be honest…the den is really just a big romper room for the dogs! One reason we don’t even have a coffee table in the room!

I picked up this indoor/outdoor rug at my favorite home improvement store!

Not super comfy but it is neutral and has held up well. If I want “comfy underfoot” I wear my Ugg slippers.

I spent a little more and went a little more “fancy” on the dining room…

…this rug doesn’t get a lot of wear and tear so I was okay spending a tad more. Still love this rug!

When it was time to change out the rug in the living room I found a really pretty and simple indoor/outdoor rug at a local home decor store.

I knew the minute I unrolled it I had a problem.

It was stiff and not at all pliable. It had some serious “crease marks” from being rolled up and the edges curled up. I went ahead and put it down and hoped and prayed the creases and rolled edges would eventually go away.

Nope.

Honestly, I think they got worse and I’m lucky I didn’t break a dang hip on the thing.

I tried steaming the edges and curling them the opposite way…nothing worked.

The rug just plain sucks.

If a rug looks like crud when you lay it out, good chance it isn’t going to get much better. I should have rolled it up and taken it back but noooooo….I just crossed my fingers and hoped it would get better.

So now that the holidays have passed and everything is back in order I decided it was time to find a new rug that wasn’t a tripping hazard.

Again, I just wanted something inexpensive that would pull the space together. We have moved the big (ick) brown leather couch back into the living room so I really wanted something relatively neutral. (Why do I still have the big (ick) brown leather couch…because it is Brian’s and he spent a ton of money on it so I can’t bring myself to get a different one)

I try to keep the furniture and rugs in this room relatively neutral so I can add splashes of color with pillows and throws…right now I am enjoying a “pink phase.”

Two major changes coming in this space…first, I have FINALLY ordered new windows for the front…the old ones are the 20 year old original aluminum windows that are terrible…can’t hardly open them and they leak some serious air! And as you can see they dominate this space!!

I would love to change the 1990s arched window to a simple transom but unfortunately I can’t get my brick anymore and changing out the shape of the window would require additional brick…curses!

Regardless, the window seal has broken in the arch window and there is condensation between the panes…nothing you can do about it but replace the window.

I COULD just buy a new window insert but since I am replacing the bottom aluminum window with vinyl I decided to change out the arch window as well.

I changed things up a bit on the style and design and I can’t wait to share! Hopefully those will be here in the next week or so and we will have a decent day to install them!

The second change is the entry. I shared it here….

I’m looking at the date of the original post…3 1/2 years ago….and sadly, little has changed.

But last fall I bought a nifty antique mirror at a local market…at Christmas I put a wreath on it, and honestly, I kinda like the look. So when I took Christmas down, I hot glued a hook onto the mirror and hung an olive branch wreath on it…

Hum…kinda like that look too.

So it looked funny to have a mirror on that side of the entry AND still have the blue “moroccanish” mirror behind the door, so I took that mirror down and gave it to my daughter!

So now I have a blank wall.

So change is coming…maybe…I think…some day. It only took me 3 1/2 years to get this far so what’s a few more years.

Truthfully I am kicking around the idea of extending the board and batten to this wall…from the door to the stairs. And then maybe put some little hooks on it to hang purses and such. I can’t do anything too bulky because the door swings into that wall.

My ONLY issue with board and batten is that I know it will go out of style in the coming years…and while I have the energy and time to install it today….what if I don’t have the time, energy or money to remove it in 5-7-10 years?

I know, I know….”Board and batten is timeless…it will never go out of style.”

Bull…hardwoods are timeless…but yet 40 years ago people covered them with wall to wall carpet. Subway tile is timeless…yet decades ago people ripped it out and put up olive green and harvest gold 4x4 tile.

My point, just because something was popular 100 years ago and came back around, doesn’t mean it is “timeless.” Trust me, something different will come back around and all those painted white cabinets and rooms full of board and batten will be the bane of our existence.

I’m not saying you should live with a dated carpet, tile or wall treatment if it makes you crazy. I’m just saying think carefully and spend wisely when “updating” your home decor!

And if you are like me and procrastinate long enough, you may miss the current bandwagon…but trust me, another will come along!

The upside is I save myself a lot of work AND money by being somewhat indecisive…lol!

UPDATE!!! I WROTE THIS POST WHILE I WAS ALL COMFY IN BED. I got up, put on my grubby paint clothes and had time on my hands.

Something is going down!!!!

Or rather UP!