In a brownstone kitchen reno, any suggestions on blocking the kitchen window with a sink or countertop?

I’m interested in feedback from homeowners or professionals who have renovated an old brownstone kitchen with one of those 31″ wide, almost floor to ceiling windows to basically block off the bottom part of the window with a kitchen sink or a countertop, without bricking up the bottom part, so the only way to open the window is (1) from the top, with a reaching pole, (2) from the bottom, by standing on a stepstool and leaning over to pull it up or (3) from the bottom using the place where the upper and lower windows connect.  I’m wondering how successful that has been and how people end up liking it a week, month or year down the road.  We could use the window area to create a nice u-shaped kitchen but I’m worried about less window access and a little less light, since we’ll have a deck outside the window and it might be nice to use the window as a pass-through for food and to grab herbs from the deck.  our other option is to leave the window un-blocked and just have a peninsula jutting out of the wall so it’s like a galley type kitchen, or perhaps to have a pullout (murphy-type) counter for when we need more prep space.  any suggestions?  other than this one (important) detail which informs so much else, we’re pretty much done with the basic layout part of our design work

jeanmarine2

in Bath & Kitchen 12 years and 9 months ago

2

Please log in, in order to post replies!

2 replies

Newest Oldest

theoperadiva | 12 years and 9 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5010 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4989 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "146840"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(12) "theoperadiva"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$Bch.99WtEamf2NnTNLCt5caANX2wZN0"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(12) "theoperadiva"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(17) "jdbaron@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(27) "/forums/users/theoperadiva/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:22:58"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(12) "theoperadiva"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(146840)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

I understand that you don’t wish to brick up part of the window, but have you considered changing the window type itself to a casement window (the kind that cranks)? We’re doing this in our kitchen renovation, and I think it is the way to go for awkward to open windows.

NeoGrec | 12 years and 9 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5009 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5008 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(4) "1741"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(7) "NeoGrec"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BOvBZSSoDDccMCffw1igzkiT0t5s1D."
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(7) "neogrec"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(21) "rparr@randomhouse.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(36) "http:///forums/users/grandarmyredux/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 13:46:16"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(7) "NeoGrec"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(1741)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

We created this layout 12 years and, although the reduced-size window if fully operable, we just don’t open it. It’s too awkward. Then again we have a screen door on the adjacent (expanded) door to the deck so we have plenty of fresh air coming into the rear parlor.