Last week, Fieldstone installed our new vinyl windows.
Now that I see how great new windows are, I wish we had updated them five years ago when we bought the house! We waited (I was ok with them). We waited (can't we restore the existing windows?). We could have changed them when we did the basement, but we waited some more (I am tired of messes, no more dust!).
Once we ruled out restoring the wood windows, I stopped dragging my feet. I wanted to find an installer to take care of us in 2012. We found Fieldstone on Aubrey and Lindsay's blog, and honestly, that was good enough for me*.
Sure there was a bit of dust and mess, but only for three days. Fieldstone vacuumed and cleaned up at the end of each day, and it was easy enough to wash the floors and move the furniture back. The baby was able to nap through the noise. There was plenty of room for us to play in the kitchen, basement and outside and stay out of the installer's path.
I am only lukewarm on the colour. Wait-let me revise that! I adore the colour on the back of the house, the front of the house is only so so. Now I see how desperately we need to find yet another contractor to come in to paint the peak and to change the eaves. There is a tiny chance we can pull something off this fall. I am not going to get my hopes up! (Who are we kidding, my hopes couldn't be higher). Otherwise, we will fix up the rest of the exterior next year.
Of course, I wouldn't be posting this if I didn't want to know what you think!!! I am all ears!!!
*We met with two other companies, referrals from neighbours.
ps. Not a sponsored post.
The new windows look great!! I agree that the back looks better than the front but once the peak is painted a bit darker both sides of the house will look gorgeous :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a difference! They look great.
ReplyDeleteI love them. You chose the perfect colour!
ReplyDeleteWow! They look amazing, Shannon! Great colour for both the front and back because it goes so well with your brick. You don't have to do anything right away with the eaves etc., but better not to match the windows to something you want to eventually change. The windows stand out the most now anyway. Great choice!
ReplyDeleteOH MY. I love, love the colour. I actually really like the front of the house!! It all looks soooo good.
ReplyDeletethey look great and they go very nicely with the brick. I agree with you the pick needs to be painted. Good, efficient windows make a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteI like the colour! Your home looks great!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is a huge improvement! The choices you make for your home are always spot on. Do you just have an (enviable) good eye for these things? Do you get great contractors and take their advice? How do you make decisions about decorating and renovating? I would looooove to know and hear any advice you have!
ReplyDeleteWow, really like the new windows and love that you chose a dark colour. It really picks up on the grey tones in your brick and makes your traditional house look so sophisticated with a modern twist. Windows are our big budget project which we are waiting on - I'm sure we'll be asking ourselves why we waited once we pull the trigger.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a huge improvement, and I absolutely love the colour - it complements the brick nicely!
ReplyDeleteThe new windows are gorgeous, simply gorgeous. Maybe you don't like the front because of the unbalanced white trim - above the door and on the peak (that you meantioned) and there doesn't appear to be any white trim on the backside ... sort of looks out of place now, incomplete? You guys chose well!
ReplyDeleteYour home looks beautiful Shannon. The new windows are perfect :)
ReplyDeleteYour windows look great - perfect colour choice. But I agree, the updated windows make the eaves and peak stand out. At least you got the major part done!
ReplyDeleteI keep looking at the front and back photos trying to figure out why, like you, the windows in the front are "behaving" differently than in the back. Could it be that the front has more red toned bricks? I think so. Everything looks great and can't wait to see the final painting process. Great change!!
ReplyDeleteHmmm, you could be right Nora!
ReplyDeleteWhen there was only one new window installed, I was cringing...the colour looked so off...Maybe there is still too much competition in the front. The white is still catching your eye.
I wish we could get it all done right away! I am tempted to grab a latter and have a go at it...but, well, that's crazy talk!
ReplyDeletethank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are right!!
Thanks Britt!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised how affordable new vinyl windows are! And great looking too! You should get a quote....unless, of course, you are certain you want wood! Since our trim is all white, we could easily get away with vinyl!
ReplyDeleteWe shouldn't have waited...
Thank Lynn!
ReplyDeleteI am not very good at selecting colour...mainly because I don't like most colours. I usually feel like vomiting whenever I first see a new colour on the walls or wherever...I get so tied up inside thinking I selected wrong. Then it grows on me. Colour sample testing is completely outside my expertise...I will likely hate every single test patch.
I normally have a picture in my mind of what I want to see...but sometimes it is impossible for me to get it from my mind into the real world. For the house, I really do see the house painted ... my wish is to get rid of the brick colour, turn everything grey and blues...but there is the extra cost to paint it out, then too much ongoing maintenance... I am definitely out of my comfort zone dealing with this crazy orange brick!!!
I never take a contractor's design advice...I listen to it politely and ignore. In my experience, they are going to select what is easy.
My best advice? Take your time...
If you are uncertain, don't push it...maybe email a design blogger you trust and ask their opinion? (Why not, I assume we would all LOVE to help...we share our opinions almost everyday...we like to hear ourselves talking!!!!)...or hire a designer (but you have to make sure the designer shares your taste...not always obvious)
Maybe this helped? I hope so!!!!
S
Thanks DW!!!
ReplyDeleteThey are the greatest! And honestly don't feel like we sacrificed any of the charm of the old windows!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's the same colour you picked!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks!!! .I wanted to make them fit in to what we had (to avoid spending more, finding ANOTHER contractor etc...) but this was the right thing to do!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steph!
ReplyDeleteI hope so!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks EJ!!
Love the new windows! What a difference they make. My 2 cents - when you retile your roof put on a black one on to match your door and paint the decorative trident shape the same colour as your new windows!
ReplyDeletePuke, I hate your vinyl windows and wish you would have restored the beautiful originals...or at least gone with wood replacements. Unfortunately I realize you went with the most economical choice...plastic shite!
ReplyDeleteFair enough!
ReplyDeleteHey Shannon! Long time reader, first time commenter here. I have admired your home since I stumbled upon your blog, and it was only recently that I realized we are similarly stuck with the same orange-red-brown-black combo brick tones (we also have it inside in our fireplace, and the only word I can think of to describe those lighter ones is "peachy"), plus brown roof, brown eaves, white soffits and trim. We are currently deciding what to do with our windows, and I *love* the colour you selected. Wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing what colour it is?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
p.s. Great response to the previous commenter. Well done.
Thanks Natalie!
ReplyDeleteVinylbuilt
ummm....
I forget the colour now...it comes back to me and I mean to run up and type a comment to you...but I can't get to the computer...and now that I am sitting at the computer I forget again...
starts with an S...
not slate
ahhhh, yes! SABLE
http://www.vinylbilt.com/accessory.php?ref=Colours
Got it! Thank you!!
ReplyDelete