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Before & After: Pie Window to Doorway, Part 1

9-23-08 pie4.jpg
pie window from living room, before

Before we moved in to our home, there were a few kinks we had to iron out. We generally loved the layout of our house, very open and simple. The one exception to this being the doorway from the living room in to the kitchen. From where we imagined the living room couch, the immediate view would be the bathroom. And where there should have been a door from living room to kitchen, there was a... pie window. A what?

 
 
9-23-08 pie3.jpg
pie window from kitchen, before

We're not quite sure what the original purpose was....but we dubbed it "the pie window". We went back and forth with what to do; find a cool old decorative window to install, quit our day jobs and perfect our pie dough, the list went on...but it was clear that something had to be done. It seemed to us that a doorway would fit much better there, but were we really ready to knock a hole in the wall? You betcha!

9-23-08 pie2.jpg
from the living room (mid floor-refinishing); left: old doorway, right: ex-pie window
9-23-08 pie1.jpg
from the kitchen; left: ex-pie window, right: old doorway

It made an immediate difference and we knew that we had made the right decision, but now we needed to figure out what to do with two doorways! Tomorrow: what became of the old doorway....

Tags

remodel, demolition, construction, before & after

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Comments (10)

This would be a lot more understandable if you included a rough sketch of the floor plan. I'm not sure I understand what you mean about viewing the bathroom from the sofa or what that has to do with the pie window.

But awesome renovation, regardless!

posted by lurker2209 on September 23rd 2008 at 7:56am
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From the mouldings on the kitchen-side of the wall, it's obvious that your "Pie Window" yoostobee a door when the house was originally built...

...the other door seems to have been added as a part of a later renovation - likely the same one that removed closed off the original door and added the cabinet - probably at the same time that the paneling and the 50's board and batten paneling in the kitchen were added.

posted by bepsf on September 23rd 2008 at 8:42am
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Huh. We just did this exact same thing. It's the best thing that could have happened to the flow and sightlines of our house.

Congrats on a great decision!

posted by peekay on September 23rd 2008 at 8:49am
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I have a question unrelated to the pie window (I think it looks much better btw!! Good job.). What are you going to do/have you done with that paneling in the kitchen? I have that in my house, too. I personally do not like it in my house and am plotting its demise. I'm just not sure what that will be, yet. Heh.

posted by skwiddie on September 23rd 2008 at 8:52am
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what to do if the pie window is above the kitchen sink...i.e. right in the middle of your bank of lower cupboards? can't put a doorway there. fill it in?

posted by brookeb21 on September 23rd 2008 at 9:17am
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When I read "pie window", I thought that was what it was actually called. My parents have one right above their stove, where a "pie window" might make sense. I still hate it.

posted by KelleyR on September 23rd 2008 at 9:28am
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But now where are you going to put your pies?????? :P

I'm excited to see what the after looks like!

posted by sparkle on September 23rd 2008 at 10:19am
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"what to do if the pie window is above the kitchen sink...i.e. right in the middle of your bank of lower cupboards? can't put a doorway there. fill it in?"

Why not just leave it and use it as a pass-through? Put a credenza/buffet beneath the opening and a lamp to the side - Treat the opening as if it were a framed piece of art.

posted by bepsf on September 23rd 2008 at 10:55am
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I hate pie windows -- my crazy ex-neighbors put two in. They were the most tacky, awful things. Every time I see one, I think of those people who ruined their house with those awful things.

posted by madampince on September 23rd 2008 at 6:05pm
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Methinks the 'pie window' was the original landing strip.

Which by the way.... took me months to get over when I first discovered AT. Thanks to SATC ... in my mind 'landing strip' will always be what is left after a generous Brazilian!

posted by clickchick on September 23rd 2008 at 6:54pm
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