The Big Window and Door Switcheroo- The Reveal

Finally, finally, against all odds and challenges I can happily say that our little dream of adding a third bedroom to our cabin Up North is complete.  Sure, the working third bedroom has been with us since March, but it started a chain reaction of construction projects that took over 6 months to complete.  When we added a wall to create the third bedroom, we needed to add a new entry door on the side of the house, which meant we needed to extend the deck to the new door so we had stairs to get up into it, which lead to having to rebuild the entire deck.  Then we had to add a portico over the new door and build a coat rack to replace the lost closet. Then we had to remove the old door from the bedroom and replace it with a window, which meant we had to remove the window from the Living Room.  Did you get all that? 

It is done now you guys.  Beautiful and done.  

But let me back up a second and fill in a few last details.  On the morning of Day 4, I grabbed my bucket of red exterior paint and Cheshire Cat grin.   In less than 20 minutes the old Living Room window had completely disappeared.

Looks like it has always been that way, right?

 On the inside, we intentionally didn't spend the time or the money to make this window patch flawless, as we have big plans for this wall.  But I'd say it does the trick for now.

From a distance, our patch is nearly invisible, which will tie me over for a little while until I start itching to build a fireplace surrounded by floor to ceiling shelving... must... restrain... myself...

With the side of the house complete, I moved my painting party up to the new bedroom window/old door.  My Big 'Lil Man (no, not the Hubs) helped.

 

With the red paint on, the wall was looking fantastic:

But the window trim needed a little love:

Cue the caulk, primer and exterior white trim paint:

Much better:

Two coats later and somehow, magically, just as we planned it, the window looks identical to the others on this side of the cabin, and looks like it has always been there.

Sure, I know what you're going to say.

"There's a big cement sidewalk and stair leading to a window!"

I am aware of this my friends, I'm just choosing not to recognize it right now.  We already decided that 2015 would be the year of the exterior, and we have a few projects planned including tearing out the steps and sidewalk then adding a new one. But right now, I'm only thinking about that beautiful "new" window.

But it looks even prettier from inside.  Check this out:

I love how this small room is flooded with light now from both windows.  It makes it look so much bigger.  I can't wait to start decorating it in our High End Bunk House plan. (Hold me back!) The trim all went back to where it started perfectly.

So one long, beautiful weekend later and I officially have the biggest of the cabin reno monkeys off my back.  Now let's enjoy 4 days of work in a fraction of a second with the before and afters:

The Living Room window removal outside:

And inside:

The Third Bedroom door removal and window install outside:

And inside:

And with that I think we've earned a work free weekend up at the cabin.  Nothing but apple orchards, campfires, card games and a couple of adult beverages.  And maybe some curtain hanging... I can't stop myself.