How to Install Transom Windows - The Chronicles of Home

I’m so completely thrilled with the way the kitchen renovation is coming together, it’s hard for me to pick a favorite part…but if I had to pick, it would be a toss up between the new countertops and the transom windows.

The big part of the kitchen project we hired out was the opening up of the wall between the kitchen and family room.

I swear, every pipe and wire in the first floor must have run through this wall, so it was beyond Scott’s or my skill set to reroute everything ourselves. We met a carpenter when we lived in our last house, Chris Skocay, who is just wonderful, so we were very happy to have him run the opening of the wall and then we hired out the plumbing and electrical work separately.

Once the electrical and plumbing work was done, Chris opened the wall up completely and framed out the opening with wood boards.

I’ve been so excited to tell you about my source for the transom windows, Transoms Direct. They have so many different style options and all of their transom windows are offered in completely customizable sizes. The quality is fantastic and even Chris, who is a master carpenter, was impressed with them and said he would order them for future projects. I can’t say enough great things about their product – just top-notch.

We ordered a very traditional style transom, and once they arrived Chris got to work installing them.

We had three separate transoms, so Chris installed them one by one, starting with the one along the wall.

Each transom was screwed into the wood piece above to hold it in place, and then secured to the side and top surround pieces with brad nails.

From there, Chris attached the center transom, using shims and moulding pieces to make sure spacing between the transoms was right and that they sat level to one another.

Once the third transom was attached, Chris attached finish moulding around the entire opening and finish pieces along the bottom of the transoms and to cover any places where the transoms meet to make the whole thing look like one continuous piece.

I filled all the nail holes and painted the moulding with Benjamin Moore Dove White in semi-gloss.

To say I’m thrilled with the final result is a tremendous understatement. The transoms makes the division between the kitchen and family room look like an intentional architectural detail instead of a necessary housing for pipes and wires, and add so much interest and sophistication to the space. I love, love, LOVE how it came out.

There’s no direct window into this part of the kitchen, but opening the wall up flooded so much light from the family room into the kitchen.

I know the novelty will eventually wear off and I’ll stop getting happiness butterflies every time I walk into the kitchen, but I know I will love this update for a long, long time. It’s completely changed the feel of the whole kitchen.

Tomorrow I’ll be talking paint in the kitchen and family room and then we’ll be all done here with the kitchen until I get the cabinets painted. I’m positively itching to get started and really call this kitchen project DONE!