Bow window, part 1

The idea for a bow window came to me immediately. I knew I had to get it from day one (but acted on it only three months later). A bow creates the effect of a larger room. It adds a contemporary feel to the whole house. It's stylish. It's dramatic. It's usually found only in expensive homes. And with the size opening I had, I knew it was going to be a nicely challenging project!

My old window measured 10ft by 5ft and was single glazed, which meant it was a huge heat loser. I had to replace it quick. The room will be my office, too. So it was a high priority.


So I decided to twist somebody's arm at Pella to get an architect's deal of the century. Their 9'4" by 4'8" five-panel unit normally sells for about $3,300. It's their top-of-the-line Designer series with integral slimshade blinds (their patented feature) and low-E glazing. The slimshades were the key for me going with Pella. Regular interior window treatments (curtains, drapes, etc.) would otherwise become an unacceptable compromise in the office-type space I was trying to create because it's nearly impossible to drape a bow or bay window without hiding its best features.

Another Pella unit, a double-wide casement measuring 5'10" by 3'11" that can replace my 6ft by 4ft slider in the adjacent room, normally sells for about $1,200.

The deal I got? Both for $2,700. That's a 40% discount. The only catch was that I had to take the smaller window in their Architect series, which meant integral muntins and divided lites. It looked nice, and the same Pella style, but a different line altogether. Divided lites are more traditional looking. Their intent was naturally to showcase their top two custom series (being an architect's home office and all). I figured it was acceptable because the bow was large and different enough that the variation would seem reasonable.


Of course, the good price was just the windows! Installation was not included. It took me, working casually part time, over two months to fully complete inside and out. The toughest part was actually just getting the monster off their delivery truck's liftgate. Luckily I had friends, neighbors, and a couple of hired laborers (on the big dig day) to help me. I made an essential six-wheeled 12-foot trolley on which to put it, which later became the jacking platform.