Adding a window in your kitchen renovation might be in order – especially if you want to blur indoor-outdoor boundaries. Here’s how to add a window, without drama and, if you’re brave, without the help of a kitchen remodeling contractor!

Old kitchen designs often have poky windows, so widening them might be high on your agenda. You’ll need a building permit to make any structural alterations, including adding a window. If you’re on a tight budget, you might replace the window but make do with the existing opening (avoiding costly structural changes) and install extra lights in the ceiling or underneath overhead cupboards.

Where kitchen windows look out to an outdoor living space, a trend is to remove the old window and install a bi-fold servery window. Here, you end up with a beautiful counter effect between living spaces. Sliding windows can also allow a servery, with a bar-type arrangement outside.

This should be a major factor when making decisions about adding windows to an existing kitchen design. For example, if the kitchen is on a back wall, the wall may be taken out to create an island bench, or an outdoor space developed on the other side. Alternatively, the window may be taken out to create an opening between the kitchen and meals area.

Hooded windows (like bay windows with glass roofs) are a clutter-free option, allowing more light, a better view and even space for some pot plants. They not only add impact, but often fit into the existing window opening.

Slot windows can also make a great kitchen design statement. These narrow windows that run directly along the benchtop are a good alternative to an eye-level window next to your neighbours’ house or an unsightly fence. You not only get plenty of cupboard space above them, but a decent level of daylight directly on the benchtops.

Whatever you do, don’t rush in and renovate your kitchen without considering the grand scheme of your home and the impact that adding a window in your kitchen will have. Master planning first means you won’t end up regretting the changes later on, and if you’re unsure, talk to a kitchen renovation specialist: