Planning a New Greenhouse using Vintage Windows

We are going to take down our current kit greenhouse and rebuild the greenhouse with old windows. Follow us on the journey as we start with the planning phase.

Needless to say, in the planning mode, I’ve been scouring the internet for ideas of how I want this to look. “Handy” has been doing all the measuring and ciphering (do any of my younger readers even know what that word means?) 🙂 He also has some ideas of his own.

Side photo of our customized kit greenhouse and you can see the brick paver walkway and landscape block base created for the frame.
Our Current Greenhouse

On my blog Living Large in A Small House, I may sometimes use affiliate links, which means a small commission is earned if you make a purchase via the link. The price will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link. You can find my full Disclosure Policy HERE

Why A New Greenhouse

Our kit greenhouse that we bought from CostCo and modified to look more custom has served it purpose for us. However, like everything else in our home, I want something thing different. I want a structure made out of windows and painted white to match our chicken coop and the picket fence of our vegetable garden.

With a little power washing and and a few new screws the old greenhouse will be good to go next door to our neighbors house. They are looking forward to getting it.

Two people sit in a cozy, plant-filled greenhouse, enjoying an easy menu for outdoor entertaining. They are smiling and clinking glasses over a table with cheese, crackers, and meats. A lit lantern and soft, natural light create a warm atmosphere.

Planning Our New Greenhouse

I’ve drawn out what I want our greenhouse to look like and I’ve looked through thousands of pictures of other greenhouses to figure out what I want in the new greenhouse.

Because our home is small, we have a dual-purpose use for almost everything. Our greenhouse is no exception. Our greenhouse is well used when entertain outdoors. It has been a bar for both our daughter’s wedding and our son’s engagment party. It has also been where we have served cocktails and appetizers for neighborhood gatherings.

In the spring however, it serve it’s greenhouse purpose of being the spot where I can put my plants that I start from seed in the house before they are ready to go into the ground.

Having a more open area when you walk into the greenhouse will allow us to do all of these things more seamlessly.

New Greenhouse Features

Back Wall

A cozy greenhouse with a slanted glass roof, white wooden walls, potted plants and flowers, a small table and drawers, hats hanging on the wall, terracotta pots on shelves, and a black chandelier overhead.
Photo Credit Pinterest
A sunlit room with a wooden chair, a white worktable, and shelves holding pots of yellow flowers, bowls, and garden tools. Freshly picked flowers are scattered across the table and a watering can sits on the floor.
Photo Credit Pinterest
A partially constructed small shed or greenhouse with a wooden hexagonal floor and white-painted wooden frame; windows and wall panels are installed, and paint cans are on the floor. Trees surround the structure.
Photo Credit Pinterest

These are a few back wall ideas. I’m taking a combination of many for my own greenhouse.

The back wall of my greenhouse now is clear and I want to change that to a solid wall of reclaimed wood. The reason is two-fold. Behind the greenhouse is where we have our shed for our lawnmower and a compost bin. It’s also where we store our wheelbarrows and other miscellaneous garden equipment. I don’t want to see that anymore.

I also want to put my potting bench and sink on the back wall. It currently is on the right wall, right when you walk in the greenhouse. I would rather it be towards the back so that the rest of the space is more open.

Things I want to house on the back wall
  • Place for a small sink
  • Storage for pots
  • Area to hang/store tools
  • A place for a small lamp
  • Storage for potting soil
  • Hanging area for baskets
  • Place to put a card catalog to store seeds

Hinged Windows

A small white greenhouse with multiple glass windows and a clear, slanted roof stands in a garden. Several windows are propped open, and a hanging plant basket decorates the front. Lush greenery surrounds the structure.
Photo Credit Pinterest

Having some hinged windows on the four window walls will not only give good ventilation but I also think it will be so cute. I also want to have window boxes under the ones in the front of the greenhouse.

A Small Vestibule

A beautiful greenhouse with a white frame and glass walls surrounded by trees. Inside, various plants are visible. A small table and chair sit outside on a gravel path under sunny skies.

This is “Handy’s” idea. He would like to have a small vestibule with french doors that will swing into the bumped out opening so that the wind doesn’t catch them. We have issues with our current doors.

Some Kit Greenhouse Ideas

A dark blue background with a subtle, wavy abstract line pattern running across the center, reminiscent of the flowing creativity often found when living large in a small house.
This is the customized greenhouse kit assembled before we tackled the door issue

Considerations for Our Greenhouse

What We Can Change

  • The height of a walls
  • The materials that we use
  • Add a vestibule to the front

What We Can’t Change

  • The height of the roof (We have tree branches to consider)
  • The footprint of the space (We have a brick floor and landscape brick wall)

What’s Next?

I put a lot of thought into this greenhouse because I want to get it right this time. Lists are my thing and I made a list of all of the things that I needed to house in the space. I also made a list of how I wanted the greenhouse to function for me.

Pinning a lot of greenhouse ideas to my Greenhouse Pinterest Board was also helpful. I took ideas from many of those pictures and incorporated them into my idea. Then “Handy” and I talked through the whole plan to see if my ideas were even possible.

Once we had a solid plan, I had to source the vintage windows. I got really lucky with Facebook Marketplace. I was able to find most of what we needed in one location and I found the doors close to the window location. Now we just need to find a few to fill in the blanks.

Because we already have a floor and knee wall, the process of building this greenhouse will not take as much time as a build from the ground up.

I can’t wait to share the end results with you!

Peace and Love,

A blue background with hand-drawn elements sets the stage. A heart symbol flanked by two lines adds charm, while the text "Lynn xoxo" in cursive whispers a promise to make food prep easier and more delightful.
A dark blue background with a subtle, wavy abstract line pattern running across the center, reminiscent of the flowing creativity often found when living large in a small house.
About the elderly woman: With long gray hair and glasses, she wears a white knit sweater and hoop earrings, her gentle smile radiates warmth against the plain light gray background.

Meet Me

My name is Lynn. I live in the suburbs of Chicago in a 1,300 sq. ft. home with my Handy husband, Keith.

I’m an open book about my life on my blog. You can find out more about me by visiting my About page.

about Me
A dark blue background with a subtle, wavy abstract line pattern running across the center, reminiscent of the flowing creativity often found when living large in a small house.
A dark blue background with a subtle, wavy abstract line pattern running across the center, reminiscent of the flowing creativity often found when living large in a small house.

A great way to save this idea is to add it to one of your Pinterest boards. You can find the pin button on the top left of the photo when you click on it. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest

Collage showing two greenhouses: one a plain metal kit, the other a vintage-style structure with decorative windows. Text reads, “We Are Upgrading Our Greenhouse” and mentions customized kits and vintage window design.
A dark blue background with a subtle, wavy abstract line pattern running across the center, reminiscent of the flowing creativity often found when living large in a small house.
Close-up of a pink and white flower with text overlay: "What's in my cart this week at Living Large in a Small House." Green leaves are in the background. The text is in white and covers most of the image.
A dark blue background with a subtle, wavy abstract line pattern running across the center, reminiscent of the flowing creativity often found when living large in a small house.

Featured

  • Logo for "the spruce" featuring a simple outline of a house in light blue with an open door and neutral Halloween decor elements, followed by the text "the spruce" in a stylized gray font.
  • The image features the word "WANDER" in large, bold letters, evoking a sense of recollection. Below it, in smaller text, are the phrases: "LIVE WELL | EAT WELL | TRAVEL WELL." The entire text is set against a plain, light background.
A dark blue background with a subtle, wavy abstract line pattern running across the center, reminiscent of the flowing creativity often found when living large in a small house.

Web Story

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.