We can never resist entering a contest (a few of you may remember our infamous Blair Witch/Home Depot video) so when we read that Houseblogs.net was sponsoring a sweepstakes in partnership with True Value we, of course, had to enter.

We’ve done so many DIY projects here at Bungalow Insanity, it’s hard to choose a favorite, but one which stands out among many is our kitchen remodel. Basically, we designed the entire kitchen around four $10 salvaged windows.

When we purchased our house way back in July of 2004, the kitchen was sporting a face-lift acquired in 1962. The cabinets, flooring and appliances were all fairly hideous, but what we hated most were the sliding aluminum windows. Totally inappropriate for an 1911 bungalow!

So, when we found these windows at the ReBuilding Center for only $10 apiece, we were ecstatic.

Of course, finding the windows was easy. Installing them was the hard part. First we had to re-frame both exterior walls.

We then had to insulate, drywall, stain and install a whole kitchen’s worth of stuff before we were ready to hang our $40 set of windows:

In retrospect, our “bargain” windows may not have been such a bargain in terms of time or money (considering all we needed to do to incorporate them into the kitchen), but we love them nonetheless. Unlike their sliding aluminum predecessors, they look as though they have always been here.

Now if we could just get around to tiling our backsplashes, our kitchen would finally be complete!

This post was written for Houseblogs.net as a part of a sweepstakes sponsored by True Value. If you would like to submit your own contest entry, visit click here or visit www.StartRightStartHere.com.

Are you currently involved in a “green” renovation/restoration, or planning to embark upon one sometime in the next year? If so, the National Trust for Historic Preservation wants to hear from you!

Which products and/or methods of eco-friendly construction have you used? Have you been happy with the results? What did you learn along the way? Looking back, is there anything you would do differently?

Just fill out this survey and your green-renovation expertise could help other homeowners achieve the environmentally-friendly remodel of their dreams.