Decorative plates are one of my favorite kitchen wall decorations. Colorful plates are much less expensive than prints or painting and can add pizzaz to your walls. You can hang them on fancy wrought iron hangers that cost about $20.00 each or just buy inexpensive spring type hangers for a couple of bucks. If your kitchen has a special theme, you can get plates that match or compliment theme. If your kitchen is just a colorful mish mash then you can use colorful plates to accent and add interest. You can group plates with a certain theme like plates with birds on them or plates with cats or even plates with scenes of your hometown. Plates can be bought cheaply at yard sales, consignment stores and flea markets.

Another great decorating idea for your kitchen walls is family photos. You can put them in frames that match your decor and arrange them on wall. They can fit into any decorating scheme but if your kitchen is vintage, Victorian or french country all better! Plus they add an interesting nostalgia to room and you get to actually display them instead of keeping them in a closet!

Retrofit window installation is really easiest of all. The retrofit window already comes with an exterior trim attached. That's flush fin that goes against outside surface, usually stucco. Prepare window by drilling 3/8" holes in areas of frame where you want to screw it in place. Normally, there will be 3 holes on each side and 3 more across top. Don't drill any holes in bottom track. After removing old panels, you want to run a heavy bead of caulk on face of old aluminum frame that you left in place. Then you and a helper set bottom of vinyl window onto old aluminum bottom track and raise it into position. The flush fin or retrofit lip will act as a "stop" to hold window in place. Have your helper hold window while you go inside.

Once inside, you want to center window in opening. Slide vent panel open and closed to make sure window is plumb and level. To adjust for out of square conditions, shim bottom right or left corner by placing a shimming material between sill and bottom of window frame. Once square, drive a 3" deck screw through 3/8" holes and into wood studs.Just seat screw, don't overtighten. After you get screws into sides and top, remove sliding panel. The bottom track should lift out. Look for drainage holes in track and insert a thin screwdriver and lift up. Drive one screw in bottom center, caulk around screw head, then put track back in place and re-install sliding panel. Now, you want to go back outside and caulk gap where retrofit fin meets exterior surface of house. You want to have a double barrier of protection against water infiltration. Remember, you already applied a generous bead of caulk before inserting new frame into opening. The rest of job is done on inside.