When Melissa Douglas purchased a new home in Marietta, Georgia, one of the things that drew her family to the house was the outdoor screen porch. “We love using it,” she said. 

The original kitchen window separated the inside and the porch, so Melissa added that to her project list when planning a kitchen renovation. According to Melissa, “One of the biggest things I wanted to accomplish was getting the indoor and outdoor space to combine and give a better flow between the two.”  

Melissa considered using an accordion-style Horizontal Folding Window but did not want the kitchen to look different from the other single-pane windows on the back of her house. She also wanted a window with no track or sill for a smooth countertop. 

She said, “We really wanted to find one window that could be used as a pass-through and, when not in use, gives us a beautiful view of the back yard with no partitions or distractions.”

While looking online for pass-through windows, Melissa found the Gas Strut Window by ActivWall. She reached out to find more information and worked with ActivWall’s engineering team to customize the perfect window for her space. With guidance from her designer Trish Wallet, Melissa opted to lower the window opening to counter height and then extended the countertops through the opening to create a bar area in the screened-in porch.

The 71″ wide by 62″ high window was manufactured in Martinsville, Virginia, and shipped directly to Melissa’s home for her contractor WellDone Remodel to install it. “Working with ActivWall was a pleasure,” she said. “From the first time I reached out, throughout the whole design process, and then fabrication, the team kept me updated on what was going on and was always available for any questions I might have.” She noted that WellDone Remodel researched the product to know how to install it and had a team ready to make the dream a reality.