Reader question – Aga under the window
This one is for Lindy, who asked if I’d ever seen an Aga under a window. Well, I found one, and doesn’t it look great? I know, I know, there is no visible means of ventilation here except the window, which depending on your location, you might not want to open in Winter for cooking smells to escape. And yes, you’d probably end up cleaning grease spatters off the glass a lot, but glass is at least easy to clean – easier than a stainless steel refrigerator, I think.
Photo Eric Roth, scanned from "Dream Kitchens"
I apologize for the quality of the image – it looks much better in the book Dream Kitchens: Recipes and Ideas for Modern Kitchens
One thing about a traditional Aga is that the ovens do not vent into the room at all – so you don’t smell what is cooking in them. Many a mince-pie has burned to a cinder in my Mum’s kitchen as a result (yes, we can be pretty absent minded at times). Of course, cooking on the top is a completely different matter – like so many older kitchens, my Mum’s has no extractor fan either. And we dry the laundry on an old fashioned airer in the kitchen in wet weather. Wearing clothing subtly scented with frying bacon is something you can get used to!
Color schemes, bringing the outside in
Semi-separated kitchen storage
Space age weekend escape - living in a Blob
Lindy
January 11th, 2010 at 3:25 pm #
Thanks for the picture! It is the first one I have seen with a stove under a window. Luckily my window is a box window and the actual glass sets back about 10 inches behind the Aga. (That is when it gets installed!) Hopefully it won’t be too much of a problem for cleaning.
I always wanted the mantel look over my Aga. Do you think that is something that can be incorporated when you have a window involved?
Love your site. The comments are great and make my day!
Clarity
January 11th, 2010 at 9:27 pm #
Hi Lindy – glad I could help. Combining the under the window look with the mantel look does sound like a tall order – but without seeing the space and the plans, I wouldn’t really be able to say. Are you absolutely sure the window is the only way you can go? I’m sure it could look fantastic, but it would be a shame if you still wish you had the mantel look when you are done, I don’t suppose you are going to do this too many times in your life!
I don’t know your situation, are you working with a designer? It sounds as if some time spent exploring different possibilities with a professional kitchen designer would be a worthwhile investment. Actually, worth its weight in cast iron.
Nell
January 13th, 2010 at 12:38 pm #
There are very few locations in the U.S. where the building code would permit a stove near an openable window — for reasons that should be obvious.
I’m not clear what kind of window Lindy has that will be behind the Aga, but if you’re reading, Lindy: if you haven’t done this already, please check this out with a kitchen designer or contractor who knows your local building code. That’s would be one hell of a lot of money to spend, only to have to undo the installation.
Clarity
January 13th, 2010 at 6:39 pm #
Thank you Nell, and a reminder to everyone, especially when you are acting as your own designer. CHECK YOUR LOCAL CODES. Most codes prohibit a cooking surface under an operable window. And even when they don’t, it really doesn’t seem like a safe thing to do. Another thing to watch out for is the required distance from combustible surfaces, stated in the appliance specifications. You won’t pass inspection if you don’t follow those specifications.
The image posted here is quite old, and they sure do look like operable windows, don’t they. I have no idea where in the world the picture was taken. Please don’t take it as an endorsement from me!
KansasKate
February 20th, 2010 at 4:37 am #
I echo Nell’s concern: No place I know of (in the US) would allow a stove in front of a window, with the exception of completely un-zoned rural counties where there are no building codes (something still quite common in my neck of the woods). However, just because it’s not disallowed, doesn’t mean it’s safe or sensible.
Get some design help (architect, kitchen designer, cabinet maker, photos) and create a mantel for the Aga. It seems to be what you really want; the Aga will no doubt look better in that setting; it’s safer and more practical.
Good luck and enjoy your new kitchen!
Clarity
February 21st, 2010 at 10:35 am #
The code concerns itself with operable windows – I do rather like the idea of standing at the Aga looking over the garden through an inoperable window, don’t you?