Wow! Week three of the One Room Challenge totally got away from me, but we got A LOT done. Not as much as I had hoped and planned to get done, but we have two tiny children so that is usually to be expected. I still am calling it a win! Let’s dive right in:
Here are the things we accomplished this week:
- Finished removing the old baseboards
- Started AND finished framing out all four windows.
- Purchased board and batten supplies.
- Installed new baseboards.
- Our curtains arrived!
Window Trim Tutorial
By far the biggest project that we completed this week was the window trim. All of the windows in our home are super basic, builder grade with no windowsills or trim at all. We eventually want to frame them all out over time, and this dining room makeover prompted us to use these windows as our guinea pig and start there. We had never done this before and I was honestly a little intimidated to tackle it at first, but it was one of the easiest projects we have ever done. Keep reading for a full walkthrough of our process and some before and after photos of our windows. It’s wild the difference a little bit of trim makes!
Supply List:
- Wood for windowsill (dependent on your measurements)
- Window and door trim for casing and apron
- miter saw
- jig saw (optional)
- brad nailer
- liquid nails
- level
- wood filler
- caulk
- sanding sponge
- paint
Step 1: Decide on your style
There are so many options when it comes to styles of window trim. I am drawn to more traditional trim work and it also ties in with the rest of the trim in our home, so we chose to keep things consistent and go with a traditional style.
I found this image floating around Pinterest (can’t find the original source), but I found it super helpful to give you a visual of some different style options. We chose a casing with a traditional sill similar to the third window on the top (minus the rosettes).
I calculated all of my measurements and then headed to Home Depot for supplies. I chose this trim for the casing to coordinate with our existing door frames, these door jamb boards for the window sill, and this trim for the apron below the windowsill.
Step 2: Measure and make your cuts
We made most of our cuts with a miter saw. If you don’t have one and you want to take your projects to the next level, it was a game changer for us. This is the one we have and love!
Warning: Math ahead! Honestly, this was the hardest part of the whole project, but if you can do basic math you will be just fine.
For the windowsill:
Measure the width and depth of your existing windowsill and mark that on your board. Then measure how much overhang you want in terms of depth and width and mark that as well. Your width of the overhang should be: width of window + width of casing trim x2 + measurement of your reveal x2 + amount you want your windowsill to extend beyond the trim. My 1 x 5 door jamb board allowed for about an inch and a half of overhang in depth and about an inch on each side beyond the rest of the trim.
My measurements on our small windows to give you an example:
Our casing trim is 2.5 inches and I chose to leave a 1/4 inch reveal (the amount of space between the edge of the window and where the casing begins). I wanted my windowsill to extend 1 inch past the width of the casing. So I added 7.5″ (2.5″ x 2 + 1/4″ x 2 + 1″ x 2) to my existing windowsill width of 28.5″ for an outer windowsill measurement of 36″.
We used a jig saw to cut out these notches out on the windowsill.
For the casing:
Measure the height from window sill ledge to top corner of your window on each side, mark it, and cut with a miter saw at a 45 degree angle. (make sure your measurement is at the inside corner and it angles up and out from there.) The bottom is a straight cut to sit on top of the windowsill as pictured above. For the top piece of trim measure the distance between the inner corners of your side trim (should be the width of your window + your reveal measurements). Miter both ends of this board. (Again, make sure the inner edge is your measurement and angle up and out from there.)
For the apron:
Your apron should be the same width as your window casing. We did this part wrong initially and we still need to go back and finish it off with a return piece, so I will update this tutorial once we finish that part. But do yourself a favor and do this right the first time! We made straight cuts on the edge of the apron and it just doesn’t look finished. Miter the edge of your apron, and then miter a small scrap piece of the same trim to attach to the edge for a more finished, professional look.
Here is a photo from 1985 (ha!) to best explain the concept:
This post from Better Homes & Gardens does a great job explaining the mitered return piece.
Step 3: Install windowsill, casing, and apron
We used liquid nails for good measure, and a brad nailer to fasten the windowsill, casing, and apron around the window. This is the brad nailer we love and use for almost all of our projects.
Make sure to mark your “reveal” and line all of your trim up to that. And don’t forget to make sure that everything is level before nailing it in!
Step 4: Fill nail holes and caulk all seams
Use wood filler to fill in all holes. I just apply this with my finger, leave a little extra, and then sand it smooth once it dries.
Apply caulk with a caulk gun. Make sure it is paintable! This one is great for trim. I like to smooth it out with my finger first and then use a wet rag to clean it up.
Once everything is dry, give it a quick sanding with a fine grit sanding sponge to smooth it all out and prepare for paint. Wipe any sawdust or residue away with a tack cloth.
Step 5: Paint!
I used this HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams Infinity paint on our kitchen cabinets and fell in love with it, so I am using it for our window trim and board and batten as well. I chose a satin finish and we had it color matched to Sherwin Williams Pure White to match the rest of our trim.
All in all this is definitely one of the easiest projects we’ve tackled, and now I am so confident that we will be able to do all of the windows in our home over time! It is such a simple project, but it makes such a huge difference in the look of your windows and truly makes your home feel so much more custom and polished. I highly recommend it as a beginner friendly project with a huge impact.
I am so excited for these newly trimmed out windows to elevate the look of our dining room and add so much character and elegance to my design for this space.
Plans for the dining room this coming week:
- finish installing & painting board & batten
- hang curtains
- order supplies for the built-in desk
- continue my vintage china cabinet search
A little preview of what’s to come! Can’t wait to hang these pretties on our newly framed windows, and I’m excited to continue sharing the process of making over this space. I have been sharing so much behind the scenes into my thought process, design decisions, road bumps, etc over on my Instagram account @stephanie.jane.cameron, so be sure to follow along there if you aren’t already. Don’t forget to check out the One Room Challenge to see what all of the other designers and guest participants are up to, and then check back here next week for more progress on our dining room!
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