I love architecture and interesting woodwork. Our new construction home had ZERO architectural interest. Bare bones I tell you and no extras. The windows were super plain and I always wanted to add some craftsman style molding.

We had one lone window in the laundry room and I decided it would be the perfect spot to add wood detail. Think about this – once you add it to one window in an open room you need to be committed to doing ALL of the windows. Decided to start small!

Here’s a Pinterest screenshot showing all of the measurements. I saved the pic but not the source- sorry I can’t credit the fine person who so clearly outlined the boards!

You will have to measure your window to determine the length across the top and bottom and cut them all the same length. You will also need to measure/modify the length needed for each side of the window and cut one for each side or 2 total. Make sense? It’s all straight cuts and so much simpler than I thought.

Meet Plain Jane window 1 of 27. I swear I counted them once and it was 27!!! I’m sure we KNEW at one time because we contracted blinds to be put on all of them from Japan.

I measured my window and marked up the wall with sharpie. I used a crowbar to pull up the old windowsill after debating leaving it alone and put wood over it. I didn’t know if that would work so I took it off. No going back now!

I hammered in the boards to the left, right and below the window first. Then I built the top of the window frame outside and attached it prebuilt by just sitting it on top.

This is the window molding attached and unpainted which makes it a bit easier to see it all built out. So much better than the plain Jane window.

I primed it and gave it 2 coats of white ProClassic Interior Enamel Latex from SW.

Loooooved the beefed up frame! This is the one and only window I completed. I kind of feared starting out in the open concept area because that meant completing all of them. Had we stayed I would have done all of the windows, skipped the mini blinds (dust collectors I tell ya) and just used panels hung high and wide for privacy or shade/light blocking.

Alas- should you want to add architectural interest here’s some instructional tips and I absolutely say GO FOR IT!