How I Added Bespoke Craftsman Architraves and Window Casing in our New Build to Add Character!

Our home is a new-ish build (it was built in 2017 and we are the second owners!). When we bought it the last owners had not completed any major work since they purchased the home. They also kept the house in amazing condition. So by all definitions I can still refer to our home as a new build. Though in great condition, our new house felt soulless- as is often the case with a new build.

Once we got our hands on the keys, I eagerly set to work renovating our house by adding character features that would breath some old world soul into the walls. Many, if not all, of our first projects were centred around this cause.

One of the biggest projects I planned for our renovation was to replace and add architraves and window casing to all interior doors and windows in our downstairs. Read on to learn how I designed and installed these features from timber you can find at most DIY shops!

Our window seat and window casing really finish an awkward and unused space in our living room.

But first, what is an “architrave”?

We walk past and under architraves on a daily basis, but do that many of us know what they are? An architrave is the decorative trim detailing around a door frame, usually made of wood. They are sometimes referred to as door trim, framing, or surround. While decorative, they are useful for builders to hide any imperfections in seams and joins where the door framing meets the wall. Throughout time, designers and architects have created different styles of architraves to add decorative flair to interiors. Certain styles of architraves are synonymous with specific periods of time in interior design history.

What is window casing?

Window casing (sometimes referred to as trim, framing, or a surround), are similar in utility and design to architraves, except around the window. They will include a window sill and apron underneath the window. Usually one home will have architraves and window casing in the same styles.

Why buy a new build home if you’re just going to renovate it to feel older?

Architraves in progress!

I have a love for older homes. We have owned two older properties which we have lovingly renovated and restored. However, there are qualities in older homes which I find challenging. When we were in the process of purchasing this home, we opted for a new build for a variety of reasons. New builds have lower energy costs with better efficiency, decent sized bedrooms, and a good number of bathrooms. While with a new build I miss the opportunity to “conserve” a character property and uncover quirky bits of history while renovating, I don’t miss uncovering some of the costly surprises renovating older homes may also bring. Conserving time and money is a priority for us in our current season of life with two young children.

The architraves we added in our living room and hallway, finished!

Remodelling our new build by adding character and using history as inspiration gets the best of both old and new.

Yes, it is a lot of extra (and sometimes potentially unneccessary) work to add character in. However, I believe it is well worth the extra mile the same as any home improvement is.

Why did I swap out and add architraves and window casing to add character?

New builds often lack window casing and architraves for patio or any exterior doors. It is a seemingly small detail that sets new builds apart from older homes. Most new builds in the UK only have architraves on interior door door frames. Historical homes often feature more casing and architraves on all doors, windows, and wall openings- and this is in part due to the necessity of framing with plastered walls (prior to the invention of plasterboard/drywall/sheetrock).

Since I wanted to infuse some historical charm into our home, one of the bigger projects I set out for our home was to replace and add all interior architraves with a different style of architrave. Additionally, I added window casing to all windows to match the new architraves.

While changing and adding these features may seem like a minor detail, I knew adding these details would add new layers to the spaces and give my home that historical and unique “feel”.

While it may seem like a minor detail, it was not such a minor DIY.

The process of adding these features was slightly tedious and repetitive at times. It required perseverance to complete all windows and doors. However, as a novice DIYer it was very doable- especially since caulk and filler can be used in abundance.

How did I choose the design for my architraves?

My new build home featured a contemporary form of architraves. New builds (especially ones built on large estates like ours) are known for being built en-masse and with fairly forgettable features. As a result, the previous architraves were crowd pleasers but nothing special. The architraves in new builds are off the shelf and standard.

Since I am only an enthusiast and not a historian- here is a good article explaining some of the different styles of architraves found in the UK, including some modern options.

Georgian and Victorian frames for example are beautiful and can feature oversized and ornate detailing. In order to install historically accurate architraves and window casing, or any unique or rare designs, consulting a specialist or carpenter would be necessary.

The architraves and window casing I installed are unique to the UK as the design is based upon craftsman style features found mostly in North America and some other parts of the world. The Arts and Crafts movement from the end of the 19th century, into the beginning of the 20th century followed the Victorian era. On both sides of the Atlantic, the architecture and interior design focused heavily on using clean lines with an emphasis on craftsmanship. In the UK this defined the Arts and Crafts movement which was a philosophy around art and design during this time period. In North America, the Arts and Crafts movement translated into architecture and interior design- popularized through Craftsman bungalows and now through Modern Farmhouse design trends. I found this article really helpful in understanding how the movement evolved on either side of the Atlantic.

The choice to install craftsman architectural features in my home was personal to me. As an interiors enthusiast for as long as I can remember, I spent much of my childhood dreaming up what my home would eventually look like. I grew up in the USA, and I always admired craftsman style details and craftsman bungalows which are commonplace in North America, but not as much here in the UK. As I was creating a space for me, I decided to install this type of detailing in my home.

From a design perspective, I admire the clean and geometric lines of American craftsman architraves and window casings. The style also features a top heavy header which is thicker than the framing on the sides of the door and window. This thickness at the top of the framing makes the doorway and window appear larger and taller. This feature brings the eye up and extends the height of the walls as well to give the illusion that the ceilings are taller than they are!

I think it shows better in real life, but the architraves make the room feel taller than it is!

How did I create the design for my architraves and window surrounds?

Since American style craftsman details are not common here in the UK, they cannot be found “off the shelf” (I did not find any options at least in my own search). The option I therefore had was to hire a carpenter to make and install bespoke surrounds. This is of course never really option for me or my budget. So, I therefore set to work designing my own surrounds, and sourcing the material to build them.

I learned many of the details I needed to design my surrounds through the internet- from measurements and sizes, to new terminology I have never needed to use before but became very well aquainted with through this process.

Here is a diagram of a classic style of Craftsman architrave and the terms used for each component:

The cap, frieze and filets make up the “header”!

In order to understand the size of the materials and components I would need, I gathered some of the typical measurements for these surrounds. Since much of the material I was reading was published and intended for homeowners in the US and Canada, I knew I needed to “test” sizing before installing.

I ventured to my local Wickes to source some of the material I would need for an architrave. I then used my mitre saw to make a few cuts and put together a test architrave to see if it would work. Turned out the measurements advised online were on a scale that was slightly too large for my British home (as I had suspected). I think due to the higher ceilings, and larger porportions in homes found in North America, the typical measurements for implementing this Craftsman detailing in the UK would not work. So I scaled them down and created the below design based upon standard sized timber I could find at Wickes and B&Q.

How did I install the architraves and window casing?

I will be releasing a step by step guide including all step by step details, measurement guides, diagrams, and a clickable shopping list very soon! If you are looking to complete this project, this may be helpful. As always, please do note I am a novice DIYer and I am not a qualified professional in any way. All advice is purely based on my experience and my own home. All precautions should be taken before completing this project. Specifically for this project, the work I did was not impactful to the actual structure of my home and is purely decorative. This may not be the case in all properties. Additionally, I installed this timber in a way that I have deemed safe and secure but at my own risk.

Please subscribe to my blog to receive an update when this tutorial is released!

Before beginning this installation, it is important to measure the wall openings. The architrave and casing should be flush or continuous with the inside of the wall openings (or frames if it is a doorway). Additionally for doorways, hinges should be taken into account for where the architrave sides will be positioned.

The installation of the architraves and window casing is straightforward. I sourced all necessary timber from Wickes. There are a few tools that make the job easier.

A few of the headers I created.

• Mitre saw

• Electric sander and mid and fine grit sandpaper

• Nail gun with small and large bradnails

Additional items to have on hand:

• Adhesive (this is one my favorite)

• Levellers

• Caulk

• Wood filler

After using a mitre saw to make all timber cuts, I sanded the pieces with a sander. This step is important!

Once all cuts were made and sanded, I assembled the header pieces on the floor (a table could be used as well if that works). This part of the process was tricky and required stacking the pieces together and using the nail gun (loaded with small nails) and adhesive to bond the pieces together. Positioning the pieces accurately per my design was difficult but assembling the entire header on the floor, instead of on the wall itself was easier.

Once the headers were created, I then secured the sides of the architraves and windows to the wall. For windows, the sides rest on either side of the window on the window sill. For architraves, they rest on the floor. All of the trim should be flush with the framing or wall opening. I applied adhesive to the back of the timber in an “S” formation and then positioned the piece in the correct spot. I then used my nail gun (loaded with long nails) to secure the piece in place.

I continued securing all pieces of the architrave and window casing per the above process, completing the sides first, then adding the headers and for windows, an apron below the sill.

Our Lootility

When installing the headers, I prioritised ensuring the header was level. So, some headers may not have rested completely on the sides as sometimes door frames and walls are not perfect geometry and the sides may have been a few millimeters off. Any gaps was something that caulk could fix!

Additionally, when installing architraves on the door frames, I positioned the sides slightly over if I was accounting for a hinge.

Once all architraves and window casings were installed, I then caulked any small gaps and used filler to fix any imperfections. Be sure to caulk around the perimeter of the casings, where the timber meets the wall as well. This is a fairly extensive process but it is important to complete this prior to beginning the paint and all final touches!

After caulking all the details, I applied two coats of primer and paint with a light sand between coats.

The installation of all of nine of my architraves and four of my window casings took me a few months between life and other priorities. I also spent a lot of time working through trial and error (keep reading for some of my tips). Hopefully now this project would take someone else a little less time.

Some top tips to consider:

• Using MDF instead of wood would be a more cost effective way of installing these details.

• If you are using wood, be sure to check your pieces are not warped or use timber that is treated so it doesn’t warp. The thinner a piece of timber, the more likely it is warped so I faced this issue a lot with this project.

• Sand, sand, sand FIRST. This is a mistake I made on my first few architraves. Sanding all edges, especially the ones that were cut with a saw must be sanded and it is easier to do this right after cutting the pieces. It is much more challenging to rectify this after installing. Please learn from my mistakes!

• Minimize the number of knots in the wood. I had some knots and rectified with filler but this is added work that could be avoided.

• Do not complete this job unless you have a nail gun. This project is doable without a nail gun, but since it is so tedious as is, you may not make it out without going insane. I highly recommend this Ryobi nail gun, I use it in almost all projects.

• I also highly recommend purchasing a mitre saw if you do not already have this. Especially if you are completing multiple architraves and casings.

Be sure to grab my tutorial once its released if you are interested in giving this a go! Subscribe to my newsletter to know when I release the tutorial. Good luck and happy DIYing!