I added simple trim with pre-made corners to add some drama to this little nook. It’s urethane, so it’s very lightweight and easy to work with. It’s flexible and easy to cut, so you won’t need a power saw.
You haven’t seen much of this reading nook on the blog! I left it empty for two years, hoping to save for a floor-to-ceiling library with faux fireplace — and maybe even a ladder. Fancy, huh? Well, we decided it was more prudent to save for new windows as our house doesn’t have any shutters or protection against hurricanes.
So I had to find a simple way to fill this space in the meantime. It will be awhile before we get to this. One day! And I’m good with that.
We replaced the fan with this pretty capiz globe from West Elm. Unfortunately they no longer have it and the closest thing I can find is more pricey from Serena and Lily. It adds such a nice glow and acts as a focal point.
When the electrician put the globe up I asked that he put this plastic ceiling medallion underneath. It was only $14, but adds a lovely detail. I wish I would have gone even bigger and more dramatic with the size, but that’s ok.
On a random Saturday I took two IKEA Kallax shelves from the playroom and put all our books in them. We loved it! We could finally see all our books in one place! And the space was already coming to life.
As I imagined how it would take shape, I thought trim moulding would give a regal character and draw the eye up to the tall ceiling.
I ordered the corner pieces and matching trim and couldn’t wait to get them up!
No power tools are required for this project, not even a drill. I used my new miter saw to cut the pieces, but you can use a hand saw no problem. The trim material is urethane and cuts very easily.
Materials
- corner trim
- trim
- level
- tape measure
- pencil
- saw (miter, hand or drywall tool)
- caulk gun
- Liquid Nails
- hammer
- nail setter
- finishing nails
- caulk
Instructions
- Measure, plan and order materials.
- Measure again and mark on the wall where the corner pieces will go.
- Apply Liquid Nails to back of the corners and hammer into place with finishing nails.
- Now measure the spaces between corner pieces and cut accordingly. You will probably have slight variations, so measure twice and write it down.
- Cut the trim pieces to fit. Be aware that all walls are different. These walls look identical, but one is slightly larger.
- I measured all the way down and drew a light line in pencil using my level’s edge so I knew exactly where to place the trim.
- Apply liquid nails to the back of the long trim and hammer in place with finishing nails. Be careful not to apply too much glue or it will seep out the sides.
- Use a nail setter to tap the nails in just below the moulding surface so you can caulk over them.
- Wait for the glue to dry and caulk ALLLLLL the edges. I use soapy water to dip my finger in for smooth lines.
- And finally you can paint it. I have yet to do this step, haha!
I would say this took me about 6 hours total. I split it over two days.
Watch the video to see it in action:
It makes such a huge impact, doesn’t it? I’ll have the full “finished” tour of the reading nook up next week!
And finally I added this fancy moulding onlay ($29) to the top of the window! It is also lightweight so I just applied Liquid Nails on the back and used two finishing nails to put in in place.
I bought two more for our other rounded windows. They have many onlay options for rectangular windows as well. Just make sure you get one large enough. Mine is borderline too small.
I also added gold picture frames to go all the way up the wall. You can see them (and even make your own!) flowers for FREE in this post: 5 incredibly easy art ideas.
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I used similar moulding in my daughter’s room to frame this lovely mural.
I also have a post with the easiest way to do wainscoting. Pre-made frames and a chair rail go up in an hour!
Looks great! For my own knowledge, is there a reason you didn’t caulk around the edges of the more decorative piece above the window?
Hi Jordan! The decorative piece fit snug enough against the wall that I just skipped caulking for the time being. I have two more two put up in other rooms and thought I would caulk them all at the same time. But I still haven’t put them up! Long story long — laziness, haha!!
Hi Kate, thank you for the reply! When you do end up doing the caulking around some of those more ornate edges, can you let us know how it goes? I want to do one with all those curves in my house, but I’m scared I’ll need a professional lol.