artsandcrafts

This is part home improvement, part craft.

You know those old fashioned windows with a box around the inside of the window, right at the very top?  This photo from PersiennesBellissimo shows a good example.

I’ve always thought these were so classy, and when I painted my daughter’s room a very neutral rose color with a silver type pattern, I decided to add some of these boxes to her window.

First, you will need some wood.  Use any type you want, but remember that using something like MDF will just mean an extra step of covering it with a wood veneer later.  Why not save the trouble, spend a couple of extra dollars, and get a nice panel of oak or cherry?

Take the piece of wood and decide your dimensions.  You will have three panels and a bracer bar along the back.   For the front, measure down from the ceiling, allowing a little extra room at the bottom to saw off later.  Also, measure how far across you want it.  Naturally, it needs to be at least as wide as the window, but I recommend going out a little past it.   For the sides, you want to measure how far out from the window you want the box to be (how deep).  Take your sides and miter cut them and the front so that they fit together with nice corners.  Nail these together so they are very secure.

Using L-shaped brackets, affix them to the inside corners for added strength.  Then, you’re ready to fit it to the wall.  Using the same L-shaped brackets, you can affix them so that one side will attach along the sides, and the other will be able to attach to the ceiling.  To make it easiest, you may want to add additional bracer bars along the top.  These will be  hidden inside the piece, and you can screw straight through them and into studs.  Also, along the bracer bar in back, screw it into the wall.  MAKE SURE you screw into your home’s studs, because this will make sure it stays perfectly in place.  Once you make sure everything is square, you can saw off the extra so that it’s the right height.  Taking it down from the wall will make this easiest.

To finish miter cut some trim and attach it to the top of the wall so that it looks beautiful.  Stain it, and even add a wooden medallion, available at almost any home improvement store.  And with this project that can be done in an afternoon, you’ve added quite a classy look, and quite a bit of value to your home.

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