Window "Eyeliner" Is the Trick to Making a Room Look Instantly Finished

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Sometimes a room doesn’t need a complete overhaul—it just needs a little something. A spark, a zhush, extra zest. Enter: non-traditional window trim. Like a swipe of eyeliner or an unexpected accessory, it can make the whole space feel more considered. There’s an option for every ambition level, from colorful paint and peel-and-stick wallpaper to sculptural scallops and permanent tilework. Here are some fresh ideas to get you going.

Slick the Frame in an Unexpected Paint Color

In Minna founder Sara Berks’ Germantown farmhouse, the blue trim surrounds both windows and door frames. Photography by Belle Morizio, Styling by Olivia Bloch, Art Direction By Brit Ashcraft

The trim in this laundry room renovation is Dunn-Edwards’ Midnight Garden; the effect allows the windows to visually recede while drawing attention to the surrounding landscape. Photography by Paul Cozzi and Third Wall Photography

Painting is the swiftest way to turn a standard window into a focal point. Rather than match the surrounding walls or defaulting to white, you can outline yours in a contrasting shade or use a subtly darker hue of an adjacent color for a tonal effect. Adding undulating waves, color-blocking, or going with a two-tone scheme are additional opportunities to take the design up a notch.

Go For a Wallpaper Border

At the Asticou Hotel in Maine, checkered borders surround some of the cottage windows on the property. Photography by Sam Richard

A slim strip of wallpaper can create the look of decorative molding without all the carpentry. Frame the entire opening in a small-scale print, apply it just inside the recess, or use leftover scraps to turn the sill into a tiny pattern moment. Peel-and-stick paper makes the idea especially renter-friendly.

Soften the Edges With Scallops and Curves

“I loved the idea of doing something outside of the box and creative for the window trim,” says Sanchez-Traylor. Photography by Andrea Sanchez-Traylor

Wavy or zigzagged trim lends whimsy and personality to an otherwise sharp edge. TikTok creator Andrea Sanchez-Traylor used scalloped strips to spruce up the windows in her daughter’s room, installing them like traditional casing. She and her husband secured it all with a nail gun, then painted it the same color as the room’s other millwork for a seamless look. The result is fun and frilly without feeling overly fussy. You can also mimic the shape with cut MDF or a painted border.

Build a Beaded Cornice

blue wallpapered hallway with bobbin — The bobbin trim is painted in Edward Bulmer’s Vert de Mer and paired with tonal blue wallpaper from Sandberg. Photography by Astrid Templier

For a window treatment with jewelry-like detail, take a cue from London designer Lucinda Sanford. Inspired by the delicate plaster molding she once spotted in an Irish bedroom, Sanford devised a budget-friendly version using oversized wooden bobbin trim. The finishing touch comes in strips that are flat on the back, making it easy to glue onto a simple cornice or directly around a window frame. Sanford originally used the trick to elevate plain doors and MDF baseboards, securing the raw strips with glue and a few nails before coating everything in paint. Her one recommendation: Have the beading primed and spray-painted off-site if you can.

Treat Tile Like Trim

Clé’s hand-painted tiles surround a window, which adds a richness to the space. Courtesy of Clé

Tile doesn’t have to stop at the backsplash, walls, or floor. Carrying it around a kitchen or bathroom window makes it feel fully integrated and turns a practical surface into a decorative frame. Contrasting pencil tile, colorful squares, or a patterned border can emphasize the effect.