The most impactful change you can make to any space in your home is upgrading the trim. Read on to learn how easy it is to add craftsman trim throughout your home.

Room makeovers are my favorite kind of DIY project. One thing I have done in every single room makeover is change out the trim. Getting rid of that boring builder grade trim does wonders for a room. Add the thick, substantial trim and it’s amazing!! Instant recipe to elevate a space!

Craftsman trim adds so much character. It’s the perfect blend of timeless and classic.

An Easy How To Install Craftsman Trim Tutorial

Which room are you ready to make a huge impact in first? Will it be your living room, dining room, or maybe a bedroom? Or possibly start with a small space like a bathroom or entryway.

Whatever room you choose, you’re going to love the clean lines and timeless elegance that craftsman trim brings to your home.

Removing the Old Trim

The first step, as I’m sure you probably guessed, is to remove your old trim. I have found the best way to do this is with these tools:

• hammer
• utility knife with a sharp razor blade
• flathead screwdriver
• crowbar

First, I use my utility knife to cut a thin line where the trim and wall meet. The purpose of this is to break the caulk lines.

For baseboards, cut along the top of the trim.

For an interior window, run your utility knife firmly along where the wall and trim meet.

Then cut the seal between where the window casing and the trim meet.

When removing the trim around a door frame, cut the seal where the trim and wall meet.

Then run your utility knife in a straight line along the door casing and the trim.

Check out my video on how to update your fireplace…

Once you have all of the caulk lines broken, you’re ready to remove the old trim.

Use your hammer to gently wedge your crowbar between the trim and wall. Work your way along the trim piece, gently pulling it away from the wall as you go.

Be careful not to apply too much pressure, to avoid damaging the drywall behind the trim.

When the trim has been broken free from the wall, you’re ready to pull the trim completely away from the wall.

NOTE: If this makes you nervous, here’s a handy tool I recently discovered that makes this job a whole lot easier!!

Cleaning Up the Casings

Before we move on to the rest of our trim project, we need to clean up all of the leftover caulk and nails.

Once the trim pieces are all removed, you’re left with a lot of caulk stuck to the walls. You’ll want the walls to be smooth for attaching the new trim.

Using a utility knife, remove all of this leftover caulk. Be sure to also remove any nails that remained after pulling off the trim.

Attaching the New Trim

Now that the old trim and all of the gunk left behind have been removed, we’re ready to install the new trim.

I like to use the following size boards for all of my trim:

• Baseboards: 1×6 Pine Wood

• Window Frames: 1×5 Pine Wood

• Door Frames: 1×5 Pine Wood

But really it’s personal preference. You may choose to go with a wider baseboard or more narrow vertical side pieces. It all depends on the trim look you are going for.

Installing Craftsman Trim Door Frames

When adding new craftsman trim to an entire room, it’s a good idea to start with the door frames first.

Cut your 1×5 vertical pieces. These 2 pieces will be cut to fit from the floor to the top of the head casing.

Using a nail gun, attach these two side pine boards first…

Next, you’re ready to build your craftsman molding header piece…

The materials needed for this are:

• One 1x5x8 pine board
• One 1x2x8 pine board
• One Stop strip (located in the moulding section at Home Depot) This piece should be 1 inch longer than your 1×2 pine board will need to be cut to. (We’ll get to exact measurements in just a bit).

Here’s a peek at what the header piece will look like when it’s all finished.

NOTE: I have found that it is best to build your topper first and then attach it to your door/window frame.

Let’s build the header piece…

First, measure the length from the far edge of your side board to the far edge of the other side board.

Using a miter saw, cut your 1×5 to fit this space.

Next, add one inch to the 1×5 measurement you just cut. Cut your stop strip and 1×2 board at this 1-inch longer measurement.

Here’s an example…

If your 1×5 is 33″ long, you’ll cut your stop strip and 1×2 board 34″ long. In other words, the stop strip and 1×2 board will be 1-inch longer than the 1×5 board.

Now that we have all of our cuts needed, we’re ready to assemble the topper (header piece).

Using wood glue and a nail gun, attach the 1×2 to the 1×5. Be sure to line it up so that the 1×2 has a half-inch overhang on both ends.

NOTE: The back of the 1×2 should be flush with the back of the 1×5. (See picture below)

Here’s a look at the craftsman style molding from the front…

Now, we’re ready to attach our stop strip. Using wood glue and a nail gun, attach this strip to the other long end of the 1×5. (See picture below for more clarification)…

NOTE: Be sure to allow for a half-inch overhang of the stop strip on both ends.

Your topper should now look like this. As you can see the back of the topper is all flush…

Now you’re ready to place the topper on top of both side boards.

Line up the topper so that the stop strip is sitting on top of the side boards and hanging over about 1/2 inch on both ends.

Attach to the wall with a nail gun.

NOTE: the topper below butts up to a corner wall, therefore, there is only an overhang on the right side and not in the corner).

This same technique we used for the trim work for the door frame, will also be used for the windows.

The only difference is: add a bottom 1×5 board that measures the span of both side pieces.

Installing the Baseboards

Now that our door frames are finished, we’re ready for the baseboards…

Don’t those larger boards make a huge difference compared to the narrow builder grade trim we’ve come to expect in most homes?

Installing the baseboards is super easy!

Simply, cut your 1×6 boards to fit, trimming out the entire room.

Attach each board as you go using a nail gun. Making sure that each trim board is flush to the floor.

I kinda cheat and take the easy route at all of my corners.

Instead of mitering my boards, I just run them straight into one another. This is covered up and not noticeable at all with caulk….my best friend in my building projects. :)

The Finish Work

Speaking of caulk, that’s our next step and we are almost finished!! Run caulk along all of the seams. If you’re unsure of how to do this, check out my Caulking Tutorial here.

Next, fill in all of your nail holes with wood filler.

Last, and definitely the best part, is a coat of paint! I use this paint for all of my trim: Behr Marquee Ultra Pure White, Semi-Gloss. It is the only white paint I have ever found that is a true white. No gray, blue, or yellow undertone whatsoever. No undertone period.

Now, if you go to their website, it does look like there’s an undertone, but I promise, there is not.

But, if you’re willing to spend a little more, this paint from Sherwin Williams can be tinted to whatever color you want and is hands down the best I’ve found for trim.

When dry, it provides a hard surface that stands up against the wear and tear baseboards (especially) can endure over time….

What a difference upgrading your trim to craftsman trim can make!! This simple change will update an entire room…

I have added this craftsman trim style to so many rooms throughout my home…

Designer Tip: When It Might Be Time to Bring in Help

If you’re working on your home and things still don’t feel quite right, you’re not alone. Many of our clients start exactly where you are now. They’ve gathered ideas, saved inspiration photos, and maybe even purchased a few pieces, but the space still doesn’t feel cohesive. That’s often the moment when having a designer can make all the difference. We help homeowners create a clear plan so every decision works together. From layout and furniture placement to finishes and lighting, the goal is a space that feels thoughtful, comfortable, and complete.

If you’d like a little guidance with your space, you can learn more about our interior design services below.

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Let’s go beyond the design to build something beautiful together!

Until next week,

Happy Building, Friend!!

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