05/09/2026
In recent weeks, I have found myself overwhelmed with gratitude. I am thankful for where life has taken me and I feel that my abilities are matched to the tasks I have before me.
One such task has come from a special customer, a neighbor and my high school woodshop teacher. To have befriended someone who shaped my life in such a significant way has been a privilege; his invitation to enrich his home with my craft is something I couldn't be more thankful for.
Many of the windows in his house were outdated aluminum units in need of replacement. He settled on a fiberglass dual bypass gliding window with decorative gridding, a marked departure from the utilitarian farmhouse style of his old windows.
The existing windows were installed prior to siding, necessitating retrofitting exterior casing. This felt so routine that I neglected to get pictures of the result. However, the interior presented the complicating factors that make finish carpentry the area I enjoy most and the client was after a craftsman style I am very fond of.
The primary challenges were that the new windows occupied nearly the full depth of the wall and the walls were heavily textured plaster. This would usually eliminate standard trim assemblies.
I decided to invert a common craftsman feature called a "back-bead." By moving it to the interior edge of the trim, it effectively took the role of jamb extensions. This allowed me to "float" the trim above the plaster, eliminating the need for tedious scribing or unsightly caulking.
Unlike the exterior, the end result of the interior trim is quite interesting to look at and felt worthy of being photographed.
