How to Install DIY Craftsman Door Trim and Casing

How to add Craftsman door casing and headers to doorways.

This DIY project will add SO much old house character to interior doors in a newer house! I also share how to add this trim treatment to your window casings as well.

I’ve been dreaming for YEARS about replacing our thin builder door casing to something like this:

Family Handy Man

I’ve seen this same look with crown at the top, but this simpler version has always appealed to me. (In white of course.)

This Craftsman inspired interior door trim can be done in a variety of styles, but I wanted the simplest, most traditional design.

The casing style you choose should fit with the style of your home.

This look is also seen a lot in the more traditional farmhouse style homes as well. Thicker door and window trim adds so much warmth and depth to a space! It's such a beautiful way to add charm to a newer home.

Step one: Take down the old trim

I took a razor and cut along where the trim met up with the door frame (along the caulk) and then did the same on the caulk line by the wall.

I used my crow bar to get under the trim and starting loosening it. You may have to use a scrap piece of wood under your crow bar so you don't damage the drywall as you pry off the existing trim:

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I had to pull out a few lingering staples and usually you'll have some nails you can pound back into the wall.

I ended up with a trim-less door and I was giddy:

I could tell from my inspiration photos how I wanted to put the new trim up – it’s pretty self explanatory when you look at them.

In total you'll need five pieces of wood for this project -- two boards for the side casings and three for the header.

Step two: Install your new trim

To start, you may have to either remove or cut down your baseboards for the new side pieces.

I started with two 1x4’s cut to the height of the door frame and then nailed them into the sides of the door:

I didn't even need a tape measure for the first piece -- I just held it up and marked where to cut.

There's no need for mitered cuts for this project! Nothing needs to be at a 45-degree angle since the header sits on top.

And then it was time for the “topper” or header. Again, it was pretty obvious from the pics on how to do it -- I found it was helpful to assemble on the floor before installing:

I put it together using wood glue and the nail gun. It’s made up of a 1x2 on top, a piece of the 1x4 in the middle and a piece of lattice (1/4x2) on the bottom.

I just nailed that whole piece up when I was done:

You can see that the middle piece meets up with the width of the side boards -- the top and bottom trim is about a quarter of an inch wider. If you use this method, those two pieces of the header will be cut half an inch longer than the middle part.

I couldn’t believe how easy it was! Installing the trim took all of about 15 minutes I think?

So crazy fast!:

I recommend using paint-grade wood casing for a bathroom -- it will hold up to moisture better than MDF (medium-density fiberboard). I've used MDF on many interior doorways though!

Step three: Prep and paint!

After your trim is up, you'll need to fill the nail holes and caulk between the boards and the wall. Often I'll caulk the header pieces as well, so it looks like one solid head casing.

I recommend using a primer on the bare wood, and then finishing off with a couple coats of semi-gloss paint. Of course you can stain it as well if you like the wood grain showing!

Adding this pretty Craftsman trim and painting our doors black is one of my favorite updates in a room! This one is on its way:

Here's how it looks after the final finishing touches:

See the final reveal of this bright powder room makeover here!

A few tips for installing this interior trim to your doors:

I used my razor blade to get the caulk line off the wall where it met the paint. This was so the new trim would lay flush against the wall.
I sanded the door frame before I installed the new trim to knock down the caulk/paint that was there.
I had to cut down the light switch plate a bit to make the new trim work. No biggie – I did it with the miter saw. :)
I caulked up all the visible gaps in preparation for paint. (Using this awesome caulking gadget.)
I recommend a thinner header for standard ceiling heights (eight feet) and a bit thicker for high ceilings (nine feet and up).

I found this image that shows what I did, and the window frame version as well (ohhhh, how I hope our window sills come off as easy!):

Source

It’s really so easy – it took me longer to take off the trim and sand everything down than it did to install the new stuff!

What a difference it makes to a space! Especially when you combine it with crown molding:

So, there you go! You know how you avoid something for years because you think it will be so hard and then it’s totally easy? Yeah, never happens to me either. Except for this time. ;)

I share how to replace your window sills and add this same trim molding to your windows here!: