Hello Friends! If you are an antique hoarder, and dream of salvaged decor like I do (like, have literal dreams about walking though an antique store, hoarding all the chippy, rusty, salvaged goodness!), then you are going to LOVE today’s post. I am obsessed with pediment arches above windows and doors (see the ones I built for my last house HERE) and I just had to make some DIY ones for our new house.
This post includes affiliate links, but I only share things that I LOVE & think you will too.
If you want to see how I built and painted these ones, then all you have to do is press play! The below process video has all the highlights from my instagram stories where I share all my DIY’s live on @welivedhappilyeverafter. In the following video, I show my process building them, and then how I painted them to get this really cool “salvaged” look.
PRODUCTS USED IN THIS TUTORIAL:
Above are all the exact tools & materials I used to build these arches. I used the saw for all the cuts, the drill to screw everything together (you can also use a finishing nail gun), and the milk paint & plaster I used to get the old world finish.
For this particular arch, I did a 10 degree angle cut. What’s cool about angles, is that any trim you add beneath it vertically will have the same angle that you cut for the horizontal pieces.
I love how the plaster I applied to the pediments looks like chippy paint. And it’s the easiest, fool proof process. Just mix it up with some water & slap it on! A little messy, but totally reminiscent of my finger painting days as a child.
I think the style really ties in with the english cottage look I am going for in our dining room.
This room gets so much light, all day long! So plants do pretty good on my table, which is a plus.
If you would like to see how we built this farmhouse table, you can see my post all about it HERE.
This space just makes my heart so happy.
When it comes to home decor, I am a huge advocate of designing it the way YOU want it. Becuase you are the person who lives there everyday, right? I get so many people telling me my house has too much white in it, and that’s totally okay. They can think that, but I LOVE it, and it calms my spirit to have a bright and airy space. These pediments are another thing that isn’t for everyone, but I love them, and that’s what matters.
Design the life you love.
I was trying to find your plans to this, but did not see any. Did you merely adjust it to the window size?
Just found your website and I love it. Thank you!
Yes! I measured according to the window width, and the space between the window and the ceiling and built them accordingly. For the angels, I cut everything at a 10 degree angle with my saw. Hope that helps!
Oh my gosh! I did a little happy dance when I found your tutorial! I spied these in another post and thought..hmmm…maybe I can figure out how to make those…I totally thought they were real vintage/antique window pediments! Thank you for this! I love your site, so beautiful! Congratulations on your sweet baby (almost a year old!!). Loved your story. I’m actually going in tomorrow for breathing issues. So glad yours were healed. ❤️