How To Paint Window Frames & Trim: The No Tape Way

We replaced this window during our kitchen renovation, we needed a larger window because we tore down the back wall to expand the kitchen.

The small window wasn’t enough for the now larger kitchen.

After we replaced the window, it sat pretty much untouched as we awaited cabinets & countertops.

Check out our brutally honest Lowes kitchen cabinet & countertop review here!

Finally, we have been making some serious progress on this space & I thought now was the perfect time to frame & paint the window!

Framing windows with fancy trim is kinda my jam y’all 😉

You can find my step by step tutorial for how to easily add fancy window trim here!

I have painted a lot of window trim but this was my first time painting the metal window frame too.

I did a ton of research leading up to this project & so I thought I would share the method that worked best for me.

How To Paint Window Frames & Trim

Supplies:

• Mask N Peel or Painters Tape
• Trim Brush
• Primer
• Enamel Cabinet Paint
• Box Cutter

Cleaning & Preparing The Window

After I got the new window trim up & sanded I was ready to start the painting process.

Start by removing all the dust & giving everything a really good cleaning.

For the metal window frame I cleaned it off using rubbing alcohol.

Once everything was good & clean I used Jasco Mask & Peel on the windows.

This is the no tape way to make sure you don’t get paint on the glass & it is amazing!

Use a cheap little paint brush to paint on a medium thick layer onto the glass next to the frame.

It is no much easier than having to create perfect tape lines, plus it dries really quick.

Priming

Once the Mask & Peel was dry I started priming the metal trim & wooden frame with this Zinsser Primer.

This is my favorite primer because you don’t need to sand & it works great on both metal & wood.

I primed both the metal frame & trim with one coat of primer each.

Normally I would get the primer tinted to a shade similar to what the final paint color will be but the paint department was having issues that day & I had a window to get home to 😉

It already looks so much better with just the primer coat on!

Caulking

I never caulked the window after I added the trim so I went ahead & did that here.

It’s usually a good idea to caulk before painting instead of after, but you can prime before you caulk!

If your caulk is starting to crack or just look old, this is a good time to remove it & lay a new bead.

Painting The Window Frame & Trim

Finally, onto the fun part, painting the window with the actual color!

If you have been following along with us during our dream home renovation, you know I am a sucker for contrast.

I am in deep love with bold colors paired with neutrals, especially black.

Black is bold & timeless & on the contrary to what a lot of people think, it actually makes spaces feel larger.

So for the the kitchen window I went with New Black by Valspar, which is the same color we chose for our DIY arched built-in bookcases.

I used the Cabinet & Furniture Enamel paint because I wanted the smoothest possible finish on the metal frame.

Plus the enamel makes it more durable & scratch resistant.

I painted both the trim & frame with this paint, being very careful to not overly coat the inside of the frame.

You don’t want it to be overloaded with paint or the window will not open when everything dries… trust me.

I gave everything two coats & let it dry completely before moving on.

Removing The Mask & Peel

Once the window was dry I scoured the edges of the Mask & Peel with a box cutter.

Then, you simply start at one corner & pull it away from the window.

Any excess that is left can be cleaned up with a scraper easily.

Y’all I am in deep love with how this window turned out!

It is the perfect contrast to our white cabinets & really accents the gold hardware well.

We still have a long list of projects for this kitchen renovation, but this already makes the space feel more finished!

Want More Paint Project Inspiration?

– The Best Designer Picked Trim Colors (that aren’t white)

– The Most Popular Black Accent Walls With Color Names

– How To Add Fancy Window Trim To Any Window

– Top 10 Designer Picked Living Room Colors