Turning old windows into a cool wall display—my favorite trick yet

Totally get where you’re coming from. Restoring old windows is a rabbit hole—been there. A few thoughts:

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“One sash was fine under all the paint, but the other just crumbled at the joints.”

Cutting your losses is just being smart sometimes. No shame in it.

- Gotta admit, turning sashes into wall art is clever... but sometimes I wonder if we’re missing a chance to make old windows more energy efficient instead of just decorative.
- Ever tried adding weatherstripping or secondary glazing before giving up? Sometimes you get a drafty beauty that still works.
- I get the appeal of vintage frames, but tossing the whole window feels like a waste if it can be tightened up.
- Stripping paint is brutal, though—no argument there. The time sink is real.

Turning old windows into art is a cool move, but man, I hate seeing solid old wood windows get tossed just for being drafty. Nine times out of ten, it’s not the window’s fault—it’s the gaps. I’ve weatherstripped and reglazed more of these than I can count, and unless the frame’s rotted out, you can usually get them pretty tight. Not perfect like new vinyl, but close enough, and you keep the character.

That said, stripping paint is a nightmare. Lead paint, too—don’t even get me started. Sometimes I look at a hundred-year-old sash and just think... wall art it is. But if you’ve got patience (or a heat gun and a respirator), restoring them can be worth the sweat. I get the temptation to just hang them up and call it done, but I always lean fix over toss if there’s any hope. Old growth wood beats modern stuff any day.

Stripping paint is a nightmare. Lead paint, too—don’t even get me started.

Ain’t that the truth. I’ve spent more time scraping mystery layers off old sashes than I care to admit—half the time, you’re basically doing an archeological dig. I’m with you on saving them if there’s any hope, though. New vinyl just doesn’t have the same feel (or look). But man, sometimes when the rot’s deep or you hit that fifth coat of lead paint… yeah, wall art starts sounding pretty good.

I hear you on the archeological dig—sometimes I swear I’ve found three different decades of paint on one window. Lead paint is a whole other headache, though. I’ve tried both chemical strippers and heat guns, but it’s always a slow process, and safety’s a real concern. When you’re dealing with sashes that have both rot and lead, do you try to patch or just call it quits? I’ve salvaged a few with epoxy consolidant, but sometimes it feels like more work than it’s worth…

I totally get the “is this worth it?” feeling. My first time tackling a sash with both rot and lead, I thought I could save it—ended up spending a weekend in a Tyvek suit, cursing at the wood. The epoxy held up, but honestly, if the rot’s really deep I’ve started just pulling the worst ones and using the frames for wall art instead. Less stress, and it actually looks pretty cool. Sometimes you just gotta pick your battles...

Yeah, I hear you on the “pick your battles” part. I’ve patched up more rotten sashes than I care to admit, and sometimes you just hit that point where it’s like—why am I fighting this thing? If the wood’s too far gone, turning them into wall art or shelving actually makes a lot of sense. Plus, you skip the whole lead paint headache. Honestly, some of those old frames have way more character on a wall than they ever did as windows.

Honestly, some of those old frames have way more character on a wall than they ever did as windows.

Totally get this. I’ve run into sashes where the rot went so deep, you’d just be chasing your tail trying to patch it up. Last month I salvaged a couple from a 1920s bungalow—turned one into a picture frame and the other’s now a funky bathroom shelf. Way less stress than dealing with lead paint remediation, and honestly, they get way more compliments now than they ever did in the wall. Sometimes the “battle” just isn’t worth it.

That’s a really smart way to handle it. I’ve found myself in that same boat—sometimes you just hit a point where the rot or paint issues make restoration more trouble than it’s worth. I tried stripping and repairing a sash from our 1915 foursquare, but the wood was so far gone that even epoxy couldn’t save it. In the end, I cut my losses and turned it into a chalkboard for the kitchen. Got way more use out of it than if I’d kept fighting to make it functional as a window.

You’re right about the character, too. There’s something about old wavy glass or those chunky muntins that just doesn’t come through in modern frames. And yeah, dealing with lead paint is a nightmare—sometimes you’re better off just sealing it behind a coat of shellac and calling it art instead of risking all that dust.

I do know some folks who are die-hard about restoring everything, but honestly, there’s no shame in repurposing when the structure’s compromised. Plus, you get something unique out of the deal. Not everything has to be a museum piece, right? Sometimes practicality wins out, and that’s fine.

Funny enough, my neighbor saw my “window frame” coat rack and wanted to do the same thing with one she pulled from her attic. It’s contagious once you start seeing those old windows as blank canvases instead of just another repair headache.

Anyway, good on you for making something cool out of what most people would’ve tossed. It’s a win-win when you can save a bit of history without driving yourself crazy trying to make it perfect again.

Funny, I’ve seen a lot of folks run into the same dilemma with old sashes—sometimes the wood’s just too far gone, and you’re right, there’s a point where epoxy or consolidant is just throwing good effort after bad. When I work with these, I always check for hidden rot in the joints first. If you do end up turning it into a display or chalkboard, do you usually leave the glass in or take it out? I’ve found that leaving wavy glass in place (if it’s not cracked) gives the piece a ton of character, but it can be tricky to secure safely on a wall. Any tricks for mounting heavy old frames?