I Finished My Basement

Save Money, Get more Space, Learn Something New and Fun

  • Home
  • About
  • Basement Ideas
  • Getting Started
  • The Major Phases
    • Basement Waterproofing
    • Framing
    • Electrical
    • Drywall Doors & Trim
    • The Bathroom
  • Tools
  • The Book and Videos

How to get more light from those tiny basement windows.

by Jason 11 Comments

I've been blogging about basements, basement ideas and basement finishing for more than a year now and I thought I'd seen everything.

My basement ideas Pinterest page has 30+ boards and over 240 pins, but I've never seen this done.

Big props to Tony for sharing this idea and the photos - this is his handy work. Nicely done sir!

Angled Basement Window Design Idea

So in a nut shell what Tony did was drywall the bottom of his basement windows at an angle. This let's more light down into the room and gives the visual illusion of having a bigger window.

Here's what it looks like just after drywall:

angled drywalled basement window idea

Here's how he framed it:

angled basement window idea - framing

Peacock Those  Tiny Basement Windows

Have you ever heard of this term? Peacocking? It's when you put a bunch of flare on something to make it stand out. You add something to make something else look bigger and better than it actually is. Like a peacock using his fancy pants feathers to get attention.

To peacock your basement windows, try trimming them out. That is, installing trim around them. Do the angled idea like the photos above and then add some trim. Like this:

basement idea - framed window

 

Is that a great basement idea or what? Trim out this window idea just like a regular boxed window. Once it's all painted it should look awesome.

If you have a cool basement idea - please email a photo at 'jason@ifinishedmybasement.com'.

Cheers  - Jason

 

More Basement Goodness:

  • Not sure where to start to finish a basement. Start here!
  • Hate reading? Me too! Check this out if video is your thing
  • Not sure what it would cost to finish your basement, check this post out.
0
Your Best Email >> *

Signing you up... Come on internet,it\'s GO TIME!

Signing you up... Come on internet,it\'s GO TIME!

Signing you up... Come on internet,it\'s GO TIME!

Questions and Comments

Click here to ask a question or leave a comment.

  1. Pat Bacon says

    January 22, 2014 at 5:42 pm

    if you use a high gloss on the tilted frame, it will further reflect the light that comes in the window and give the illusion of more light in the room.

    Reply
  2. Sonya says

    October 12, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    So....to do the angles window drywall, do you have a put a nailer right below the window to attach the top of the drywall to? Like a 1x2 or something? I understand everything else about the angled drywall idea. I already framed it normally, and have the vapor barrier in, but think I might take it out partially to try this before I drywall, cause there is only one tiny window in a large family room.

    Also, suggestions- my basement ceiling is going to be really close to my window, so if I trim the window out with large trim, I won't be able to do that at the top. IN fact I dontl know if I will have room for any trim at the top. Suggestions so that is doesn't look too weird?

    Reply
    • Nathan says

      February 13, 2015 at 2:52 pm

      Great question Sonja - what did you end up deciding to do? I'm getting ready to frame up walls in my basement and will definitely be incorporating this idea into my design, but had the same thought as you...in the photos above I'm not seeing any screws at the top of the angled piece of drywall so it wouldn't appear they framed anything there? I'm also wondering what it would look like to flare the sides as well - I don't have 2 windows side by side like he does so I can consider doing that as well...

      Reply
    • Hotrodroxie says

      March 26, 2020 at 10:25 pm

      I would have maybe opted for a crown in the room, that fits on top of that window with a reveal...and design it to look intentional

      Reply
  3. Teresa says

    April 8, 2016 at 10:56 am

    I love the way the angle looks nice and big but I also want the window ledge to set things like small pants... Could this work together?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      April 25, 2016 at 4:15 pm

      Plant pots with magnets? You could install a level ledge for your pots onto the angled ledge. You could hang the plants from the top... otherwise no; stupid gravity. - Jason

      Reply
  4. Joy says

    February 6, 2018 at 3:03 pm

    Does anyone have a finished picture of their angled out window. I'm considering this.

    Reply
  5. Jane says

    April 16, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    Did you 2 x 4's to frame out the window and what is the angled drywall attached to under the window?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      April 29, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      Hey Jane - Looking at the picture provided by Tony, I only see screws at the bottom of the drywall. This is telling me that he didn't screw or nail the top...my guess is that he used an adhesive. You'll need to frame the windows with the same dimensional lumber used on the rest of your basement.

      -Jason

      Reply
  6. John says

    August 12, 2018 at 8:06 pm

    You can also paint the window well white to reflect more light in.

    Reply
  7. Jan says

    October 14, 2019 at 12:09 pm

    In my case my window walls angle up to them in concrete how would you frame them out for drywall? Just like your finished pic with drywall but its concrete.

    Reply

Leave a Question or Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

iFMB Privacy Policy
© 2015 iFinishedMyBasement.com