Is that your final wall colour?

How about just painting the window trim and casing the same colour as the wall? That way it will just blend in. Painting it the same colour as tile would work too- then the different bottoms would blend in with tile. How far are you carrying up the BS?

I had windows of different sizes in the old kitchen- and didn't notice when we bought the house-(In fact they had windows of different heights in the basement kitchen too!)

I'm planning to repaint the walls -- not sure what color yet.

The splash will be tiled up to the height of the vent hood. We're going to remove that piece of oak trim that's to the right of the vent.

Personally the window trim doesn't bother me at all - but if it bothers you, just paint it a different color - that should easily solve your problem.

I just replaced all the ugly dark pine trim with white trim. Believe me it wasn't worth saving. Our windows are still wood and so are our doors. I think your window looks fine but if it bothers you paint it the same color as the wall and it will just blend in.

What bothers me most is not the different sizes of the windows but that that they are different heights above the counter. Having the window frames there makes it obvious. It's such a small amount off that it looks goofy (to me). I was thinking that if both were tiled, it would look better.

Also, the area behind the sink constantly gets wet and is hard to clean. Having a little 1-inch strip of tile beneath the window frame isn't going to help that much -- it's going to be a breeding ground for mold, IMO.

Sometimes I think we should just replace both windows and place them either higher than they are or at counter level. But I don't know what that would cost or if it's worth it. The exterior wall behind the sink has Hardiplank siding on it, so it probably would be complicated.

Any other suggestions? Thanks to those who responded.

I would be especially interested to know if anyone has actually done what I am proposing here.

I would be willing to use some other kind of tile rather than the marble if it would make it easier. I've already bought the tile, but I could return it and get something else.

I would finish the two windows different from one another. Maybe make a counter-top to go inside the garden window (2cm paperstone maybe? granite remnant? soapstone?) and have it nose out over the edge and wrap around the wall sort of like a cross between a window sill and a counter top edge. Butt the trim above against the edge of the sill. Finish under the sill however you finish above the rest of the counter. If you don't tile the backsplash underneath, you'll probably have to skim the bottom corner of the window to make it look nice with paint.

Replace the trim around both windows with something you like instead of nothing. I'm not sure what you're doing with the tile, but it's possible that you could have trim made that's the same depth as the tile and just grout to it. Maybe with a quarter round fall-off into the window.

Anyway, the point is, make them look different because you meant them to be different rather than it looking like an accident.

bwaibel, thanks for the suggestions. I see what you mean about making them look different.

But it seems like it would be less involved (and probably less expensive) to just spring for more pencil edge to finish off the tile that wraps into the garden window than to do a whole countertop in there. It's a BIG garden window. (Not what we wanted, btw, but that's another story.)

On the one hand, I keep thinking I should do what I want even if it costs a bit more. We're only talking a few hundred or so at most, not thousands. I think it would look so much better than leaving the window frames as they are. Just wondering if there's something I'm missing about this. I know nothing about tiling from personal experience.

This is just off the top of my head but what if you used a narrower molding around the garden (lower to the counter window) and a wider molding around the other window. That might balance out the diffference in height off the counter.

Here's a couple of pictures I found (open link and scroll down) of a window with tile where they used some plastic trim in the same color around the edge. Now, maybe plastic wouldn't be good in our situation, but perhaps a corner piece of ceramic in a similar color, or even wood painted to match the tile, could work?

Here is a link that might be useful: Tile around window

I don't think the end result with the tile or the time and expense would be worth it. I like your white trim. I think some pretty window treatments would draw the eye up. Maybe you could find some pretty canisters for in front of the window. If it really bothers you, consider painting the trim another color. Good luck.

"Here's a couple of pictures I found (open link and scroll down) of a window with tile where they used some plastic trim in the same color around the edge. Now, maybe plastic wouldn't be good in our situation, but perhaps a corner piece of ceramic in a similar color, or even wood painted to match the tile, could work?"

That's pretty. I wonder if you could use a tile pencil liner instead? I'm not sure of the need for the plastic. I could see this working well with the garden window in particular, I have a feeling the other window would be trickier to tile out. Does the garden window open at all, and if so, would tile get in the way of the crank or anything?

Though I have to say, I think your windows look fine and it's not all that unusual to have differently sized windows in a room.

Oops, I just re-read your post about the pencil liner being too expensive!

What about putting in a tile sill with tile down to the counter for both windows with wood trim on the other 3 sides? You should be able to use your existing molding, too. Carefully pry it off, trim it and put it back in place with a butt edge against the tile. (We had to remove molding when we needed to fix a pocket door and it worked well. All we needed to do was dab a little white wood putty to cover the nail holes.) Then paint the trim to match your walls or tile.

I'd lean towards making the fix as uncomplicated as possible in the hope that downplaying it might be the best way to mask the differences.

Lisa, that's a good suggestion. A compromise, and simple.

sandsonik, it's not really that the pencil edges are too expensive for us, it just seems like overkill.

What's on the bottom of the garden window (the "floor")? It would be nice if it went with the counter or backsplash--always nice to have a waterproof bottom in those things!

But I like Lisa's suggestion for the overall solution. Do you think it would still bug you? After all, they really aren't bad as they are except that they bug you!

fori, the "floor" of the garden window is wood stained to match the oak cabs, more or less.

I think Lisa's solution would not bug me as much because there wouldn't be as obvious a difference in the height of the windows above the counter. Also, it would take care of the problem of water behind the sink.

So am I being too nitpicky, worrying about this? I've been looking at it for hours every day for nine years ...

See, if it's bothered you for 9 years, you need to fix it. Whatever it takes. And only you will know if the fix is enough of a fix to really solve the problem. You're not being nitpicky! I've gone crazy being annoyed by smaller things.

(I had a bad experience with a wood floored garden window once...yours looks a lot more accessible, like you'd actually be able to see if you spilled in there.)

The thing about tile is it's so much more permanent than paint, or something removable like a light fixture. Also expensive to install.

I'm wondering if I should return the marble and get something cheaper so I won't feel as bad if it doesn't turn out well.

I keep the floor of the garden window pretty tidy, considering, though there are a few watermarks from the first year or so when I wasn't paying much attention. (At one point, I had decided to clean it up and there were big hairy globs of mold growing on the plastic in the back! Cleaned it up with bleach and it's been okay since then.)

I think I'd do a shoutout for Bill V. He might have some ideas on what tile treatments work around windows.

Don't return your marble just yet. I'm sure it will work. It just takes some creative thinking.

Already asked Bill's advice. He basically said anything's possible. (Finding someone who will do the job is another problem.)

Ahh. That's not helpful! Well, ok I'm way out of my element, but why do you need pencil trim? If it's marble, can't it be cut on an angle to create tidy edges? Easier said than done of course, but still!