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Prop stylist and interior designer John Dittrick turned an unusable, boarded-up window in his 1920s Brooklyn rental into a large art feature. His sister, Liz, painted a canvas to the window’s dimensions, and Dittrick painted the existing trim gold to give it the look of a frame.
Prop stylist and interior designer John Dittrick transformed a boarded-up window in his 1920s Brooklyn rental into a large art feature, according to an Apartment Therapy house tour. His sister, artist Liz, made a painting to fit the old window, while Dittrick painted its existing trim gold to suggest a frame without adding one.
The window was unusable and, Dittrick said, looked like “a big random rectangle with a frame around it.” Because he rented the apartment, changing the window itself was not presented as an option. Instead, he and his sister worked with the existing opening and turned it into a focal point in the dining room.
Liz created a painting that was the exact size of the old window, Dittrick told Apartment Therapy. He then painted the window trim gold, making the area read more like a framed artwork. The report does not describe the painting’s materials, how it was attached, or whether the window can still be accessed behind it.
The custom piece sits in a dining room with walls painted Benjamin Moore’s Bedford Blue, lightened by 25%. Apartment Therapy said the art complemented the color and fit the room’s cozy, farmhouse-inspired look. Dittrick described the project as his favorite DIY in the apartment.
A Rental Eyesore Becomes a Focal Point
The project offers a specific example of how renters can respond to an unwanted feature without altering the underlying window: make the feature part of the room’s visual design. In this case, the painting and gold-painted trim redirected attention from a blank, boarded-up opening to a deliberately styled piece of art.
That approach may be relevant to people dealing with awkward architectural details or a poor view, but the source describes one apartment and one solution. It does not establish that a painting will suit every blocked window, or that every renter can paint trim. Landlord permission and lease terms may matter before changing a rental’s finishes, and the article does not say whether Dittrick sought approval.
The work also relied on a personal connection: Dittrick’s sister made a painting to the opening’s precise dimensions. That made it possible to fit the artwork to the feature, rather than buying a standard print that might leave gaps or require a separate frame.
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The Window and Its Brooklyn Setting
Apartment Therapy’s report places the project in Dittrick’s 1920s Brooklyn rental apartment, which he styled with a cozy, farmhouse aesthetic. The boarded-up window stood out against that design, prompting the siblings to disguise it rather than leave it as a conspicuous rectangle.
The source also points to a related situation renters may encounter: a bedroom window facing another building or a neighbor’s window. That is a general suggestion from the report, not a description of Dittrick’s window. The article does not say whether his opening faced another building, why it had been boarded up, or whether it admitted any light.
The reported method was limited to two visible changes: a painting sized to the opening and gold paint on the trim. Apartment Therapy framed the result as a way to make the old window look more intentional. It did not provide a detailed installation guide or report measurements, costs, or before-and-after lighting conditions.
““a big random rectangle with a frame around it””
— John Dittrick, as quoted in Apartment Therapy
Installation and Rental Permission Details
The report does not explain why the window was boarded up, whether it could be opened, or whether covering it affected light, ventilation, or access. It also does not say how the painting was mounted or whether it can be removed without damage.
It is unclear whether Dittrick obtained permission to paint the trim gold. The source gives no project budget, dimensions, timeline, or information about how the artwork might be moved when he leaves the rental. Those details would affect how easily other renters could adapt the idea to their own homes.
No Further Project Update Reported
Apartment Therapy’s source is a house-tour feature, not an announcement of a new renovation or a continuing project. It provides no scheduled next step or follow-up from Dittrick. The reported result is the completed dining-room feature: a custom-sized painting over the old window and gold-painted trim around it.
Readers considering a similar approach would need to check their lease and, where required, ask their landlord before painting or attaching anything. The source does not offer installation or safety instructions, so the project’s exact mounting method should not be assumed.
Key Questions
Who turned the boarded-up window into an art feature?
John Dittrick, a prop stylist and interior designer, worked with his sister Liz, an artist, on the Brooklyn rental’s window-covering project.
How did the siblings make the window look like framed art?
Liz painted a picture to the exact size of the old window. Dittrick painted the existing trim gold to give the artwork a framed appearance without adding a separate frame.
Where is the apartment?
The Apartment Therapy house tour describes it as a 1920s rental apartment in Brooklyn.
Can renters copy the idea?
The report presents it as an idea for disguising an unwanted window or other visual feature, but it does not provide installation instructions. Renters should check their lease and landlord’s requirements before painting trim or attaching artwork.
Why was the window boarded up?
The reason is not given in the source. It also does not clarify whether the opening could be accessed or whether covering it affected light or ventilation.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
