That's very disappointing. Drywall returns at the windows would have looks clean and minimal. I'd suggest you ask your GC. If he knows what you want, ask him what he would suggest to achieve the minimal appearance you're looking for.

If you go to him with a solution from here, I think he will try to hit you with an upcharge for changes.

Yes, thank you. There isn't much we can do except find a thin white casing and paint it the same color as the wall (white). I'm really upset about this but it's my fault. I was hoping to hear from people who like the look...

I don't understand what was done that precludes you from having drywall returns around the windows. You'd think that would be easier for the GC to do

I emailed the GC to find out if there is something they can do. I found a Youtube video of someone ripping out the window jambs and converting to drywall returns. Problem is I just have no idea if it can be done in my situation. The drywall is going in tomorrow. https://youtu.be/74IJwAsSvmU?si=o1JNLwzuLziZ3WFj

Thank you SO much, Jan! Those pictures are beautiful. Maybe this happens to everyone at this stage in a build but I am definitely losing sleep. Of all the problems in the world, I am losing sleep over my window trim.

YOU'RE VERY WELCOME : )

Yes, it happens to everyone. Yes, even designers in the middle of the night. I've gotten out of bed on occasion....lol "OMG! was that inside or outside mount?!"

We did a near trimless appearance.

The house is modernist and was meant to be built with a number of details that they eliminated because of budget. They ended up using a kind of clumsy looking large clamshell. We did completely trimless jambs in the doorways, but the windows were problematic because the wall thickness in every room was different. I also did not want drywall returns for various reasons. The house is from 1965, and it's not very square.

This is what we did, with the jamb extending very slightly past the face of the wall, and against the jamb is a piece of drywall bead, so there is kind of a control joint there, or it would crack.

It's not a super refined detail but the house overall is not super refined. But all the jambs are painted wall color and only the sash, which is very thin is black. Overall this mostly disappears. The house had also been planned originally with black steel windows, which were cut because of budget, and these are replacements of vinyl replacement windows, so I tried to mimic the original intent.

My personal perspective - not meant to insult in any way, but just my experience.

I moved from the East Coast, where every home I had ever seen had window casings, to the West Coast, where the tiny bungalow I rented and the first home I bought had drywall returns.

The more expensive, more exclusive areas had trim.

The sills on the home I bought had a lot of damage and I had a carpenter build wood sills for all the windows, keeping the drywall returns on the side and the top.

I like the clean, simplicity of the look, but somehow, in my mind, drywall returns will almost always also equate to a less expensive way to finish the windows.

One home that I thought about purchasing that had drywall returns did not give me that impression. It felt like the choice was very intentional and there was nothing builders grade about the home.

Wow, that is fantastic, Jennifer. Someone said the mansions in Southern Cal are moving back to using trim... When you lived there, it sounds like that was your experience, too.

Any better (closer) pictures showing the windows?

In CA and FL drywall returns are definitely the cheaper option. No need to pay for expensive trim and find a skilled carpenter who can install it properly.

My house in CA had drywall returns with a wood sill and I hated them. For the house we built in FL we had nice wood trim installed. Makes it easier to paint/wallpaper the rooms.

I think drywall returns can work in a very clean contemporary design that is executed well.

I went to the site and took pictures this morning. I'll upload some in a bit.

Hard to say without drywall. Either way? It was common here in mid century ranches from the late fifties early sixties. Skimpy ranch base molding and door casings as well. They don't call it ranch molding for no reason, right?

Despite better windows today? That's going to be a corner bead, skim, more skim, primer and two coats of latex paint. ........I rest my case. Maybe you will have nothing but sunny temperate days: )

Again...you have to do what YOU like. To me? A crisp white casing doesn't detract in any way. No routing, no goo a simple square 4 " wide trim.

What are your base moldings? No shoe please, scribe to the floor.

I would do the casing the same as the walls then not issue with the black windows being the star

I did the casing in wall color here becuase I wanted the view to be the star.

Very nice!

I've been building C$1m+ homes since the late '80s in Toronto. Drywall returns always spelled cheap, cheap, cheap.

I had drywall returns in an expensive apartment we rented in NY. Within a year, they looked ratty and banged up. Do the wood trim.

I did metal trimless jambs for all the openings with doors. For the few open archways, I did not want them wrapped in drywall, but I didn't want cased either since the doorjambs were not. So we did this: They are actually drywall to the edge and then beaded, and then the thin wood jamb was placed slightly inset to the opening. You can see a trimless jamb to the left with no door on it yet, and the opening to the right, and also recessed/flush base. The photo exaggerates the thickness of the jamb and size of the offset I think.

This is one of the trimless doors. Actually someone asked if I did not put trim around the doors because I "ran out of money, it looks unfinished". I said trim just covers the gap around the door jamb, this is harder to do, and they said "what gap? isn't there just wall under the trim?"

So some people probably think this looks "cheap" especially if they don't understand modernism.