Security gates can be a necessity for city living, but, man, they can be ugly. For a little makeover inspiration, check out how much better this window looks with added salvaged molding.

Daniel Kanter of Manhattan Nest is no stranger to DIY, but the fearlessness and skill evidenced in this project are especially impressive. When he saw that another resident of his building was discarding a pile of original moldings, he took them into his apartment, nails and all. Kanter has plans to caulk and paint it, but the wood is such a huge improvement as-is.
• Read More: To read more and see additional photos, head to Manhattan Nest.
Images: Manhattan Nest


White Enamel Flatwa...
I'd like to see a floor to ceiling view.
This looks awful. Why wouldn't you just wait until the project is complete and post a floor to ceiling view?
premature posting
because that way when it is all done, they can do another post on it and generate that many more page views.
Um, no. It is not improvement. Before it was an ugly window. Now it is an ugly windown with unfinished molding.
Curtains, shades, paint, maybe.
lipstick (looks like we missed the lips here, too) + pig = no.
Wow, y'all sure are kill-joys. I wonder why I even venture to read the comments anymore? If you go and read the original post, you'll see that that this is merely one step in the process of improving this sad little window. He DOES intend on painting it, along with a bunch of other improvements to his apartment kitchen (the apartment, I might add, that he fixes on a shoestring budget while a full-time student). Y'all need to chill out on the haterade!
It's a great start, looks like a difficult area to beautify and this is fab!
Sorry, we have been harsh. So then I'll add an idea. Here How 'bout this for an option. Still secure and much better. BTW the post that this came from is much better than just this one detail.....
Bad Apartment Therapy. You are doing such a disservice to Daniel and his amazingness by posting only these two photos. Pleeeeeeease, everyone, follow the "Read More" link and head over to Manhattan Nest to read Daniel's original post and view ALL of the photos (some floor-to-ceiling) that detail his work-in-progress. He is hilarious, and talented, and deserves far better treatment than this.
Oooops - I meant Bad Re-Nest. (I followed a link from Apartment Therapy.)
I think the only way to improve these ugly accordion gates is to replace them. I have security gates on my bedroom windows that are white and open like doors. Yes, they still look like gates on the windows but they let in more light and feel less like jail!
CAt, replacing gates may not be in his budget so I'm guessing he's working with what he's got. Comment Community, you WAY want to follow the "Read More" link and see what Daniel's up to. He's got it goin on FOR SHO'!!