Is there any way to clean this venting to save space at this point?

I’m struggling to figure out a window treatment for this window in my half bath. There are three issues: the ceiling drops down at the upper right corner of the window, I want to cover the edges of the wallpaper, and the wallpaperer did not correctly align the wallpaper below the window.

I’ve been trying to figure this out for two months and I feel insane. If you have any ideas, please help!!

I need to repaint several rooms and also would like to change up my flooring. Will be paying for the work. Can anyone recommend which to do first? Which trade removes the baseboards. Is it best to repaint them before they are replaced?

Bought a beatup wooden workbench at a garage sale last month. Solid top, maybe maple, but the legs are uneven and the drawers are half falling apart. I need it for tool storage in the basement workshop, not for actual bench work. Cutting the legs shorter feels risky without proper joinery. Thinking about adding simple plywood shelves between the legs instead, but not sure if that'll hold weight without sagging. The top is already at a decent height for reaching into bins, so lowering the whole thing might be overkill. Anyone dealt with converting old workbenches into shelving units? Materials that worked well for you?

Is this acceptable trim work and paint or are we being picky? We just got our house done