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Interior Trim: 8 Must-Know Elements
Softening transitions and creating a finished look, interior trim for walls, windows and doors comes in many more options than you may know
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin and I am a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having...
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located... More »
Welcome to the wonderful world of interior trim. From baseboards to casings, from crown moldings to railings, trim is a design element that adds depth, detail and richness to a room. But it has become so common, so ubiquitous, that many people don't give it much thought. We go to the local lumber store or big-box home center and purchase a few feet of "colonial" or "ranch" moldings and then call it a day. That's a shame, as there are so many profiles, sizes, materials and more.
So let's look at some trim and molding elements and see how they are positioned on a wall and how they can enliven a room.
So let's look at some trim and molding elements and see how they are positioned on a wall and how they can enliven a room.
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1. Base. Used where the wall and floor come together, the base, or baseboard, conceals any gaps between floor and wall finishes as well as provides protection to the wall finish from swinging feet, jostled furniture, etc. Traditionally it was composed of three separate parts: a shoe (the small, curved or beveled piece that transitions from baseboard to floor), the baseboard (the tall, flat piece) and the cap (an ornamental piece that sits atop the baseboard). But bases are now more often than not made of one piece for a cleaner and more contemporary aesthetic.
By the way, when I was much younger, I went to architectural school in London and worked for a British construction firm. In addition to learning a new language (we all know a "lift" is an "elevator" and the first floor is the second floor), I learned the British term for a baseboard is "skirting." I like that term, especially as a base and a skirt have so much in common.
By the way, when I was much younger, I went to architectural school in London and worked for a British construction firm. In addition to learning a new language (we all know a "lift" is an "elevator" and the first floor is the second floor), I learned the British term for a baseboard is "skirting." I like that term, especially as a base and a skirt have so much in common.
2. Chair rail. Moving up the wall from the floor, the next piece of trim after the base is the chair rail. Functionally, this trim item protects the wall finish from any furniture that gets placed against the wall. Though most commonly installed about 36 inches from the floor, a chair rail can be installed just about at any height. The key issue is how the chair rail splits the wall into horizontal layers and getting those proportions correct.
by Shirley Meisels
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3. Wainscot. While the space between the chair rail and baseboard can be finished as the rest of the wall (painted or wallpapered), many times the area is paneled. The options for the wainscot are many, including simple wood panels, beadboard, raised panels and horizontal wood paneling. And while the finish of the wainscoting can match the wood trim, it doesn't have to. For example, a painted wood baseboard and wainscot of simple, recessed panels works well with the stained wood window and door trim.
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4. Window casing. The traditional method of casing a window (or door) is to use separate side, top and bottom pieces. Because each piece is distinct, the trim can be richly detailed and articulated. For example, along the top of the windows there can be a horizontal band that provides a base for a large, flat band that holds a shaped crown. This is a semicustom approach, as each piece can be purchased, or milled, and installed separately, getting you the exact profile and look you'll want.
Having a nice, deep sill to place objects on is an advantage to casing a window with distinct pieces. And the horizontal piece below the stool (shelf), called the apron, can be shaped and sized as you like. The stool can be shallow or deep, depending on what you'd like to place there and you're overall design.
5. Door casing. Like window casing, door casing is traditionally installed as separate pieces. But unlike window casing, door casing, for obvious reasons, has no bottom stool or apron.
Though not absolutely a given, the door casing comes from the same family of trim profiles as the window casing. So where there is a Craftsman-style window trim, you'd expect to see a Craftsman-style door trim. Sometimes, especially in a sophisticated design, changing scale while keeping the profiles the same is a way of distinguishing door and window trim. For example, a large and tall door might deserve a larger and more robust trim than, say, a small specialty window.
Though not absolutely a given, the door casing comes from the same family of trim profiles as the window casing. So where there is a Craftsman-style window trim, you'd expect to see a Craftsman-style door trim. Sometimes, especially in a sophisticated design, changing scale while keeping the profiles the same is a way of distinguishing door and window trim. For example, a large and tall door might deserve a larger and more robust trim than, say, a small specialty window.
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| You may find that you want to treat the sides and top of a cased opening the same. So you'll take the same profile that's used on the sides, or jambs, and run that all around the opening. In this example, a cased opening is created by using the same trim on the sides and on the top of the doorway. In a window application, a "picture frame" effect is created by using the same profile all around (top, bottom and sides). |
6. Picture rail. Continuing our journey up, closer to the top of the wall you'll find the picture rail. This trim piece originally served as a support to hang pictures on, as plaster walls weren't the best and could be easily damaged by all of those picture hooks nailed into the wall. Of course, with the advent of inexpensive pictures hooks that can be easily nailed into a wall to support just about any size picture, the picture rail has lost its utilitarian function. Now this piece of trim is used mostly as a decorative element to divide the wall into horizontal layers.
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7. Plate rail. Though not always close to the top of a wall, the plate rail serves as a platform to display a collection of objects. The depth of the plate rail can vary from very shallow, in those instances where a plate is being displayed, to quite deep when large objects are to be displayed. A plate rail's location on the wall (higher up for deeper rails) will also determine its depth. For example, larger objects requiring a deeper rail will necessitate placing the plate rail higher on the wall so it's out of the way, while a thin rail for displaying plates can also serve as a chair rail.
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| Though plate rails and picture rails have lost their utilitarian function, a trim line at the top of the window and below the ceiling is a powerful design tool. In addition to making a space more interesting and rich, this trim line can be used to establish a "datum" from which other elements such as soffits can be organized from, an approach used by architect Sarah Susanka and many other architects quite effectively. |
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| 8. Crown molding. At the top of the wall, where wall and ceiling come together, is the crown molding. Just like other trim items, the choice of profile and size are almost unlimited. What is especially nice about crown molding is its ability to soften the transition between wall and ceiling, between vertical and horizontal plans. So rather than have that abrupt sharp corner, crown molding lets the eye ease into moving from one to another. It's a kinder, gentler and more elegant approach to a change. |
Ideabook updated on June 27, 2012.
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Marie Meko
@ Tim: I have heard of a plinth block but never knew what is was, so a thank you to you as well.
IMHO I feel 'trim work' is all about detail and similar to what you would expect on a high-fashion garment unlike something that is mass-produced.
And how on earth did I overlook plinth blocks?
On the Plinth Block topic, I know someone mentioned that this should only be used in Old World style architecture, but really it's also seen in Craftsman and many Coastal Lowcountry types of designs as well.
It's one of my favorite little details that can set a home apart from others.
work and thanks.
Unless you trust yourself it'd be best to work with a professional to get the size right.