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How to Size Interior Trim for a Finished Look
There's an art to striking an appealing balance of sizes for baseboards, crown moldings and other millwork. An architect shares his secrets
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 »
One of the most important questions that we all have about trim is, What size should it be? Getting the size and proportions of trim correct can make a huge difference in how a room is used and enjoyed. If the trim is too small or too large, it can be like a clown wearing a minuscule hat or supersize pair of shoes.
While there are some guidelines, they are, in fact, just guidelines. No rule should replace what you like and what you feel is right. Start out selecting your trim by first defining the story you and the room want to tell. From there, purchase some samples and have mock-ups built. This is all a small price to pay for getting your trim right.
Here are the rules — I mean, guidelines — for sizing the trim in a room.
While there are some guidelines, they are, in fact, just guidelines. No rule should replace what you like and what you feel is right. Start out selecting your trim by first defining the story you and the room want to tell. From there, purchase some samples and have mock-ups built. This is all a small price to pay for getting your trim right.
Here are the rules — I mean, guidelines — for sizing the trim in a room.
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The 7 percent solution. When sizing a baseboard in a traditional-style home, a good starting point is to use a ratio of 7 percent. So if your ceiling height is 8 feet high, try a baseboard that's about 7 inches tall.
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Of course, this is more of a suggestion than a rule. For example, if you're looking to create a more contemporary interior, try using a shorter baseboard or, if you're brave enough, no baseboard at all.
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| For casings, 50 percent is good. Generally, vertical trim elements such as door and window casings should be smaller and have less heft than baseboards. So I've found that a good rule of thumb for sizing window and door casings is to keep them at about 50 percent of the height of the baseboard. |
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| As always, this isn't a hard and fast rule. Casings that equal the dimensions of the baseboards certainly can work quite well. |
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Crowning achievements. Although there are some guidelines that can be used to size a crown (for example, make it about half the size of the base), there are many questions that come into play, like:
• How tall is the ceiling?
• Will the crown be convex or concave?
• Will the crown step up and out from, say, a picture rail?
Given these variables, sizing a crown isn't as straightforward as you might think. I like to purchase foot-long pieces of different sizes and profiles and construct mock-ups of the crown in the room. In fact, because most trim is readily available and inexpensive, this is a really good process to use for selecting all of your trim elements.
• How tall is the ceiling?
• Will the crown be convex or concave?
• Will the crown step up and out from, say, a picture rail?
Given these variables, sizing a crown isn't as straightforward as you might think. I like to purchase foot-long pieces of different sizes and profiles and construct mock-ups of the crown in the room. In fact, because most trim is readily available and inexpensive, this is a really good process to use for selecting all of your trim elements.
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| Another guideline for crown selection is to use the same crown throughout the kitchen if your design calls for using a crown at the top of your cabinets. In fact, you'll probably want the crown to be finished and supplied by the cabinetmaker. Otherwise, the crown won't match, making transitions from one to the other problematic. |
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| All together now. A well-trimmed room is something special. Its baseboard, casings and crown all relate to each other in their style, proportions, sizing and finish. In this example, the baseboard appears to follow the 7 percent guideline: The casings are about half the size of the baseboard, and the crown looks to be just slightly smaller than the baseboard. There's no doubt that the trim for this room was conceived as part of the overall design. |
by Shirley Meisels
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The rule of thirds. Installing a chair rail, with or without wainscoting, will divide the vertical plane — the walls — into multiple areas. If you want to make the room feel taller, place the chair rail one third of the way up from the floor.
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| If, on the other hand, you want the room to be more intimate, try placing the chair rail two thirds of the way up from the floor. More: Tell a Home's Story With Trim Design Details: Moldings — Or Not? Frame Your Views With Great Moldings and Casings |
Ideabook published on July 6, 2012.
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Off topic, may I tap in on your expertise as I have a question about muntins for windows. I presently have removable ones, however as many of the plastic clips that hold them in place are broken and cannot be replaced, it appears I may have to have new units constructed which brings me to the following two questions.
As the inside of the window frame next to the glass is beveled where the 'legs' would sit:
a) do you know of any type of replacement hardware that I could possibly use on the existing ones in lieu of clips? OR
b) have any suggestions for new construction that could be applied to make the muntin unit still removable?
Hope my question makes sense, but that is the best I can do in describing my dilemma. :) With appreciation of your input.
To get an idea what I am referring to, there is a woodworking thread you can log on to wherein another person (Mark G.) has posted several excellent photos of the identical muntins that I have.
Web Search: Woodworkingtalk.com muntin bars
Titled: Muntin bars-Woodworking Talk - Woodworkers Forum (General Woodworking Discussion) Quote: "I've been dabbling in woodworking for a few years. My projects are getting more ambitious ...... etc" and click on its link for the thread. Scroll down to Mark G.'s entry.
Other than replacing all my windows for the sake of removable muntin bars, I would hope there would be an alternative solution but perhaps at this point it is just wishful thinking on my part.
P.S: It's times like this I have to question, how did we Earthlings ever succeed in landing a man on the moon? :)
Here's a dining room with extended crown molding that was created with masking tape and gold paint.
Although, I can't imagine no baseboard. Your drywall would have to be VERY well finished!
So what do you recommend for crown molding when your dealing with a simple design with an 8 foot ceiling?
What about base boards? I really don't want to replace the baseboards in the entire house, but I would like to do something to make the existing trim a little nicer. I want to add a little bit of class to my 1957 ranch.