Frame Your Views With Great Moldings and Casings
How to Work With Trim to Give Your Space Depth and Interest
Killy Scheer
August 13, 2011
Decorative plaster or wood trim applied where walls meet ceilings, doors and/or windows go a long way to define a room's feel. Even the simplest, off-the-shelf moldings and casings can give a would-be bland space depth.
Don't get me wrong; you can have plenty of depth without moldings, too. But if you do have moldings, casings and trims, there are so many ways to treat them. Stain them for a historic feel, paint them white for a traditional New England crispness, paint them the same color as the wall to create a seamless framed view that doesn't detract from a fabulous window treatment. Really, the options are endless.
Don't get me wrong; you can have plenty of depth without moldings, too. But if you do have moldings, casings and trims, there are so many ways to treat them. Stain them for a historic feel, paint them white for a traditional New England crispness, paint them the same color as the wall to create a seamless framed view that doesn't detract from a fabulous window treatment. Really, the options are endless.
A traditional approach to moldings highlights them with a bright white paint makes everything look clean while creating a great contrast with the walls.
Even a tiny strip of crown molding gives a room architectural interest while undoubtedly hiding flaws in the transition from the wall to the ceiling. Painting the ceiling and the crown molding the same color gives also makes a space with lower ceilings feel taller and more grand.
You can't get much more high-contrast than black and white. I especially like how the dark (albeit light-filled) room leads into an all-white room. The walls, ceilings and trim appear to be painted all the same color in the adjacent room, making the black even more special and unexpected without being overwhelming.
Moldings and casings don't always have to match! In this design the crown molding coordinates with the ceiling and walls while the door casings and built-in shelves are coordinated.
Rachel Reider expertly calls attention to the unique ceiling treatment, stately crown molding and picture molding with the perfect paint treatment in this room.
Most molding we see is fairly typical, off-the-shelf and unremarkable, although almost all of it gives dimension to spaces. Then you come across molding like this, and it just deserves a moment to take it in. Highly decorative details become a layer of texture that deepens the design and cannot be ignored.
Of course, not all molding and trim has to be while and bright; make a real statement with a white room and bold, contrasting trim. This room works especially well because the starkness of the black and white is softened by the wooden doors.
This modern home doesn't need a lot of decorative molding and trim to feel special (in fact, they might detract from the desired look). But these stained wood window casings create standout frames for the beautiful views beyond. And the matching walls and ceilings really let those window sing.
No decroative architectural details at all? No worries! The dark-painted panes give the molding- and casing-free windows a sense of depth, not to mention architectural interest.
Do something crazy and wonderful: Paint the walls and moldings the same color but make the ceiling and doors pop with contrast, and in this case, a phenomenal door design.
I'm almost always in favor of painting moldings and casings the same color as walls. I'm also a fan of matte paint in general, but especially when all the decorative trim is painted in. Don't worry; matte paint is just as wipeable as eggshell but doesn't have that rental-apartment sheen so many of us are familiar with.
Another great example of the monochromatic approach. This soft blue lets the ceilings and pendant shine. Even the headboard is a similar color, giving the room a subtle and sophisticated ensuite feel.
Ken Levenson Architect P.C.
The decorative elements of this molding may have been distracting had they been called out in a contrasting color.
More: Browse more photos featuring molding and trim
More: Browse more photos featuring molding and trim
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I like how you mentioned that a door frame could help to add a little bit of depth to a room even though it hasn't changed at all. My wife and I have been working on the finishing touches in a renovation of our bedroom that we are planning and we haven't been able to figure out what is missing quite yet. The biggest thing would probably be the need for a little bit of depth, so we'll have to look at getting a replacement door frame customized for the style we are going for.
http://www.distinctivesidingandwindow.com/windows-and-doors