Creating characterful interiors with hardwood moulding

(BPT) - Just as tasteful, well-chosen jewelry can turn an unexciting outfit into a stylish, eye-catching ensemble, carefully applied hardwood mouldings and trimwork can transform a plain-Jane interior into an interesting - even beautiful - space.

Todays newly built houses often lack any sort of carved-wood ornamentation. Many older homes have lost their traditional decorative details through successive modernizing renovations. To transform stripped-down to charming, and ordinary to characterful, homeowners are incorporating decorative millwork to enhance their interior design.

While there is an almost infinite variety of hardwood mouldings and trims, the pros at the American Hardwood Information Center, http://www.Hardwoodinfo.com, and most design experts, recognize the following most basic categories:

* Baseboards, which run at the foot of walls and act as an elongated pedestal, are both aesthetic and practical. They visually anchor the wall to the floor and at the same time protect it from everyday low-impact abuse such as kids scooting around in toy cars.

* Crown mouldings, which run between the walls and the ceiling, soften the abrupt transition between wall and ceiling.

* Casings, the trim surrounding door and window openings, define a wall opening and help connect the spaces being joined.

Our clients are attracted to the enduring quality and ageless appeal of hardwood moulding, says architect Jeff Murphy, principal of Murphy & Co. Design, a Buffalo, Minnesotabased firm. For them, its the heart of the home - something they see and touch each day. Done right, it will last forever and always be in style.

For architect Tim Button of New York Citybased Stedila Design, hardwood mouldings are appropriate in any room in the home, but he also says, I think wood trim often makes its biggest impact in an entry hall where high ceilings allow for large-scale crown mouldings. And hes a fan of using stained-wood mouldings in bathrooms, because it brings warmth to what can be a somewhat clinical space.

Edina, Minnesotabased architect Meriwether Felt agrees, having installed stained-cherry mouldings, trims, and casings in the master bath of a home she renovated. The client asked for a luxurious yet elegant feeling and the cherry fit the bill perfectly. The stained wood warms up the bathroom and provides richness.

The size of the trimwork and the complexity of its profile will be determined by the size and style of the space in which its being installed; the larger and more traditional the room, the bigger and more ornate the trim. Crown mouldings in particular have a profound and sometimes unexpected effect on how people perceive the scale, proportions and character of an interior, so they must be chosen with great care. If too small and plain, theyll look skimpy and undernourished; too large and ostentatious and theyll overwhelm the space. If in doubt, consult a design professional.

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Creating characterful interiors with hardwood moulding