Decorative moldings have a variety of styles, materials they are made from, and prices. Because of the variations, instead of talking about what decorative moldings to use (as that will depend entirely on your purpose and budget), let’s talk about where decorative moldings can be used. The following are the top ten places to use decorative moldings:
1) Around the Ceiling
This is usually called crown molding, or cornice molding, and cornice molding is one of the most sought-after architectural moldings used today. Basically what it is, is a shaped piece of wood that is installed at the intersection of the wall and ceiling. The molding can range from 3″ to 15″ depending on the size of the room and style of décor. The smaller the room, generally the smaller the molding is. Crown molding is a great way to increase the value of your home.
2) Around a Window
Many homebuilders opt not to do this, but that is a tragedy because framing a window does a lot to dress it up and make it look finished. This type of decorative molding is called casing; casing is often used to hide the gap between the window frame and wall.
3) Around a Door
If you put decorative molding around your windows, you should probably put it around your doors as well. Casing to match the window casing is also installed around a door frame to complete the look in a room. This molding covers gaps in installation between the frame of the door and the wall, and provides less air leakage.
4) Along the Floor
You will see this in pretty much every house you enter. The decorative molding found along the floor is called a baseboard, this is applied where the wall and floor meet. This can be very fancy or very simple, and serves functional purposes besides just decorative. It can keep the wall from getting scuffed up or damaged, and hides gaps between the flooring and wall.
5) On a Door
This is a place where decorative molding can be used to turn something simple into a beautiful elaborate display. A plain, flat door can be dressed up easily with molding installed on the face to form panels. This is very inexpensive and the molding can be nailed or glued on and then painted to match the door or in contrast. So, if you want to dress up your doors, consider decorative moldings!
6) Along a Wall
Decorative moldings along a wall are called chair rail. Chair rail is a strip of wood installed horizontally over the wall at a height to protect a wall from being damaged by a chair. It divides the top of the wall from the lower, and is often used to cover the edge of wainscoting panels or wallpaper. Once again this is a simple and inexpensive way to dress up a room.
7) On a Wall
Just as decorative molding can be used on a door, it too can be used on the wall itself to give a look of recessed panels. The molding and inner section can be painted one color and the outer area another for a dramatic look, or the whole area can be one color to achieve a subtle architectural transformation. The possibilities are endless.
Framing a Bookcase
Use decorative moldings to spruce up furniture you already have. For example, a simple wood molding can transform a basic, boring, bookcase into a beautiful piece of furniture. You would simply install crown molding around the top, flat shaped strips on the sides and defining the shelves, and baseboards around the bottom. The pieces can be glued on or nailed. Then paint the whole piece to match, and no one will know.
9) On a Ceiling
Ceilings are not often thought of, but using decorative molding on your ceiling can create a regal ambiance in a room. Traditional ceiling medallions were carved or molded of plaster. However, with decorative moldings, you can achieve the same look.
10) Around Your Fireplace
Fireplaces are beautiful, and wonderful to have in your home, and a frame around your fireplace makes it the focal point of your room. Molding pieces combine on the vertical to frame the sides while a simple or dramatic horizontal mantle provides an area to display treasures, arrange a prized collection, and hang Christmas stockings.
Decorative moldings can be used in many areas of your house to add appeal and dramatic effect, so have fun with this inexpensive tool!
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