You’ve finished painting the walls, all the furniture is in place, the pictures have been hung – does this mean you’re finally done decorating? Not if you’ve neglected to add trim work to your home! Adding decorative wood trim can pull together all of the components of a room, giving the space that added degree of polish you’ve been looking for. Different types of trim work can highlight different features of a room, so it’s important to know your options when it comes to installing wood trim.
Base Shoe Molding
If your room features polished wood floors, base shoe molding can be just the thing to help make the transition to walls or cabinets. One major benefit of adding base shoe molding is that it works to conceal any irregularities between the floor and the wall, such as gaps or minor damage. For most wall and cabinet colors, a neutral white is a good choice to bridge that space between the floor and the wall, though if you have wooden cabinets, maintaining a wood tone is typically a better option. If you want to accent your base shoe molding further, add a base cap, which is simply another level of trim work that extends higher up the wall.
Cased Openings
In some cases, you may have a room with a doorway, but no door, such as between a kitchen and a dining room. Cased openings are ideal for these types of doorways because they provide definition between the two rooms in a similar way to a door without closing off the space.
Chair Rails
Chair rails are ideal for kitchens or dining rooms where seating is positioned near a wall. Chair rails are a particularly practical because their function is to prevent chairs from scraping against and damaging the wall. These rails can look similar to base shoe molding or casing, or can be more detailed depending on the overall look of the room: for example a room with less decorative trim detailing can stand up to a more intricate, spindled chair rail than a room with significant decorative qualities.
Wainscoting
Wainscoting is a classic trim work choice that can help create a lot of visual distinction in a single room by dividing the wall in half. Wainscoting extends up the wall on average about 3 or 4 feet and often ends with a chair rail, before giving way to a painted or wallpapered wall.
Crown Molding
Crown Moldings are another popular trim work that add a graceful flare to walls. They are intalled at the crease where the wall meets the ceiling. It is typically a difficult installation process, and is best left to professionals.
Custom Deck Builders is an expert at installing and designing trim work for homes. Contact us today for more information.
