Trim Work
The ceiling moldings in this room leave an indelible impression. The heaviness of the trim reminds one of Gothic architecture, which subtracted shapes from a form to achieve its effect. When to use trim: When your rooms do not already have trim, or if the existing trim does not coordinate with the true architecture of your house. Find your home’s style Who to hire: Lots of people are very handy with saws and woodworking, so you may be one of the lucky ones who can do this work yourself. There are scads of how-tos on the Internet, so finding help can be rather easy. This is also a great job for your favorite handyperson, and the labor is likely affordable. For jobs with lots of detail, paneling and casework, you’ll want to find a carpenter or contractor who has lots of experience with this type of work. Understanding classical architecture and properly executing the installation is an art form unto itself. Cost: This is a matter of linear footage. Synthetic trims or moldings can cost less than a dollar per linear foot. Or you might prefer milled hardwoods that can be stained, which can cost several hundred dollars for lengths of several feet. If you were to trim a small bedr...
There are broad variations in this style, but this diagram shows a combination that’s very common in Craftsman houses. Notice that the crown has the cyma found in classical architecture but is quite a bit simpler than the crown moldings of Victorian and Colonial times. Trim around doors and windows is normally very simple and flat, with eased edges, although header caps are frequently used, as shown here. The tiny trim at the base of the header and at the top of the door frame is called a stop. Some designs have plinth blocks, as shown below, or the door trim extends straight and flush to the floor. Although there is a base shoe here, notice that the baseboard has no detail — just an eased edge.
Colonials can have a built-up crown molding similar to that in Victorians. However, notice how very different the effect is where the detail is expressed in a classical cornice with a cymatium, corona and bed mold (in descending order). The casing also has a back band over a simpler beaded trim. The baseboard has a bead detail at the top and is finished off with a base shoe.
Notice that the Victorian crown molding consists of three separate trims that, combined, create a prominent detail. Picture rails, as seen in the previous photo, are popular in this type of home as well as in Craftsman houses. The casing (the trim around the doors and windows) is also built up with two separate trims. Shown here is a highly detailed casing with a beaded edge surrounded by a back band. The generous profile of the baseboard also has a shoe mold, which helps to cover the gap between the base and the wood floor. The plinth block acts as a termination point for the baseboard and the door casing. Siemasko + VerbridgeSave to IdeabookEmail Photo Here is a detail from the preceding Victorian house. A wainscot occupies the lower part of the wall; it was created by trim and paneling.
Siemasko + VerbridgeSave to IdeabookEmail Photo If you have a room that lacks adornment, then you have greater leeway to define the style you wish to have. Let us examine a few architectural flavors and the elements that distinguish each. Victorian This Boston Victorian delights with beautiful stained wood trim. The profile of each molding leaves a specific impression — notice it at the meeting of the ceiling and the wall, for example. The diagrams that follow illustrate how different trims are used to achieve the effects that can define different styles. Variations are as numerous as the number of carpenters and architects who interpret these trims, although certain molding profiles will always be associated with certain styles.
The addition of closely spaced and shallow trim boards can provide some structure to a room and reinforce the room’s overall elegance. And by painting these trim boards in a color that gives them visual weight without making them dark and somber, the room stays light and relaxed while maintaining a sense of formality.
1. Base. Used where the wall and floor come together, the base, or baseboard, conceals any gaps between floor and wall finishes as well as provides protection to the wall finish from swinging feet, jostled furniture, etc. Traditionally it was composed of three separate parts: a shoe (the small, curved or beveled piece that transitions from baseboard to floor), the baseboard (the tall, flat piece) and the cap (an ornamental piece that sits atop the baseboard). But bases are now more often than not made of one piece for a cleaner and more contemporary aesthetic. By the way, when I was much younger, I went to architectural school in London and worked for a British construction firm. In addition to learning a new language (we all know a "lift" is an "elevator" and the first floor is the second floor), I learned the British term for a baseboard is "skirting." I like that term, especially as a base and a skirt have so much in common.
2. Chair rail. Moving up the wall from the floor, the next piece of trim after the base is the chair rail. Functionally, this trim item protects the wall finish from any furniture that gets placed against the wall. Though most commonly installed about 36 inches from the floor, a chair rail can be installed just about at any height. The key issue is how the chair rail splits the wall into horizontal layers and getting those proportions correct.
3. Wainscot. While the space between the chair rail and baseboard can be finished as the rest of the wall (painted or wallpapered), many times the area is paneled. The options for the wainscot are many, including simple wood panels, beadboard, raised panels and horizontal wood paneling. And while the finish of the wainscoting can match the wood trim, it doesn't have to. For example, a painted wood baseboard and wainscot of simple, recessed panels works well with the stained wood window and door trim.
4. Window casing. The traditional method of casing a window (or door) is to use separate side, top and bottom pieces. Because each piece is distinct, the trim can be richly detailed and articulated. For example, along the top of the windows there can be a horizontal band that provides a base for a large, flat band that holds a shaped crown. This is a semicustom approach, as each piece can be purchased, or milled, and installed separately, getting you the exact profile and look you'll want.
Having a nice, deep sill to place objects on is an advantage to casing a window with distinct pieces. And the horizontal piece below the stool (shelf), called the apron, can be shaped and sized as you like. The stool can be shallow or deep, depending on what you'd like to place there and you're overall design.
5. Door casing. Like window casing, door casing is traditionally installed as separate pieces. But unlike window casing, door casing, for obvious reasons, has no bottom stool or apron. Though not absolutely a given, the door casing comes from the same family of trim profiles as the window casing. So where there is a Craftsman-style window trim, you'd expect to see a Craftsman-style door trim. Sometimes, especially in a sophisticated design, changing scale while keeping the profiles the same is a way of distinguishing door and window trim. For example, a large and tall door might deserve a larger and more robust trim than, say, a small specialty window.
You may find that you want to treat the sides and top of a cased opening the same. So you'll take the same profile that's used on the sides, or jambs, and run that all around the opening. In this example, a cased opening is created by using the same trim on the sides and on the top of the doorway. In a window application, a "picture frame" effect is created by using the same profile all around (top, bottom and sides).
6. Picture rail. Continuing our journey up, closer to the top of the wall you'll find the picture rail. This trim piece originally served as a support to hang pictures on, as plaster walls weren't the best and could be easily damaged by all of those picture hooks nailed into the wall. Of course, with the advent of inexpensive pictures hooks that can be easily nailed into a wall to support just about any size picture, the picture rail has lost its utilitarian function. Now this piece of trim is used mostly as a decorative element to divide the wall into horizontal layers.
7. Plate rail. Though not always close to the top of a wall, the plate rail serves as a platform to display a collection of objects. The depth of the plate rail can vary from very shallow, in those instances where a plate is being displayed, to quite deep when large objects are to be displayed. A plate rail's location on the wall (higher up for deeper rails) will also determine its depth. For example, larger objects requiring a deeper rail will necessitate placing the plate rail higher on the wall so it's out of the way, while a thin rail for displaying plates can also serve as a chair rail.
Though plate rails and picture rails have lost their utilitarian function, a trim line at the top of the window and below the ceiling is a powerful design tool. In addition to making a space more interesting and rich, this trim line can be used to establish a "datum" from which other elements such as soffits can be organized from, an approach used by architect Sarah Susanka and many other architects quite effectively.
8. Crown molding. At the top of the wall, where wall and ceiling come together, is the crown molding. Just like other trim items, the choice of profile and size are almost unlimited. What is especially nice about crown molding is its ability to soften the transition between wall and ceiling, between vertical and horizontal plans. So rather than have that abrupt sharp corner, crown molding lets the eye ease into moving from one to another. It's a kinder, gentler and more elegant approach to a change.
Typical project length: The complexity of the project should be taken into consideration, of course. For small rooms, trim could probably be installed in a weekend. A handyperson might take a week to do a large room that has simpler details. If you have wainscoting or paneling and have a very detailed space, the project could take a contractor a few weeks to complete. Permit: It’s unlikely that you’ll need permits for this type of project. It’s similar to painting, in that it is finish work. If you are making electrical or plumbing changes, then you may need a permit. Best time to do this project: Any time of year, but it would be wise to avoid construction during holidays or any other time you might have guests or need the house neat and clean. Expect minor disruptions and dust. First step: Study the architecture of your house and what types of trim are appropriate for its style. The wrong trim is not unlike white pants after Labor Day: It might look silly. Discover trim options on Houzz and on the Windsor One and Mouldings One websites.
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