10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Victorian Mouldings
Learn about the original features in your home and allow them to shine with these expert tips
Emma and Simon Page
3 February 2016
Houzz UK Contributors. Directors at The Victorian Emporium
A period house renovation information resource which also offers period property renovation consultancy and project management.
Houzz UK Contributors. Directors at The Victorian Emporium
A period house renovation... More
Mouldings, such as plaster coving and ceiling roses, were central to Victorian interior design. Our ancestors loved an architrave, dado rail, picture rail and skirting board, too, sometimes with additional wooden panelling. Mouldings can be very intricate pieces – some were made in situ in grander homes – so it’s a shame that these details were often removed as part of modernisations during the 1970s and 1980s. The rooms somehow looked bereft without them.
If you own a period – or even a modern – house, well-chosen mouldings can make your rooms look well dressed. Browse these decorative details for inspiration.
If you own a period – or even a modern – house, well-chosen mouldings can make your rooms look well dressed. Browse these decorative details for inspiration.
Gen up on form and function
A typical Victorian reception room would feature architraves, skirting boards, dado rails, picture rails, coving, a ceiling rose and possibly panelling. Each of these items has its own function.
Skirting boards shield the walls against knocks from shoes, mops, brooms and, now, vacuum cleaners. Dado rails protect walls from the backs of chairs and were only present in downstairs rooms, hallways and up staircases, although they’re often used nowadays in bathrooms, too – especially when teamed with tongue and groove panelling that goes halfway up the wall.
Architraves are fitted around doors and windows, and coving was used to hide the join between the wall and the ceiling. Picture rails were, as the name suggests, a ridge from which to hang artworks, using hooks and string.
Ceiling roses were originally designed to catch the soot from gas lamps before it had a chance to cover an entire ceiling. Nowadays, they’re useful for hiding the wiring for your light fitting. Finally, panelling provides a hard-wearing surface for walls.
A typical Victorian reception room would feature architraves, skirting boards, dado rails, picture rails, coving, a ceiling rose and possibly panelling. Each of these items has its own function.
Skirting boards shield the walls against knocks from shoes, mops, brooms and, now, vacuum cleaners. Dado rails protect walls from the backs of chairs and were only present in downstairs rooms, hallways and up staircases, although they’re often used nowadays in bathrooms, too – especially when teamed with tongue and groove panelling that goes halfway up the wall.
Architraves are fitted around doors and windows, and coving was used to hide the join between the wall and the ceiling. Picture rails were, as the name suggests, a ridge from which to hang artworks, using hooks and string.
Ceiling roses were originally designed to catch the soot from gas lamps before it had a chance to cover an entire ceiling. Nowadays, they’re useful for hiding the wiring for your light fitting. Finally, panelling provides a hard-wearing surface for walls.
Know when to repair and when to replace
Let’s start with coving, which is the moulding you’re most likely to consider repairing. If the coving isn’t too badly damaged and there are only a few areas that need attention, it’s worth getting a quote from a coving craftsperson, who can assess the damage and how many sections will need resculpting. He or she will work on site to reproduce the damaged bits and restore it to its former glory.
Alternatively, if your coving has larger areas that need repairing or replacing, and the design isn’t too ornate, you can make a template and send it to a company that will reproduce whole sections for you. There’s normally a set-up cost involved – usually around £200 for 2m to 10m.
Another option is to remove all of the coving and replace it with an off-the-shelf design in a similar size (it’s very unusual to find an exact match). This is a much more cost-effective solution where there’s lots of damage.
The same rules apply to wooden skirting boards, architraves, picture rails and dado rails.
Let’s start with coving, which is the moulding you’re most likely to consider repairing. If the coving isn’t too badly damaged and there are only a few areas that need attention, it’s worth getting a quote from a coving craftsperson, who can assess the damage and how many sections will need resculpting. He or she will work on site to reproduce the damaged bits and restore it to its former glory.
Alternatively, if your coving has larger areas that need repairing or replacing, and the design isn’t too ornate, you can make a template and send it to a company that will reproduce whole sections for you. There’s normally a set-up cost involved – usually around £200 for 2m to 10m.
Another option is to remove all of the coving and replace it with an off-the-shelf design in a similar size (it’s very unusual to find an exact match). This is a much more cost-effective solution where there’s lots of damage.
The same rules apply to wooden skirting boards, architraves, picture rails and dado rails.
Be appropriate to your property
If your house is pretty grand, with high ceilings, the most appropriate mouldings are large and fairly ornate. Good examples to look for are egg and dart designs, acanthus leaf mouldings or dentil coving. Wide architraves with lots of detailing, a larger-sized dado rail and a tall skirting board would suit this type of house best.
If you’re giving your Victorian home a cleaner, more minimalist feel with lots of lighter colours and more contemporary touches, you might want to choose simpler period moulding designs so they don’t impose on the overall décor.
Choose moulding sizes in proportion to your house. Just because you want to use a simpler style, it doesn’t mean the item has to be small. Victorian houses tend to have high ceilings, so if you choose mini mouldings, they will look odd in all but the smallest of rooms.
If your house is pretty grand, with high ceilings, the most appropriate mouldings are large and fairly ornate. Good examples to look for are egg and dart designs, acanthus leaf mouldings or dentil coving. Wide architraves with lots of detailing, a larger-sized dado rail and a tall skirting board would suit this type of house best.
If you’re giving your Victorian home a cleaner, more minimalist feel with lots of lighter colours and more contemporary touches, you might want to choose simpler period moulding designs so they don’t impose on the overall décor.
Choose moulding sizes in proportion to your house. Just because you want to use a simpler style, it doesn’t mean the item has to be small. Victorian houses tend to have high ceilings, so if you choose mini mouldings, they will look odd in all but the smallest of rooms.
Come up roses
In general, larger rooms with high ceilings require larger roses. Small or narrow rooms, or those with low ceilings, suit smaller versions. For anything in-between, measure the size of your room in terms of ceiling height x length x width. Let’s say an average room in a period house is 2.8m high x 4.5m wide x 4.5m long. That’s 56.7 cubic metres. A room of this size would suit a ceiling rose of around 580mm to 720mm.
To test how sizes of ceiling rose may look, cut out a circle of coloured paper or cardboard to the approximate dimensions and Blu-Tack it in place above your head. Stand in the corner of the room and assess the result. Remember, the real ceiling rose will be 2cm or 3cm deep, so it will be even more impactful within the space than your paper version.
Also remember that once you hang a light there, the impact of it will be lessened; the light will be the focal point of the ceiling, rather than the rose. If you’re going to be installing a huge or eye-catching chandelier, it’s a good rule of thumb to up the size of your ceiling rose so it’s not dwarfed by the light fitting.
In general, larger rooms with high ceilings require larger roses. Small or narrow rooms, or those with low ceilings, suit smaller versions. For anything in-between, measure the size of your room in terms of ceiling height x length x width. Let’s say an average room in a period house is 2.8m high x 4.5m wide x 4.5m long. That’s 56.7 cubic metres. A room of this size would suit a ceiling rose of around 580mm to 720mm.
To test how sizes of ceiling rose may look, cut out a circle of coloured paper or cardboard to the approximate dimensions and Blu-Tack it in place above your head. Stand in the corner of the room and assess the result. Remember, the real ceiling rose will be 2cm or 3cm deep, so it will be even more impactful within the space than your paper version.
Also remember that once you hang a light there, the impact of it will be lessened; the light will be the focal point of the ceiling, rather than the rose. If you’re going to be installing a huge or eye-catching chandelier, it’s a good rule of thumb to up the size of your ceiling rose so it’s not dwarfed by the light fitting.
Stay consistent
If you’re building an extension to your period home or converting outbuildings, make sure you use mouldings that are similar to those in your house – both in size and design. This is a good way of making the transition between the old and the new seamless.
Obviously, if you’re building a super-modern extension made of glass and chrome, which is designed to provide a contrast to the period part of the property, this rule does not apply!
Check out how to mix historical features with modern design
If you’re building an extension to your period home or converting outbuildings, make sure you use mouldings that are similar to those in your house – both in size and design. This is a good way of making the transition between the old and the new seamless.
Obviously, if you’re building a super-modern extension made of glass and chrome, which is designed to provide a contrast to the period part of the property, this rule does not apply!
Check out how to mix historical features with modern design
Consider size and proportions
Think about your mouldings in the context of the entire room. If you have a room with a 3.1m high ceiling that’s around 7m x 8m in size, it can take really large, impressive coving, dado rails and skirting boards. However, if you live in a terraced house with small rooms, it would be better to stick to the smaller versions of each. There are practical as well as aesthetic reasons for this: there’s nothing more annoying than a narrow staircase with a large dado rail that hampers you getting furniture up and down the stairs. Sometimes every centimetre counts.
If you’re replacing original features, such as coving, it’s a lot easier to use a style that’s slightly larger, so you don’t see the leftover scars. The same goes for ceiling roses – it means you won’t have to replaster the entire ceiling. For wooden mouldings, such as dado rails and skirting boards, you won’t be left with scars, but screw holes. It’s still best, however, to be guided size-wise by the original fittings.
Think about your mouldings in the context of the entire room. If you have a room with a 3.1m high ceiling that’s around 7m x 8m in size, it can take really large, impressive coving, dado rails and skirting boards. However, if you live in a terraced house with small rooms, it would be better to stick to the smaller versions of each. There are practical as well as aesthetic reasons for this: there’s nothing more annoying than a narrow staircase with a large dado rail that hampers you getting furniture up and down the stairs. Sometimes every centimetre counts.
If you’re replacing original features, such as coving, it’s a lot easier to use a style that’s slightly larger, so you don’t see the leftover scars. The same goes for ceiling roses – it means you won’t have to replaster the entire ceiling. For wooden mouldings, such as dado rails and skirting boards, you won’t be left with scars, but screw holes. It’s still best, however, to be guided size-wise by the original fittings.
Paint to perfection
Mouldings are often painted in a colour lighter than the walls, which helps them to stand out and gives them a clean feel. It also really celebrates them as a period feature of your home. Usually the shade is from the same colour palette as the walls, but there are no hard and fast rules. The more pronounced the colour difference is between the mouldings and the walls, the more the mouldings will stand out. So the colours you choose depend on whether you wish to make a statement or not.
It’s a matter of personal preference, as is the finish you go for – gloss or eggshell. Panelling can look fabulous either left as a deep oak colour (or stained), painted in a dark blue or grey, or even painted in an off-white. The amount of light in the room will help you choose. Of course, the Victorians often painted their mouldings in a dark, drab chocolate brown, which is a practice all but the most committed Victorian aficionados are likely to avoid.
Mouldings are often painted in a colour lighter than the walls, which helps them to stand out and gives them a clean feel. It also really celebrates them as a period feature of your home. Usually the shade is from the same colour palette as the walls, but there are no hard and fast rules. The more pronounced the colour difference is between the mouldings and the walls, the more the mouldings will stand out. So the colours you choose depend on whether you wish to make a statement or not.
It’s a matter of personal preference, as is the finish you go for – gloss or eggshell. Panelling can look fabulous either left as a deep oak colour (or stained), painted in a dark blue or grey, or even painted in an off-white. The amount of light in the room will help you choose. Of course, the Victorians often painted their mouldings in a dark, drab chocolate brown, which is a practice all but the most committed Victorian aficionados are likely to avoid.
Light them with love
If you’ve chosen to go down the more contemporary path with your period house and have simpler mouldings, such as a ceiling rose with concentric rings rather than flowers and leaves, it makes sense to choose an unfussy light that will complement this style.
Conversely, if you have a very decorative ceiling rose in your room with an intricate pattern, the style of light that might suit this is likely to be something more ornate, such as a crystal chandelier. This room is a good example, with its pointed, patterned ceiling rose and decorative statement light.
Read expert advice on how you can add detail to your ceiling
If you’ve chosen to go down the more contemporary path with your period house and have simpler mouldings, such as a ceiling rose with concentric rings rather than flowers and leaves, it makes sense to choose an unfussy light that will complement this style.
Conversely, if you have a very decorative ceiling rose in your room with an intricate pattern, the style of light that might suit this is likely to be something more ornate, such as a crystal chandelier. This room is a good example, with its pointed, patterned ceiling rose and decorative statement light.
Read expert advice on how you can add detail to your ceiling
Give them a good clean
Mouldings with intricate details are real dust magnets. The best way to keep them looking their best is by wiping them over with soapy water after giving them a vacuum at least once a month.
Due to their nature, function and location, skirting boards, architraves and dado rails get lots of wear and tear that can often result in chipped paint. Ideally, once a year these damaged areas should be retouched. Many people do this just before Christmas when guests are due to stay. Start by giving the entire section a good clean followed by a light sand, so the surface is smooth. Then repaint that entire section. It may need two thin coats.
Top tip Every time you paint an area of your house, save some leftover paint. Label each tin with the room name and area in which it was used. If you don’t do this, you risk making a total hash of touch-up paint jobs by using the wrong colour, as paint looks different in the tin from how it appears on the wall.
Mouldings with intricate details are real dust magnets. The best way to keep them looking their best is by wiping them over with soapy water after giving them a vacuum at least once a month.
Due to their nature, function and location, skirting boards, architraves and dado rails get lots of wear and tear that can often result in chipped paint. Ideally, once a year these damaged areas should be retouched. Many people do this just before Christmas when guests are due to stay. Start by giving the entire section a good clean followed by a light sand, so the surface is smooth. Then repaint that entire section. It may need two thin coats.
Top tip Every time you paint an area of your house, save some leftover paint. Label each tin with the room name and area in which it was used. If you don’t do this, you risk making a total hash of touch-up paint jobs by using the wrong colour, as paint looks different in the tin from how it appears on the wall.
Take it further
Other decorative mouldings, such as corbels, pilasters and wooden coving, are most commonly used in kitchens. Corbels are used mainly to support (or appear to support) mantels either side of a kitchen range. Some beautiful designs are available that incorporate lion heads, leaves, flowers and scrolls, although you may prefer simpler designs. Corbels can really elevate a kitchen purchased from a DIY chain to another level if used well.
Pilasters are often used on the corner of kitchen islands or between units to again make a standard kitchen into something really special. Wooden coving around the top of units often makes them look more finished and seems to add extra height in rooms with high ceilings. This helps to make rooms that might not previously have been used as a kitchen look more kitchen-like.
TELL US…
Do you have mouldings in your home? Have you highlighted or minimised them? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Other decorative mouldings, such as corbels, pilasters and wooden coving, are most commonly used in kitchens. Corbels are used mainly to support (or appear to support) mantels either side of a kitchen range. Some beautiful designs are available that incorporate lion heads, leaves, flowers and scrolls, although you may prefer simpler designs. Corbels can really elevate a kitchen purchased from a DIY chain to another level if used well.
Pilasters are often used on the corner of kitchen islands or between units to again make a standard kitchen into something really special. Wooden coving around the top of units often makes them look more finished and seems to add extra height in rooms with high ceilings. This helps to make rooms that might not previously have been used as a kitchen look more kitchen-like.
TELL US…
Do you have mouldings in your home? Have you highlighted or minimised them? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
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I'm a big fan of both repairing what you've got and also buying off the peg mouldings if you're starting from scratch. There's something about plaster mouldings which looks different to those made from a modern lighter weight material. I bought light weight ceiling roses for my living room and have never been totally happy with them. Perhaps they're a bit too perfect, where plaster has the odd imperfection.
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