Finding the Right Interior Mouldings for Your Home

Architectural and decorative mouldings play an important part in any property, helping to add personality and complete the look of your home. It can also be one of the most exciting parts of building a house, as you slowly begin to see your vision come to life as you add the finishing touches to the project.

However, that’s not to say that it can’t be an overwhelming process too. With so many options available and so much at stake, it can be hard to nail down what’s right for your home. In this article, we’ll go over all you need to consider before deciding on your home’s trim and making your house feel like a home.

Where You Want Them

The first thing you’ll have to think about is where in your home you want to use mouldings and trim. Most commonly, mouldings are used on doors, ceilings or windows, and you’ll have to decide how heavily you want to feature trim throughout your home. Trim works great along the floors and the ceiling, helping to smoothen the transition between one area to another. In this scenario, trim can also be used to cover up any gaps or imperfections between your floors, walls and ceilings.

Although using mouldings around windows and doors is slightly less common, if this suits your chosen design style then this can be a great way to add some flair to your home as well as some added dimension. Decorative walls and ceilings can also be used to inject character and personality, creating a custom look that’s unique to your home.

What Material You Want

There are many different moulding materials to choose from, including hardwood, softwood, plaster, aluminium and polyurethane. The right material for your home will depend on a variety of factors, such as their cost and whether you plan on staining or painting them.

We recommend polyurethane, as it’s lightweight and affordable like plaster but is also strong and resilient. It’s also more rot and insect-resistant than wood, making life easier for you in the long run with fewer maintenance requirements and a longer life expectancy.

The Different Moulding Styles

The different moulding styles can generally be put into three main categories – modern, craftsman and traditional. Modern mouldings are usually just flat boards with no profile, and are generally used in contemporary, industrial-style homes with trim used sparingly throughout. Craftsman mouldings are similar but have layerings of smaller pieces to add flair and texture, and are often found in bungalow-style homes with baseboards and shoe moulds.

Traditional mouldings are more decorative and have more of a personality than both modern and craftsman. These tend to be the most popular options, helping to enhance a home’s beauty thanks to their timeless designs and classic appeal. Trim works best when it all conforms to a single architectural style, helping develop a consistent look and feel throughout your home. While formal rooms such as dining rooms or living rooms might have more trim-wall panelling or cornices than other areas of the house, every room should be designed with a consistent style that flows from room to room.

What Size You Prefer

Again, the size of your mouldings really comes down to your personal preference. However, there are some general guidelines that should be followed. The main thing to remember is to keep everything to scale. The size of your mouldings and your trim should be in proportion with the size of your rooms to help achieve balance.

For example, if you have high ceilings, you’ll want to have a higher baseboard and if you’re doing crown moulding, it should be the same length as your base. If your rooms are on the smaller side, you can make them feel bigger by incorporating wide casings and decorative touches such as pediments.