Breaking the Mould

When trying to set a suburban house apart from the beige box next door, I strongly recommend the use of architectural moulding.  In trying to maximize profits and speed up the new home building process, builders have minimized the amount and quality of the moulding they use.  Crown Moulding and tall base moudings add a sense of richness and history to a home – and that is just to start.  Keep in mind that trim application needs to be architecturally appropriate for the style and age of the home.  Below are photos with great examples of how to use decorative moulding.

This photo seems to be of alarge home or apartment either in an older building or a high end new home trying to imitate a sense of history.

This is a more contemporary take on moulding – a simple color scheme with a half round trim.  This application can be taken a step further with the use of a wallpaper inset.  It is a great way to get the feel of an elegant wallcovering with out having to purchase enough for the whole wall and the measuring and installation process is a bit simpler.

The designer has used large trim around the windows, substantial moudings at the ceiling and wainscotting to add so a ton of richness to this bathroom.

I love the use of egg and dart moulding at the ceiling and the framing on the bed wall in this photo.

Here is another simple application using half round trim in a more contemporary room.  Realistically, this is probably the best type of application for a DIY project.

In this dining room, the moulding is used to bring the ceiling height down and  create a sense of intimacy.  I also love the gutsy use of color!

Trim is also a great way to improve cheap flat doors.  In this hall, the moulding ties the walls and the look of the door together.  - Cute poochie too!

Here is a lovely way to create a mirrored wall – much better than the gold flaked mirrored wall from the 1970′s.

This is a neat way to use trim – creating an overall pattern on the wall using simple 1″x 2″.

Yet another DIY moulding application including trim and deep base moulding.  This seems to be a standard suburban home, but these small details imbue a sense of quality construction and care taken by the homeowner.

Here is a much more ornate and complicated moulding application.  This is most likely created by a high-end custom millwork shop – but well worth the money if you have it.  

Another dining room with moulding detail on the wall.  Sometimes the top rail of this type moulding is treated as a plate rail which is a cool way to combine decoration and storage.

Lastly, this is my favorite trim application so far.  I am not sure if it is possible to do this as DIY without going crazy – maybe with a laser level and a patient assistant.  The materials are very simple, but the pattern would drive me batty!