nice and trim: remodelaholic guest post

did you check out my post on trim

for remodelaholic?

in case you missed it,

here it is!

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Many of my clients feel their spaces lack character and interest. 

 While there a several strategies to create texture, enhance proportions, and build design interest for a space, one of the most effective is to 

add architectural moldings. 

Adding crown molding to a space is a classic 

and yet very simple solution.

This is the first house that my husband and I built 

for ourselves nine years ago. We added crown molding to the ceiling, 

added a smaller piece of trim about four inches down the wall, 

and then painted the wall space in between to match the trim. 

The result is a larger, 

more elaborate looking molding.

Adding molding/trim to doors or openings is an easy way to produce a high impact design feature at a minimal cost.  For instance, the total cost of the materials for this opening was around $30. We added this type of treatment over the two major openings in our first home's foyer.

A more intricate version was installed in this custom home built by my husband.

The trim here helps define the door and creates additional mass, balancing the door's "visual weight"

against the expanse of the two-story wall.

Here are some other examples:

Basic pilasters (half-columns), in another one of our custom homes, define the bathtub.

At the Sanctuary Hotel on Kiawah Island in South Carolina,

large openings are wrapped in trim with inset louvered panels.

Another area of the Sanctuary Hotel features decorative headers which

 define the space and bring down the scale of the high ceilings which creates a more intimate environment.

In this custom home built by my husband, the 14 foot tall ceilings in the foyer would have seemed awkward with the absence of properly scaled moldings. Notice how the seven foot tall wainscoting establishes more appropriate proportions for the space.

Before remodeling, only a small piece of crown and base molding outlined the foyer of our last home. So we installed wainscoting to dress up the entry.  This also helped disguise the air return vent.  Did you notice it? If not, then we accomplished our goal!

Since the stairwell and upstairs hall were also visible from the foyer, we decided to continue the trim into these spaces.  The added trim transforms the long and ordinary hall into an appealing area for showcasing family photos.

Trim is an essential component in spaces that many people, including me, find comfortable and appealing. Whenever we remodel or build a new home, we  experiment with new treatments and applications of moldings. I am always searching for great ways to use trim. I get my ideas from past projects, magazines, as well as public spaces like restaurants, hotels and offices.  

  Installing additional trim/moldings does not have to be a complex or expensive endeavor. In fact, after painting, adding trim is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to customize any space. And, as you can see, the results can be breathtaking!