Strips of wood or other materials used to create architectural details are called “mouldings.” The original purpose of moulding was to cover the joint between two surfaces or offer protection to pricey walls. Mouldings are used in interior design today to add detail and interest to the decor.
Mouldings can be painted to contrast or blend with the colour of your walls, or they can be left natural to highlight a beautiful wood species like red or white oak.
7 popular styles of moulding
Crown building
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Crown is the most well-known and regal-sounding type of moulding out of all the others. Crown mouldings, which join the ceiling and walls, are frequently very ornate and feature decorative substyles like dentil or egg-and-dart.
Baseboards
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Baseboards are wooden trim used where the floor meets the wall. These 3-5″ wide mouldings are usually simple in style. Baseboards that are substantial and intricate are a sign of classic design.
Try adding a smaller moulding an inch or two just above the current baseboards and painting the space in between the same colour as the baseboards to immediately add depth if your thin contemporary baseboards could use some sprucing up.
Casing
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Casings are the 2- to 3-inch mouldings that typically enclose the window and interior or exterior door frames. Casings also referred to as architraves can be very intricate to draw attention to a stunning view or to welcome visitors to your home. While plain casings (or none at all) can create a clean, modern look, thicker casings in intricate designs look just right in a Victorian home.
Chair rails
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Chair rails are straightforward, thin strips of moulding that add a pleasing sense of proportion. They are typically 32–36″ above the floor or about one above the wall height. A different theory contends that the Shakers of old hung chairs from these rails while cleaning their floors, even though many claim their original purpose was to keep diners’ chairs from scratching the walls.
Picture rails
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Picture rails are pretty narrow, like chair rails, but they are assembled much higher up—typically 7-9′ feet above floor level. Picture rails are designed to make it possible to hang paintings and photos without drilling holes in your walls.
Board and batten
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Also known simply as “batten,” it is moulding used to cover the spaces between two adjacent wall panels. Its name comes from the characteristics of the wall. A tiny portion of trim called a “batten” is used to cover the edges of boards that are arranged edge to edge.
Wainscotting
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Most often used on the lower 3–4 feet of walls, wainscoting is a type of decorative wood panelling. This adaptable trim is suitable for use in your home’s rooms and is available in several trendy designs, such as shiplap and beadboard.
Wood moulding materials
The most elegant and beautiful moulding material available today is natural wood. Your budget, the existing design of your home, and your personal preferences will all influence the type of wood you choose to make your lovely mouldings. Here are some ideas to aid in your decision-making:
One of the most affordable types of wood is pine. It is appropriate for painted mouldings, such as those in a child’s bedroom.
- Pine, for instance, has a warm appearance, whereas other wood species have a cooler appearance. The “mood” you want to create in your home—warm and inviting or cool and elegant—should guide your choice of wood.
- Let the natural colour and grain of most wood species used for wood mouldings shine! Apply a transparent finish coat. (Seal the wood to prevent water damage in wet areas like the kitchen or bathroom.)
- Make sure that any new wood mouldings blend in with any nearby woodwork that may already be present, such as a fireplace mantel or stair bannister.
FAQs
How does moulding work in design?
Moulding is a defining, transitional, or concluding element used in architecture and decorative arts that defines or outlines the edges and surfaces of a representation or cavity, such as a cornice, arch, capital, arch, base, or jamb.
What makes moulding design crucial?
It is much simpler to foresee how an injection-moulded product will be impacted by its surroundings with mould design. It may be necessary for manufacturers to modify certain features of the mould tooling, such as the number of cavities, the wall thickness, or the choice of metal or alloy.
