The look of your home is important – After all, you spend a lot of time there! 

So, it makes sense that you should love every bit of it – from the main living areas to your bedrooms and bathrooms. While it may seem obvious, the decor you choose for your home should reflect who you are and deserves your consideration, love and attention. 

One of the ways you can achieve your own unique look is with the use of decorative mouldings. You can decorate the walls , doors and furniture in all of your rooms as it pleases you , adding style and personality as you go. There are a huge range of styles and shapes out there, so don’t be afraid , be bold and express yourself. 

Before you get started , there are a few considerations before you choose moulding. 

What is the aesthetic of my home:

Be it modern, farmhouse,  mid – century , victorian , etc, you will probably want to reflect the style you already have. This is not a hard and fast rule of course, as a mixture of traditional and modern can be very de rigour, but you should consider the look you wish to achieve before you begin. For example, if you live in a modern farmhouse, flat panelled, plain trim would likely be best suited to blend with the existing style … or in an older home, you might opt for more curved panel mouldings to reflect the surroundings. 

Why not do some digging on the internet and look for the designs and styles that appeal to you? Once you have some ideas in your head , choosing your ideal mouldings will be much easier. 

How important is durability: 

Consider wear and tear . Question whether there is a good chance your pets or kids might damage your trim or scratch at your skirting ? If the answer is yes, you might want to choose a solid or even a hard wood material to withstand the knocks. Painting ai also a good option, as you can easily touch up stains and cracks without re decorating the whole room. 

What is the budget for the project: 

If you have limited funds, you might opt for a more minimalist look, Choose essential items such as skirting and architrave and then add other touches here and there to stamp your style on it. For example, you can choose to decorate a single wall or trim some plain furniture with minimal effort and expenditure. 

If you are painting it. consider using a value material such as pine or MDF to keep the cost down. 

Will this be professionally installed: 

If you are not experienced carpenter , it may be worthwhile hiring a professional? Of course, you will need to factor that into budget, but it may give you better value in the long run, if it means less material waste and time. 

Common Trim Moulding Types 

Homeowners have plenty to inspire them when it comes to incorporating custom moulding into interior design – check out the internet , interior magazines , make over TV programmes and hotels & bars in your local town, There are examples everywhere to get ideas from. 

The following list includes some of the most common types of moulding trim that you are likely to see in homes around Ireland. 

Skirting 

Also known as base board , this type of moulding covers the gap between your wall and flooring, Skirting is typically finished with quarter round or shoe moulding to complete a seamless transition from floor to wall. 

Crown Moulding

Crown mouldings run along the ceiling and the wall and it is applied at an angle. You can add extra mouldings below crown moulding and paint it all the same colour for a more decorative one of a kind look. 

Cover Slip 

Cover slip moulding is plain concave shape trim is used where the walls and ceilings meet. It is also used on stairs where the riser meets the tread. Cover slip may be considered in essence less ornate 

Window Casing 

Window mouldings are used to cover gaps between your windows and walls. They add some additional structural support while letting your own personal style shine through. 

Chair Rail Moulding

Chair rail mouldings run around the room, level with the usual height of a chair. This type of moulding can be placed above wainscot panelling or on its own, and its purpose is to protect the wall from being damaged by the backs of chairs when you move them. But just because they have a practical purpose does not mean they cant look good. 

Picture Rail Moulding

This kind of moulding is a little old school, but can allow you to create unique “showroom” space in your home. During the Victorian era, picture rail moulding was commonly placed horizontally along the wall to align with the tops of windows. With this type of moulding, you can easily hang picture frames from it without having to damage the wall with nails. 

Wainscot Panel Moulding 

You can create the impression of panelled wall by using panel mouldings as a decorative feature in your home. Most recently, shiplap panel moulding has blasted onto the home design scene, and it does not look to be going anywhere any time soon!. 

Common Trim Strategies

Two main strategies for applying trim work to a home are traditional and contemporary. 

Traditional Trim Work 

When it comes to traditional style homes: The more trim, the better! Traditional homes often have ornate trim profiles for skirting, window casings, door casings, and crown moulding . More formal rooms may also have wainscot panelling and additional picture and chair rail trim. Broader and more detailed trim offers an elevated feel, and there are many unique styles available.

Contemporary Trim Work 

Contemporary homes often have fewer trim details, focusing on a sleeker appearance. Typically, there are no mouldings or casings but rather sheetrock returns. When there is trim work. it has minimal detail and a squared off look. 

Standard Trim Materials 

There are conflicting opinions on which materials are best, but there are generally two categories of material to consider WOOD & MDF 

Wood Trims 

Wood offers versatility and durability, making it a timeless choice for any trim style . It can be stained or painted and will stand the test of time when properly maintained. 

MDF Trims 

MDF stands for medium – density fibreboard- an engineered wood product formed by pressing wood fibres with binders into a mould- which is easy to install and less expensive than wood. It cannot be stained , but it paints well because of its smoothness and lack of grain. 

If you want to love your home down to the very smallest details – from the wood doors to the wood trim profiles – then you need to work with the best materials check out our range o visit your nearest stockists for more information.