Making the most of Mouldings

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When you’re renovating your home, the finishing touches can make all the difference to the look and feel of your new space. If you’re not a seasoned professional, the options for how to achieve the look you’d like in your home can be a little overwhelming. That’s why we’re here to help you make the best decisions for you, so your space has that something special.

What is a Moulding?

A ‘moulding’ is the umbrella term used to describe essential design elements like skirting boards, panels, architraves, scotias, stringers and crown mouldings or cornices. These features frame walls, floors and ceilings to lend a clean, fresh look to each room. Renovators that don’t pay attention to these details can often leave a room looking unfinished or messy. Your choice of moulding is also another opportunity to give your space your signature style, such as modern, traditional, or vintage. Now we understand why these elements are so important and what they are, let’s dive into your options when considering mouldings.

Moulding Materials

At Subiaco Restoration we stock medium density fibre board (MDF) mouldings or jarrah wood mouldings for you to choose from. MDF mouldings can be painted with primer before we ship them to you, for easy painting once installed. Jarrah wood mouldings is a traditional moulding that compliments heritage buildings and traditional styles, as well as being incredibly hardwearing.

Skirting

The clue is in the name with this type of moulding. They provide a ‘skirt’ between the wall and the floor to soften the harsh angle between the two surfaces and hide the transition from floor to wall. Skirting boards come in several different profiles or designs so that you can choose the style you wish to create in your space. Generally, the more detailed the design of the skirting board, the more traditional it will appear when installed and painted. The same is also true, that the less detailed the profile of the skirting board, the more modern it will appear. It’s worth taking into consideration the age and heritage of the building you’re working with to get the right design for you.

Custom Mouldings

If you already have an existing design you would like replicated, we can copy the profile for you to reproduce it. At Subiaco Restoration, it’s likely we have the design ready to go, but if not, we can build it for you. Talk to one of our professionals today or have a look at our custom moulding page to find out how we can help you match your existing moulding design.

Skirting Blocks

These block usually sit at the junction between the door frame and the skirting board. In older houses, often the walls are not completely flat, so a skirting block helps make the cross section between the two types of moulding look a little tidier. They’re still used in modern buildings too though, especially if you’re opting for a more traditional aesthetic. They can also protect mouldings from wear and tear from things like vacuuming, children and pets.

Architrave

This type of moulding is used to frame doors and windows. A sometimes overlooked finishing touch, architrave can smooth out defects and create pretty features that draw the eye.

Cornice or Crown Moulding

Crown moulding literally ‘crowns’ the room, sitting between the wall and the ceiling. Similar to skirting, cornice or crown moulding provides a soft transition from the wall to the ceiling and frames the room to give it a professional finish. You can also use this type of moulding to decorate above kitchen cupboards or dress up your fireplace.

Panels

This classic interior design look has come back into fashion recently and can be used to create several design aesthetics. For a more traditional look, wall panels can create a ‘picture frame’ look, similar to classic wooden doors, that makes a room feel elegant and refined. For a coastal vibe, adding panels from half way up the wall, to floor to ceiling height can create a ‘Hamptons’ style room.

Other types of Moulding

Other types of moulding include nosing, stringers, picture or dado rails and door stops. These smaller mouldings help to frame stairs, add detail, protect surfaces or give character to your room.

If you’d like more help understanding mouldings and how they can inform your design choices, pop into our Osbourne Park showroom and chat to one of our professionals about the right moulding for you.