Architectural Details That Revive a Room
Posted on: 15 September 2017
Are you bored with your house? The fault could lie in the lack of architectural detail in your home. Four walls and a floor make a room, but it's the details that make it inviting. With some basic carpentry skills and tools (or a skilled hired architect) you can add a little "Wow!" to your home with these ideas.
Replace Trim
Survey your rooms: how tall is the baseboard? What kind of trim is around windows or doorways? How wide is it, and do you like the molding detail (if any)? Now imagine the room with trim around windows and doors where there is none, added window sills, or wider, more intricate trim. This could be a very simple project: visit a home improvement store and you'll see a wide range of trims. You can even buy corner pieces for the baseboard so you won't have to miter anything.
Add Crown Molding
Crown molding is missing from many modern homes. Some houses are fine without it, and others are built in a style that wouldn't mesh with crown molding very well. Otherwise, crown molding can be that missing element a room needs to make it look complete, like the top piece of a frame. It will not make the ceiling appear lower than it already is, as some may fear, but if you have low ceilings (7-8 feet) choose 3-5-inch molding. Higher ceilings can accommodate up to 7-inch molding, depending on your taste and furnishings. Crown molding can also dress up plain kitchen wall cabinets.
Add Wainscoting
Shorter ceiling heights can support wainscoting well. If you don't like the country-casual look of bead board wainscoting, try the classic look of raised wood panels. Or consider the simple addition of a narrow strip of trim placed about 12 inches from the ceiling. Dividing the room up into sections opens up the options for your color palette as well.
Replace the Fireplace Mantelpiece
The style of a mantelpiece should match your home and furnishings, but you can jazz up any room with a new mantel shelf, entire mantelpiece, or just the surrounds. Maybe all you need is a coat of white paint splashed over dreary brick. A new mantelpiece or shelf can add some serious dramatic appeal as a new, riveting focal point.
Define Areas with Open Shelving
Build an entire wall of open shelving and you have a practical way to increase the attraction of that room. A wall of open shelves works well at one end of a very long living area, or consider installing a unit between two open areas to preserve the feeling of space yet promote areas of intimacy. Shelving units can also help define other details, such as when they surround a window, creating the opportunity for a window seat.
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