There was a point in time where things such as trim and crown molding were simply out of the question for most homeowners. Simply put, it was expensive. During that time, trim was milled and custom installed which was both a time consuming and costly endeavor. Now that trim is more commercially available, it’s become an easy way to help dress up doorways and dining rooms and really bring some elegance to into your home. This is great way to not only add a classic feel to a new home, but helps when it comes to renovating an existing home.
Setting the Scene With Chair Rails
The original purpose behind a chair rail was to keep the dining room chairs from bumping the walls, which helped to prevent scratches and dents. Chair rails, while still serving that purpose, help to create the level for the rest of the trim work.
The space between the chair rails and the floor trim (typically about 36” or standard chair height) is the perfect space to install OG or shadow box panels around the room. Painting the trim from the chair rail down to the floor panels all the same color adds a degree of uniformity and really helps to add character to your dining room.
Crown Molding Makes a Difference
In case you didn’t know, crown molding is a type of trim that runs along the corner where the ceiling meets the wall, and it certainly makes a difference between the ordinary and extraordinary. Crown molding brings life to the corners where typically your eyes would just gloss over them. Not only does it give a classic and stately feel to a new home, but well installed crown molding can be a selling point for an older home, making it a quick and easy way to boost the value when your home goes up on the market.
Catch the Eye with a Drop Ceiling
A trend that’s been catching on for dining rooms in newer homes is a drop ceiling. This creates a tier effect for your ceiling and creates the perfect setting for a skylight, recessed lighting, or other effects that bring a custom feel to your home. Drop ceilings also give you more room to add some custom design elements for your home.
This can range anywhere from different colors and shades of paint to adding wall paper accents. Adding trim to the edges of the tiers created helps to draw the eye upwards and creates an impressive display for your guests.
It’s the little things that make a big difference when designing a new home or remodeling an older one. Trim, while a seemingly little thing, goes a long way into making your home feel grander and more elegant. Now that trim is more affordable now than it ever was in the past, you too can enjoy the beauty of trim. Trim is also, fairly easy to install, making it a great do it yourself type project. So breath some life into your dining room, add some character to your hallways, dress up your doorways, and make your house your home.
+Ken Uhrich likes houses. In fact he lives in one. You can drop him a line at the Custom Home Group website.
