Finishing Your Remodel With Interior Trim Carpentry

Interior trim is the icing on the cake of any room. Trim merges architectural design with practical functionality – it adds both durability and beauty to our homes. But to many, interior trim is so ubiquitous that we hardly give it a second thought. If you’re remodeling part of your home, talk to us about interior trim and how it can complement and complete your aesthetic vision. Here is an overview of a few common trim types and how to use them in the home:

Interior Trim for Your Baseboard is Called “Base Shoe”

Use it when: you need to conceal any gaps between floor and wall finishes; to protect the bottom of your walls from swinging feet and moving furniture.

The baseboard is the piece of interior trim that runs along the bottom of the wall. It is a standard way to create a tight joint between the wall and floor, especially in rooms with hardwood floors which will expand and shrink slightly with the seasons. For traditional or rustic homes, baseboards can be very ornate and made of multiple pieces. In more contemporary-styled homes, the baseboard is often made of a single piece for a clean minimalist look.

Crown Molding - The Classic Interior Trim

Use it when: you want to soften the transition between wall and ceiling; you want to add upscale architectural details to your home.

Crown molding is the trim that runs along the top of the wall where it meets the ceiling. This is mostly an architectural detail that adds style and value to your home. Crown molding comes in different widths – the wider the crown molding, the more ornate and classical it usually is. Wide crown moldings work best in rooms with high ceilings, as they can make smaller rooms look cramped and busy. Crown molding doesn't necessarily have to match the baseboards, but it should be of a similar width and complementary styling to create visual balance.

Chair Rail & Wainscoting - Practical Look for Traditional Homes

Use it when: you want to protect your wall finish from furniture; you want to warm the decor of the room and add visual interest to your walls.

A chair rail is a line of molding installed midway up the wall; the standard height is 36 inches. When the area below the rail is finished in wood paneling, this is called wainscoting. In either beadboard or paneling, wainscoting is a beautiful, classic design element that adds durability to any room. As such, it works particularly well in areas that experience extra wear-and-tear like entryways, hallways, dining rooms, and kids' rooms.

Window & Door Casing 

Use it when: you’re doing any window or door installation; to sharpen the look of windows and doors and want to make them “pop out.”

Window and door casing is the interior trim that goes around any window or door. This is essential – it’s what covers the edge between the frame of your installation and the raw edge of the drywall. However, the amount of emphasis or decoration you add to your window and door casing is up to you. Think of it as a picture frame for your windows and doors and dress it up accordingly to complement your fixtures.

Picture & Plate Rail

Use it when: you want to add a beautiful, old-world detail to your home; you want to have a place to display art and collections without damaging your plaster.

Picture rail is thin interior trim installed within a few feet of the top of the wall. It originally served as an anchor point to hang pictures, although modern pictures hooks have largely replaced this utilitarian function. A plate rail is a wide piece of trim – almost a shelf – installed close to the top of the wall and serving as a platform for displaying beautiful objects. Regardless of whether you intend to use them for display purposes, both of these types of interior trim add a lot of classic charm to any home.

When remodeling your home, it's important to think about the details. Interior trim carpentry adds polish and finishes to your newly redesigned rooms. Degnan Design Build Remodel can work with you to find the right features to fit your home's style and elevate any room with these little touches. Contact us today regarding your new home or remodeling project.

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 12/17/2018.

About Degnan Design Build Remodel
Since 1981 Degnan Design Build Remodel has provided home improvement and construction services to customers throughout Greater Madison, Wisconsin. Our goal is to WOW you with a "Designed For Your Life" solution using a process that will transform your home into a beautiful living space, delivered on time, and on budget. We are known for our communication, respectfulness, and a commitment to our customers and our community. Contact us to speak with one of our designers about your home improvement project.