Trimming the Details

While often used just to cover up joints between the bits and pieces our homes are made from, moldings (or trim work) can also unify and manipulate the way we perceive architectural proportions and add gracious details to ordinary spaces.

Trim work is one of the most important decorative elements in a home. Historically, trim evolved with architectural styles, so it’s important to match moldings to the style and spirit of a house. When done correctly, trimwork lends polish, detail, and authenticity to your home it can also help differentiate rooms. More ornate layered looks are common in public areas, while private rooms, such as bedrooms, have less elaborate moldings.

Trims create an instant sense of comfort and depth, and are always visually stunning to the eye. They are a very small detail in the overall design of a home, but they are a detail that most potential homebuyers notice the instant they walk into a room… Carefully look inside your room, you will notice you have two or more trims - it could either be a base molding, a cornice or crown molding, or perhaps a door and window casing.

Depending on the perceived style of your home, trims can be just a simple S-profile called Cyma Recta and Cyma Reversa or the more elaborate types as shown above. Ranges in cost vary (depending on materials, profile, manufacturing cost and installation). Common wood such as Tanguile may (as of this writing) cost 60 pesos to 90 pesos per 8 feet (2.40 meters). Plastic moldings such as polyurethane, pvc, and polystyrene cost around 110 to 190 pesos per 8 feet.

Wood and plaster has historically been the preferred choice for interior moldings due to their authenticity (for historic homes), but alternative materials like lightweight Polyurethane, PVC, Polystyrene and MDF are making news which is attracting customers. Please continue to visit this blog for upcoming reviews or discussion of the different types of materials used for moldings. Happy Easter!