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Collins Builders Blog

ADDING CHARACTER TO YOUR HOME WITH TRIM

One of the easiest ways to add incredible character in your new home is with trim. Whether it’s stained or painted, simple or detailed, trim can transform the look and feel of any space. The style of home you create will help guide you in choosing the right profiles and details to accentuate and complement the architecture.

Baseboard Molding

The baseboards are the trim that is applied at the bottom of the wall where it meets the floor. At Collins, we start with a generously sized 5 1/4″ baseboard with a small beaded detail at the top. This transitional trim profile works well with most any architectural or design style, but modifying this profile or size can be an easy way to elevate your space. For homes with very tall ceilings, changing to a 7 1/4″ tall base can help bring the trim more to the forefront. Flat 1×6 baseboards work equally well in a farmhouse or modern home. The clean lines and square edge complement shaker-style cabinetry and bring the whole design together. Whichever baseboard you choose, the trim around the interior doors would be in a complementary profile.

Crown Molding

Crown molding is trim applied at the top of the wall where it meets the ceiling. This is the perfect way to finish off a room, giving an extra layer of definition to the shape and scale of the space. The most transitional crown is a 5 1/4″ size. For a more formal room, adding a second piece of trim below the crown (called two-step crown) creates more grandeur. Crown is also the best way to accentuate ceiling details like coffers, steps, or beams. Dropping the crown down just a small amount from the ceiling in a coffer makes a shadow that sets the entire ceiling off beautifully.

Planks and Beams

For a farmhouse or coastal home, nothing compliments the style more than a wood plank ceiling. Painting the planks in crisp white gives an airiness to the room and helps to bounce more natural light. Staining the planks gives warmth to space by repeating other wood tones from the room. Planks are a wonderful way to accent a step or vaulted ceiling, as they can follow the lines of the ceiling, all while drawing your eye up and making the room feel larger.

Beams can also be stained or painted based on your design preferences. Straight-sided beams give a clean line that works in most design schemes, while rustic and weathered faux wood beams add a feeling of age that works well in a farmhouse or Mediterranean style home. Beams work well in large rooms like dining, family, or kitchen areas; and they can run wall to wall or be inset into a step. Beams can also be run to create decorative shapes like an ‘X’, squares, or diamonds. In vaulted rooms, a beam down the center of the vault caps it off with style.

Statement Walls

So many options are available for adding trim to your walls. Consider board and batten in busy areas like a mudroom or laundry to protect the walls from the dings and dirt of the day’s hustle and bustle. Shiplap walls bring style to any room in a farmhouse, coastal, or transitional home. Large stained planks installed in a room bring warmth and complement a modern, farmhouse, or mid-century style. The sky is the limit when it comes to decorative shapes and patterns that trim can create on a feature wall. These add life and a design touch to a space, and we love to use them in the study or dining room in a home. Painting the entire wall in a pop of color further accentuates the impact.

Adding decorative trim helps you to bring the architecture of your home to life, and frames the design scheme for your room. It is truly transformative and the perfect way to make your home fit your personality and style. We love helping our clients design creative and impactful trim in their homes, and we can’t wait to do the same for you!