Decorative Moldings to Give your Home a New Look
3 minutes
Have you heard of decorative moldings? They can be a good way to give your home a new look. In this article, we'll show you how to use them to renovate your home.
Last update: 21 September, 2020
Decorative moldings are a very useful decor tool to define an area in a room, protect the walls, and make a room look bigger. They look great in hallways, in a child’s room, or in an office.
Read on, because we’ll show you several designs and materials to work with. Beware, to choose what’s best for you, you need to understand the material and its measurements.
Decorative moldings and attention to detail
When deciding how high the molding will be, it’s ideal that the height is proportional to the ceiling. If a standard ceiling measures between 95 to 200 inches, the molding should be between 35 to 40 inches.
These measurements will depend on how you use it and what effect you want to get with the molding. To protect the walls from friction, moldings should be above the backrest of the chairs.
As a rule of thumb, if a molding measures a third of the height of the wall, it will help make the ceiling look higher. If looking for the opposite effect, place the molding at two-thirds of the ceiling’s height.
Decorative moldings made of different materials
Wood or MDF
If you want a resistant and lasting molding, choose wooden or MDF moldings. They’re perfect for irregular walls or walls with imperfections.
Pinewood is very popular for this because it’s cheaper and looks good with any coating.
But, moldings made with MDF are resistant and cheaper than wood. Choose designs that feature panels, to give it a classical look.
Bear in mind that, putting moldings up yourself is a delicate task. It’s better to hire a carpenter so the result is professional.
Fabric
This is a very popular and recent option. It brings warmth to any home and is great at sound-proofing, although it gathers more dust.
Decorative moldings in natural fiber are a good choice, and ideal to use anywhere. Raffia moldings are very resistant and can be painted. You can also choose burlap or jute.
Cotton fabrics are a good choice for main bedrooms or rooms with little use. Use them in dominant colors.
Fabric decorative moldings are easy to put up and you can do it yourself! Staple them to the wall and hide the ends with listels. We recommend using glue to attach the fabric.
Wallpaper
This is one of the most common materials for decorative moldings. It’s pleasant and ideal to protect the walls in high flow areas or to decorate a child’s bedroom.
When choosing its color and design, use light tones and small patterns. This way you’ll make the room look bigger. Keep darker tones to wider areas. With patterns, wide stripes will give the room more depth, small stripes will make the walls look taller.
Other options for decorative moldings
Another classic and current option is paint moldings. They’re easy because you just paint them in a color, shade, or coating different than the rest of the wall. This is a very inexpensive choice and easy to upkeep.
Now, it’s up to you to choose what suits you best. Let us know your decision!