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5th November 2021

All you need to know about Timber Mouldings

Home styling and renovating is all about research and decisions. If you have decided to build your dream home or renovate your old charm, you need to make sure you have all the knowledge to make the right choices when it comes to everything from styling and the perfect couch for your space to the timber mouldings used in the home.

Timber mouldings in your home add a depth of character and detailing you cannot replicate in any other way. It gives your interior personality and adds a level of luxe, very simply. There are many types of mouldings, used to create different looks and styles, and we give you all the information you need to help add the perfect mouldings to your house.

What are timber mouldings?

Mouldings, when it comes to architecture are essentially the contour or outline of the edges and surfaces of the rooms in the home or interior. No doubt they originated from buildings where they served a specific structural purpose, such as supporting, joining, covering or separating surfaces.

Architectural mouldings are mostly made from timber and today are used as a decorative covering to elevate the look of a room and make the transitions of the room, and between other rooms, look neat and tidy. Mouldings – especially timber mouldings – come in all different designs and each design gives the room a different look and feel.

Different shapes of mouldings

Who thought architectural mouldings could be so complex? Well, it isn’t so much the complexity but rather the many different shapes they are available in and which shape fits which style. After all, when designing your dream home or the perfect renovation, it is important to know all the ins and outs of each element – so you aren’t left feeling like you have missed something along the way.

Not only are there different types of mouldings, but there are also different shapes they are made, which can also help determine the style of the home. From modern to heritage, each moulding helps to shape the design.

Some of these different shapes include:

  • Angular/Flat: these are usually parallel to the surface, a basic shape – but has a modern look and feel. There are also many flat surfaces on Edwardian style mouldings with the addition of intricate detail and fluting.
  • Curved: as you can imagine, these types of mouldings are presented in a curved shape and are usually bold and beautiful. They are seem more in classic and Hamptons interiors. Simple curves, sometimes called ogee’s or lambs tongue, are very colonial in feel and can be used when you want to use some detail but show off some curves.

Here is a great basic starting point that describes some of the foundation shapes used in moulding designs:

Not only are there different shapes when it comes to architectural timber mouldings, there are also different types and uses.

Different types of mouldings

Timber mouldings have an array of uses from doors to ceilings. With multiple uses, you can frame your home with the right types of mouldings to suit the interior of the house.

Some common mouldings include:

  • Skirting: the type of moulding that transitions and blends the bottom of the wall with the floor – it frames the bottom of any room, creates flow between rooms and can be used at different heights to create different looks and different spacial goals (such as helping the ceiling seem taller or heavily decorated to make the room feel cosy).
  • Architraves: frame a door or window to add the illusion of height to any room. Adding these to your home adds detail and elegance.
  • Chair rail: made to protect the walls from marks and dents, now add a modern look and feel to the interior as well as a level of elegance. Chair rails are used to frame half of the wall to create style
  • Curved architraves: a very sophisticated architrave design, which is used to frame curved windows and doors
  • Cornice mould: the cornice is designed to sit on an angle between the wall and the ceiling. It works to cap off an interior look and frame the room. It can also be used to decorate the tops of cupboards, particularly in kitchens, as well as dress up fireplaces.
  • Wall Panelling: a classic design look, panelling is a decorative trim applied to the walls to give off certain look and feel in the home. Inlay mould timbers are arranged on a wall to create a ‘picture frame’ look, sometimes over the entire wall or part of the wall. Traditionally inlay mould is used with a chair rail and applied below it, although popularity is growing to use it without.

Some of the lesser known, or ‘forgotten’ about mouldings are:

  • Skirting block: Also known as plinth blocks, they act as a transition between door architraves and skirting boards. These clever little architectural details are easy to install, can solve tricky transition problems and look amazing!
  • Rosettes: A rosette is a raised decorative wood design used at the intersection of two materials, forming a decorative border. Sometimes rosettes are used on flush doors for a custom look.
  • Picture rail: An effective and inexpensive way to frame wall paneling, paper or fabric, and add interest to walls. Great for use to elongate the look of a wall.
  • Sill Nosing: Interior trim used as a sill under a window, sill nosing can also be used as a chair rail between some inlay mould designs.

Mouldings come in different shapes and designs to match the styling and theme of any home from the old Federation to modern and contemporary homes. You can find any style you want and frame as little or as much of your home as you see fit. You can also blend some styles to bring in classic or traditional elements and mix them with a modern style.

Timber mouldings have multiple uses in the home from design to practicality.

Different uses of mouldings

Timber mouldings have a lot of different uses and are not just used for design purposes.

Skirting boards are used to hide the junction of the plasterboard wall and floor, architraves to hide the gap between gyprock and door jamb or reveal, picture rails are used to attach hooks for hanging artwork without damaging a wall and wall panelling can help protect your gyprock from damage by furniture or members of the family.

For any home, timber mouldings are used to frame the room, whether it be as a skirting board, architrave around door frames, wall panelling on a wall or traditional wainscoting on the bottom half of a wall to add detail and create different spacial and depth perceptions of a room. Mouldings can make a room feel cozy and ‘full’ or trick the eye to perceive it is larger than it is.

As a design, different patterns of the timber mouldings can be suited to the different theme of the home. Very detailed and bust patterns might suit a more Edwardian style home, beautiful big chunky, rounded curves would suit a Hamptons home and angular, hard lines could suit a modern contemporary style home.

Timber mouldings have various uses and types which are used throughout various parts of the room. A lot of the timber mouldings are chosen as part of personal preference or to showcase a certain theme.

How are mouldings produced?

The mouldings made from timber are cut from timber using specialised machines that follow a pattern to create the ‘grooves,’ similar to the cutting of a key.

For different designs and styles, the wood is cut accordingly to match.

Timber mouldings are painted or stained in a home, and at Intrim, we can pre-prime mouldings before they leave the factory to save having to undercoat them before installation.

At Intrim, we make and design our timber mouldings to match any look and feel of a home and can create templates to match existing profiles.

Final thoughts

Timber mouldings offer a vast range of styles and purpose for any home. Made for different uses in the home, timber mouldings can be used from the base of the wall up to the ceiling.

They help frame doors and windows and aren’t just used for design purposes. Timber mouldings can help protect walls from mark and dents caused by furniture and traffic.

Intrim has a huge range of timer mouldings to suit your home. Have a look at our different styles to help start creating your dream home from the inside out. After all, they say true beauty lies on the inside!