The 5 Best Places to Add Decorative Millwork

By Christine Cooney, The House Designers Staff Writer

Typically when decorating a new room, paint color, floor coverings and furnishings often take priority over other decor accents like millwork. While there is no denying that items like paint and flooring are key elements in any room design, decorative crown moulding from Fypon® is an affordable way to add style and sophistication to any living space.

According to a new study called “What Home Buyers Really Want” by the National Association of Home Builders(NAHB), 62% of new and potential home buyers rated crown moulding as the third most essential decorative feature in a home behind ceiling fans and built-in shelving.

“Crown moulding is a timeless product,” says Anita Piety from Fypon®. “There are such a wide variety of moulding designs and sizes that anyone can match up a home style with the appropriate crown moulding. We offer more than 80 different designs, so whether you’re looking for a simple dentil crown moulding or an ornate Florentine crown moulding, it’s easy for builders, remodelers and homeowners to purchase and install these low-maintenance urethane products.”

Companies like Fypon® offer beautiful interior products like columns and millwork, crown moulding, ceiling treatments and window surrounds that that are easy on your wallet and on the environment. Because they are made from high-density, polyurethane they are easy-to-use to create unique designs and complicated shapes and can painted, stained or faux-finished.

Moulded millwork is a high-density urethane trim that is well suited for detailed, decorative designs and complicated shapes. These eco-friendly products require less effort and maintenance than their wood counterparts. In addition, the decorative items may be painted, stained or faux-finished.

Here are our designers’ recommendation for the 5 best places to install decorative moulding in your new home:

1 On and Along the Ceiling

One of the most visible places for moulding is to cover the seam where the wall meets the ceiling. The most common moulding is cornice, which comes in a wide variety of sizes and design patterns to complement your home’s architectural style and create a stylish edging.

A favorite of our designers is the coffered ceiling, which adds elegance to any décor. This specialty ceiling treatment divides a ceiling into a grid of recessed panels accented by dropped beams, usually in the form of multiple squares or rectangles, depending on the dimensions of the room. Each of the beamed sections of the coffered ceiling is then finished using a variety of interior trim options. Recessed can lighting is a great idea and provides soft, reflective light throughout the room.

Another great way to dress up a room is to add a ceiling medallion around your center light fixture. Ceiling medallions are available in a wide range of materials and styles ranging from simple to very ornate.

2 Bring Character to Your Windows

Top off interior windows with a pediment above a window surround. The window casings or surrounds create a beautiful frame to view the outdoors, while adding durability. They can be as simple or detailed as you wish. You'll appreciate the character they bring to your windows. It’s also a great way to cover unwanted gaps that may have occurred during installation.

3 Well Dressed Walls
The next piece of trim after the baseboard is a chair rail, which is a great accent to any room particularly the kitchen and dining room where it also serves to protect the furniture from scratching the wall finish. It typically sits about 36 inches from the floor. Many homeowners love the appeal of adding wainscoting or paneling between the chair rail and baseboard to complement the room’s millwork, wall coverings and furniture.

4 Along the Floor

Every home uses some form of base or baseboard to conceal any gaps where the wall and floor come together and to provide protection to the wall finish. Traditionally it was composed of three separate parts: a shoe, the baseboard and the cap, but today most bases come in a single piece to provide a cleaner and more appealing look. The baseboard could be plain or decorative and range from 2 to 8 inches wide to accommodate any preference.

5 Around And On the Doors

Decorative moulding is always installed around the door frames to cover the gaps that exist between the door frames and the walls. Add a fancy crown moulding to the top of your door and keep that pattern throughout all your home’s openings.

Remember that decorative crown moulding can really add value and architectural appeal to your home. They add a visual presence that can make a home feel more luxurious without a high price tag.