Adding Design and Style to your Walls and Ceilings - Creative Moulding Installation Tips

The flat, plain appearance of walls and ceilings can be dressed up considerably with the implementation of creative moulding. In some cases, placing moulding in favorable arrangements can actually add dimension to a room, creating illusions of a taller or deeper space. Walls that are accessorized with shadow boxes and chair rails draw attention away from other elements that might contribute to a smaller feeling. Likewise, coffered ceilings and ceilings with coordinated moulding can stretch a room vertically in an aesthetically appealing manner.

The allure of original craftsmanship has drawn many in the home market to purchase older residences with aspirations of an update or redesign. For the creative thinking homeowner, much of the same character apparent in buildings from a different generation can be achieved with creative installations of wall moulding and ceiling decor. The cost of having a skilled craftsman undertake a moulding project should dwarf that of any major home redesign that is often seen in older houses with bad guts and seals.

Both coffered ceilings and expertly arranged wall moulding can add to the value of a property. The installation can have the effect of expanding space or adding intimacy. For arrangements of shadow boxes or frame moulding on a wall, artistic nuance can be achieved by adding wallpaper inside the aforementioned frame. Simple changes in the color or texture of paint inside a frame moulding from that on its exterior can add elegance to a room and help to coordinate pieces of furniture vital to function or design. The colors being used on a wall surface for a shadow box or frame moulding can be matched or contrasted by layering several pieces of moulding on a chair rail of varying color or finish. Running a piece of moulding in the center of a chair rail - layered with coordinating colors on the built up moulding above and below - is distinguished in appearance and true to details found in many architecturally significant structures.

Coffered ceilings can be painted and finished, in much the same way as a frame moulding on a wall, to add elegance and tie in the surrounding touches of design. When implementing a coffered ceiling design, contractors will be valuable to the homeowner in terms of color and style recommendations appropriate for the space. Different arrangements of moulding for a coffered ceiling can create different effects. In a small room, the aim should be to create the illusion of depth and vertical space. Spaces with high ceilings and lots of blank wall space should be modified to evoke a more intimate appearance. Crown moulding building up to the coffered ceiling can go a long way to separating the two arrangements. Distinct, separated layers of moulding are effective in breaking up a space into levels. The more levels visually distinct from one another, the grander a space will appear.

Coffered ceilings can work with lighting and lighting fixtures in a cohesive way to create a dramatic effect. Chandeliers and hanging ceiling fans with light fixtures built in are commonly hung, pendant style, from the central point of a room's ceiling. The point at which the pendant meets the ceiling can be framed by a coffered ceiling with circular or hexagonal shapes. The variance in shapes at the center of a coffered ceiling, when an opportunity exists to create an exaggerated center, can be used to contrast with the square shape of a room. Differences in shape and depth create movement and strong lines, effects that contribute to the value of any design scheme. Coffered ceilings can be shallow, resembling a ceiling mounted wainscoting; or deep, resembling the shadow boxes often found in frame moulding or wall-mounted wainscoting with layered moulding affixed.

For homeowners looking to embrace the craftsmanship style in their homes, wall mouldings and coffered ceilings are economical solutions to completely change the look of a more modern home. A few changes in the right areas of the walls and ceilings in a home can easily change the overall design.

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Kevin Wales is the founder and co-owner of Just Moulding. He has established efficiencies in daily operations and workflow to optimize the local business to help it become the premiere moulding installation company in the United States.