When people think of home improvements that add beauty and value to their home, items like new flooring, painting or remodeled kitchens usually come to mind.
But often overlooked are the details that can make all the difference in a home; details that create a high-quality impression and can do much to dress up a home.
Trim work, including crown molding, new baseboards, chair rails, wainscoting or even custom bookshelves and cabinetry can transform the look of a home. These projects are often very affordable and can be the most cost-effective route to take when polishing the look of a home.
Generally, these updates are not as disruptive, as for example, installing a new kitchen.
Baseboards
If your home still has its original, builder grade 2 ½ or 3-inch baseboards, chances are you never notice them and if you do, it’s because they’ve become difficult to clean or are showing their age with dents and chips – especially on the corners.
Replacing those baseboards with 4 ½ inch, 5 ½ inch or even taller baseboards featuring intricate millwork will add a noticeable touch of elegance to your home. Keep in mind a good rule of thumb is to keep baseboard width at or less than seven-percent of the ceiling height of the room. So a room with 8-foot ceilings will look well-balanced with seven-inch baseboards. For added visual impact, shoe molding or a quarter-round at the base of the trim gives the baseboards a weightier, even classier look.
Crown Molding
Crown molding which follows the corners where walls meet ceilings, creates tremendous visual impact in a room, balances well with custom floor moldings and gives a room or home a buttoned-up, finished look.
Crown molding comes in a wide variety of widths, millwork styles and even materials, with molding made from traditional woods, foams or flexible polyurethane. It’s certainly an impressive upgrade to any room or home, but it can be very challenging to install, as well-executed crown molding requires exacting measurements and precision placement. Agape’s finish carpenters have extensive experience in working with crown molding and are extremely capable of perfect installations which are as much works of art as they are carpentry.
Chair Rails and Wainscoting Bring Class and Elegance to Any Room
Few types of trim work dress up a room quite as much as chair rails and wainscoting. This traditional approach to trim has a timeless appeal that enhances the look of any room and also showcases excellent, precision finish work.
This combination can be visually enhanced with various contrasting paint schemes, which can emphasize the clean and precise design, they add a great deal of style to a room or hallway, setting it apart from other areas of your home and creating a distinct look and feel.
Dress Up Your Staircase or Stairwell with New Trim work
Staircases and stairwells can be transformed into visually impactful design elements of your home with a little thought and precision carpentry.
Most home feature builder-grade handrails, banisters, balusters and stair treads. But by replacing these components with higher-grade designs, featuring top-quality materials and expert installation can completely change the look of a staircase. Balusters come in a wide variety of designs and looks, ranging from traditional to contemporary, as do railings. All components are available in natural or stained wood finishes or painted. Other options include wrought iron (in black or white, in most cases) railings.
Staircases themselves can be renovated with new treads, risers and nosing in a wide array of finishes. Homeowners may also consider adding or updating the stringer or stringers (which look much like a wide baseboard running along the wall by the staircase) to dress up a staircase.
Custom Shelving or Book Cases Add Beauty and Functionality
Almost any room can benefit – aesthetically and functionally – from the addition of custom designed and built shelving. Small bathrooms, for example, can benefit from built-in shelving units that hold toiletries or towels. A custom, in-wall book case can add an interesting visual element – and storage space – to bedrooms or living rooms. Of course, custom, hand-crafted book cases and shelving units can be works of art.
Trim, It’s All in the Details
While all of these items may seem simple and straightforward, getting the best results from any project involving trim and finish work requires planning, excellent design and outstanding craftsmanship. Each element has to be right for the room, the home and the homeowner.
At Agape Construction, our experienced designer evaluates each room and brings years of experience to each project. And since we are a Design and Build company, our designer works hand-in-hand with our project managers and talented craftsmen to ensure we not only meet but exceed each homeowner’s goals for a finished project. In addition, our builders view this work as an opportunity to showcase the skills they have developed through their years of experience and take pride in completing a beautiful job.
If you want to refresh your home or dress up a room, contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation.
