Decorative Moldings
Moldings exist in myriad forms. Each is designed for a specific purpose—framing a door, for example, or providing a visual transition at the junction of walls and flooring. So many types of molding decorate our homes today, it’s often difficult to distinguish them.
Casing
Casing is designed to cover the unfinished gap between walls and door or window frames. Though different variations are readily found, the width of casing usually spans two or three inches.
Baseboard
Used to trim walls where they join flooring, baseboards usually measure three to five inches and feature simple styling. Often, baseboard is accented with a small piece of quarter-round (semi-circular) trim.
Crown
This type of molding is the “crowning” architectural feature of a room, as it decorates the transition between walls and the ceiling. Crown moldings, also known as cornice moldings, typically boast intricate silhouettes.
Chair Rail
Chair railing is functional molding meant to protect walls from being damaged by furniture. Of course, it can also serve a purely decorative function, delineating two different types of wall coverings—paint and wallpaper, for instance.
Picture Rail
Picture railing allows artwork frames to be hung without nails having to be driven directly into the wall. Often combined with crown molding, this molding type is one or two inches tall and appears seven to nine feet off the floor.
Cove
Also known as coving, cove molding is plain, concave-shaped trim employed where walls and ceilings meet. It can also be used on stairs, at the meeting of risers and treads. In essence, cove may be considered a less ornate version of crown.
Dentil
An ornamental detail with a Classical pedigree, dentil molding consists of small, evenly spaced blocks in a repeating pattern. Incorporated into crown molding, dentils are frequently found in historic homes.
