Molding adds drama, style

Q: Are there any guidelines for width of molding? Should it be plain (more or less) in the living room and fancier in the bedrooms? The ceiling in the living room is just 12 feet high and when I held up a piece of 6-inch molding, it seemed in scale but small to me.

I also want to backlight the molding with “Christmas” rope lights. I had electricity put up by the ceiling, but am unsure of which molding to buy. Yes, I know, for $1,000 I can have it done, but I was hoping for something more reasonable!

There is still the uncertainty of the “proper” style. I have a beautiful custom oak/maple classic fireplace mantle and surround, but the casings around the windows and the doors are rather plain and white. My friend says if I’m going to the trouble, I should do a fancy design such as scrolls to match the fireplace.

Thank you for any help/suggestions you can give me. I enjoy your columns.

A: Thanks so much for the note. Molding, or moulding to some, can absolutely reshape a room and also make it more dramatic. A lot of older homes have molding, but in the newer homes, especially in our part of the world, the rooms are more like boxes with no inherent character. Molding can provide that and there are many different styles, materials and price points available. You can shop your home-improvement stores, and I would also suggest shopping the Internet.

Materials in molding include wood, plaster or the new synthetic material that acts and feels like a foam board. Each of these materials accepts paint, and the synthetic material accepts paint beautifully. Wood and synthetic trim you can install yourself easily enough, but the plaster would probably require a professional. It’s heavy and breakable!

Having each of the following types of molding in your home will add tons of character and charm, regardless of the style. Since your home is more traditional, you can install the fanciest or most ornate trim and molding your heart desires. A more modern or contemporary home can have the moldings and trim, but a much plainer model would be more appropriate.

Floor molding: The wider the better is my recommendation. Standard floor molding is about 2 inches; adding three more inches to create a nice wide trim improves the appearance of both the floor and the wall. In most instances, white is the preferred color.

Window and door trim: Again, in a traditional home, you can have trim with a little more style, but, quite frankly, you will more than likely have some sort of window treatment, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

Molding: Now to the crème de la crème of decorative trim. Your selections are endless and the more elaborate the better. An acanthus leaf added to dental, layered on a plain background looks awesome. Look in your local store to see what’s available and then literally design the look you want for your home.

Regarding the width of the molding, the “rule” is generally 1 inch of molding per 1 foot of ceiling height. In your living room, which has nice tall 12-foot ceilings, you can go crazy and install 10- to 12-inch molding.

As far as one room being more elaborate than another, I would go all out for the living/dining room and possibly do a little less in the bedrooms. In the living room, you may also want to add a ceiling medallion. They make great backgrounds for chandeliers.

Enjoy dressing up your rooms. You can install molding yourself, just measure carefully and have it cut at the home-improvement store. Stain or paint it before you install it, and then just stand back and admire your handiwork.

Carolyn Muse Grant is the editor of Southern Nevada Home & Garden magazine. Her Inside Spaces column appears weekly in the Home section of the Review-Journal. Check out other decorating tips in Southern Nevada Home & Garden magazine, which is published the first Saturday of each month. Send questions to cgrant@reviewjournal.com.