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The world today is all about the latest trends. So, what are the latest trends in finish carpentry?
Decorative Moldings for Walls
There was a time when rooms were not finished without a little decorative molding and hand-woven tapestries.
Think of the gorgeous aristocracy homes of Europe or for a famous example a little closer to home, Hearst Castle. They added style and prestige to their homes by adding a lot of texture to their walls. Of course, only those with a fair amount of money could afford such lavishly styled wall décor (not to mention the ceilings).
Eventually came the time of wall paper. Walls were no longer just one plain color, they could now have texture and pattern. Lovely pastel floral designs were put up with an extra amount of care because, well, with wall paper let’s just be frank, it takes a fair amount of effort to put it on the wall. In our modern world today, wall paper has a little funkier design to it. Some wall paper even can be temporary (hint, hint! to all those who rent their dwellings). Still though wall paper is tricky to install and even more difficult to remove (especially the old stuff).
Today more and more people are going back to the decorative moldings for their walls, just with a bit more modern twist to them. Thanks to Chip and Joanna Gaines, we have had a fair number of people request the “Ship-Lap” look for their accent walls. Even more are looking for the ever-popular reclaimed wood accent wall. More still are wanting the board and baton look either as an accent to their wall or throughout their home.
The “Ship-Lap” look can give your house a more Farm or Ranch style feel to your home. Maybe, however, you’re not into the farm house look and want a beachier feel. One of the ideas featured on Pinterest is to use distressed grayish white boards. Add some seashells, pictures of the seaside, some lovely blue hued vases and voila you got your very own “Ship-Lap” styled beach cottage.
Besides the ever popular “Ship-Lap” look, you can always head for the reclaimed wood accent wall. These walls can take a bit more planning if you want authentic reclaimed wood or barn wood. Take care where you get the wood from. Why you ask? If the wood comes from a house or a building built before 1978 there is a possibility the paint could contain lead.
If you just want the look, you can head down to your local hardware stores. They are now caring “Reclaimed” wood products. These pieces of wood are very nice because they are ready made to be put in place on your wall. If your local hardware store doesn’t have these “reclaimed” wood pieces never fear there are plenty of online stores willing to ship these beautiful pieces directly to your home.
Maybe you don’t like the "Ship-Lap" look but just want to dress up your walls a little. There is always wainscoting. There are a variety of styles of wainscoting including, wall paneled, flat panel (aka board and batten style), beaded panel, raised panel. With this style you play a lot more with your budget.
If you go with a flat panel style you use your existing wall and install your decorative molding in the basic square like pattern (or whatever pattern you saw on Pinterest). Keep in mind that you want to make sure that your wall looks decently smooth otherwise you probably want to go with the flat panel style.
If you want a little more substance to your wainscoting you may want to go with the beaded or raised panel style. These styles give your room more texture and can give them a bit more elegance. They can sometimes cost you a little more money as well.
With any of these styles you can put them on all your walls, half way up your walls, or even just haven them on one wall as an accented center piece to your room. Really you can’t go wrong.
No matter what your tastes are in wall decoration there is a trend out there that you can pull for inspiration. The problem that many people run into is the style they want is not necessarily within their budget. When this happens it maybe cheaper to DIY the project, but if you don’t have the tools or the time could cost you more in the long run. So, what can you do? Talk to your contractor and let them know your idea AND your budget. Then they can work with you to let you know what they can do for you within your budget.
Always remember, however, that trends come and go, and your pocket book may not always be able to keep up. Our recommendation is to go with what you like and what will give your rooms a little bit of your own personality.
Stay tuned for our future trendy blog – Ceiling Accents.
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