Understanding the Language of Molding

Moulding and trim can add a beautiful finishing touch to any room. From costly and ornate to inexpensive and simple, nowadays the choices are vast.  Marc Williams Furniture would like to help you as you consider all of the options before you.  Here is a brief guide to the terminology you will encounter.

Baseboard:  The baseboards of a home are from 3 to 12 inches high where the wall meets the floor.  These are effective in hiding flooring with uneven edges and will help protect the walls from scuffs.

Wainscoting:  Wainscoting will be 36 to 54 inches high. Paneling is applied to the lower portion of the wall for decoration and to protect the wall from scuffs.  Often, wainscoting is topped with a chair rail.

Chair Rail:  Typically this will be a wooden moulding placed at the height of a chair back used to protect the wall from scuffs from furniture.

Cornice or Crown Moulding: Cornice is placed where the wall meets the ceiling.


Door and Window Casing:  Trim around a door or window is called casing.

Moulding and trim come in various materials such as hardwood, pine, fir, or polyurethane foam.  They can be prefinished and ready to install or may require staining or painting.  Some may be a simple so it yourself installation while others require the expertise of a professional.

Whichever you choose,  moulding or trim can be a beautiful way to complete the look of your room.

Color Ceiling or White Ceiling?

Choosing a color scheme for a room is an important decision.  Homeowners spend a great amount of time looking at color samples for their walls and fabric samples for their furniture, but often overlook their ceiling.  Many assume that the best color choice for their ceiling is always white. This is not always the case, so we here at Marc Williams Furniture would like to explain the benefits of white ceilings and scenarios when you may like to try adding a bit of color up above.

In a previous blog, we discussed how color affects mood. White will reflect colors and help a room feel larger and brighter. White is used to represent purity, elegance and sophistication. White ceilings can help create spatial continuity as well as add to a clean look. Or perhaps, a white ceiling can soften a bold color on the walls.

A step in the direction towards color on the ceiling is to mix 25% - 50% of the wall color in with white paint for the ceiling.  But why should you consider painting the ceiling it's very own color?  To add some fun or contrast to the room.

A white ceiling in a room painted in very light hues, may have an unfinished look.  Add a color to the ceiling and it adds contrast to make finished look.  The color choice of the ceiling may be an accent color in the flooring or upholstery and work to tie the room together.  Ceilings can also be painted a pattern to add some whimsy and variation. Some people love color and want color to touch as much of a room as possible.  Ceilings, the "fifth" wall, can certainly be a part of that! 

So next time you are laying down on the couch or relaxing in bed, look up and imagine the colors you would like to see.