Many home plans today are part of a seamless collection of subdivisions with similar designs, tones, and colors. Seen from an airplane window, even vast luxury home plans resemble a cluster of tiny, geometric shapes lacking intricate features. But up close, details like trim and moulding are what ultimately transform your home into a unique design that characterizes your neighborhood.

Moulding was once a project that overcame even the best designers. Materials were heavy, difficult to manage, and still needed to be primed, painted, cut and positioned. However, today’s materials allow even the average homeowner to install trim and moulding to their home’s design. However, some preparation is needed before partaking in a wonderful task that is not terribly time consuming.

Moulding and trim is both decorative and functional. Once installed, the details are eye appealing and add significantly to your décor, all while hiding joints from your walls, floors, ceilings, windows and doors. Mouldings are available in several materials that vary based on finish and price.

• Hardwood – meant to be stained or left with a natural finish; expensive, yet an excellent design for luxury home plans estates and log cabin house plans.
• Pine or Fir – typically paint grade; less expensive
• Polyurethane foam – can be painted or stained to resemble wood; most inexpensive and manageable
Each of these materials comes in a variety of styles. Prefinished options come ready to install without need for painting or staining. There is also minimal touch up necessary when installed correctly. There may be a limited selection at your local hardware vendor, so take your time researching all your options. Contact stores or manufacturers about catalogs with available styles and suggestions based on home design.

After choosing the trim style you like best, it is time to decide where exactly your interior trim will be placed. Though the pieces themselves are often the same style and material, the proper term for a kind of trim is designated by placement:
• Cornice – Also referred to as crown moulding, this trim runs where the walls meet the ceiling. Crown moulding gives a lovely, finished look to any room whether formal or functional.

• Chair rail – Chair rail is typically a wooden moulding that runs the height of a chair back (average 32 inches). It is a beautiful way to protect your walls from scuffs and bumps brought on by furniture, and can also be used as a baseboard or other decorative moulding.
• Wainscoting – Paneling applied to the lower portion of a wall. Running between 36 to 54 inches in height, wainscoting is often topped with a chair rail and is great for adding a decorative element to walls while protecting them from scuffs and furniture bumps. Wainscoting is easy to clean and extremely useful in active homes with pets or children.
• Baseboard – The baseboards of a home run between 3 to 12 inches high where the lowest part of the wall meets the floor, hiding the uneven edges of flooring. Even when wainscoting is not used, the baseboard helps protect the walls from scuffs and bumps. Often simple and practical, baseboard trends are turning toward more elaborate designs encompassing a room’s décor.
• Door & Window Casing – The trim around a door or window is known as the casing, with the inside pieces being referred to as the jambs. There are as many options for casings as any other moulding, ensuring a seamless design throughout a room.

Moulding and trim work is not limited to the interior of your house, as finishing touches are needed outside too. Outdoor trims will enhance your home’s curb appeal, and with a multitude of options it is easy to find what suits your home and personal style. Outdoor trims can add a glow to the exterior of your home, whether you live in a luxury home plan or even cottage house plan. Some choices include shutters and window boxes, columns and pilasters, front porch railings and banisters, mailboxes, crown moulding, and doorknockers. Take advantage of these decorative elements to hide transitional seams while adding gracefully to your home’s facade.

After considering the trim you like best and it’s placement, take a few purchase preparation steps. These will be beneficial whether installing moulding yourself or hiring a professional. First, have a floor plan of each room or area in which you intend to install trim. Measure each wall and record the measurements onto the floor plan. Then measure a second time; this is very important, as cutting the moulding with incorrect measurements will increase your budget and your time commitment. After gathering the total length of the measurements, add an extra 10% to account for any mistakes that may crop up. Even if you are having a professional install your trim, have your own measurements prepared. When looking for contractors, it will be beneficial to give them a precise idea of the job ahead so they are certain to give you an accurate estimate on both time and labor cost. Do not forget to ask for references to certify quality workmanship.

With the right style and installation, luxury dream home plans will exert a unique design element, inside and out, simply with a dash of moulding and trim.