Architectural details can add character and charm to your home. While these details might seem complex because of their decorative nature, they’re fairly easy to build and install. Adding a few of these details can instantly spruce up any room in your home. If you’re searching for ideas for architectural details to enhance your home, consider the following.
Crown Molding
Crown molding adds visual interest to the upper part of rooms. You might build crown molding to put at the top of the walls in your living room or bedroom, or you might use it to cap columns and cabinets. Choose sturdy pieces of wood for your crown molding, so they will stay in place and in good condition for years. You can give your crown molding a decorative design or keep it plain. Keep in mind that you can paint crown molding to match the rest of your room or paint it in a color that complements the room’s interior.
Baseboards
If your walls are looking plain, consider building and installing baseboards. These boards run along the bottoms of walls to cover joints between wall surfaces and floors. Depending on the design of your baseboards, you can add visual appeal to any room in your home, including living rooms, bathrooms and bedrooms. You can build baseboards from different wood, such as maple, oak or pine. Vinyl is another material to consider when building DIY baseboards, especially for bathrooms or other areas that get damp.
Ceiling Beams
Ceiling beams give rooms a rustic yet elegant appearance, depending on the wood you use and whether it’s more naturalistic-looking or polished. You can choose to add just a few beams going across one room, or add several beams. Your ceiling beams can all go in the same direction, or you can arrange beams in a pattern of your choosing, which depends on the way your ceiling is laid out. Lighter, polished wood beams can brighten up a room, while darker, rustic wood beams can give the room a charming touch.
Door and Window Trim
Trim around doors and windows can draw the eye to these parts of any room. These architectural details can liven up more plain rooms or add a decorative touch to any room in your home. You can make your door and window trim in different styles to fit the surrounding design and decor in a room. You can also paint your door and window trim to contrast the rest of your decor for a visually striking look or blend in with it.
About the Author
Kyung Kim
Hi, I'm Kyung Kim. I immigrated from South Korea to the United States in 1968 when I was 7 years old. I have seen my mom struggle with the English language and work hard to raise her four kids by herself. Still to this day, I don't know how she pulled it off, but she bought her first home in 1979 for $70,000 and because of that decision, she was able to live without worrying about her financial future. I want that for everyone, to feel the pride of home ownership and to build their financial wealth using real estate as part of their financial portfolio. I feel so blessed to play a small role in helping others reach this goal.
I live in Beaverton with my husband, Richard. My mom, who lived with us for several years, passed away in our home in February 2022. Her first home purchase in 1979 made it possible for her to live to the very end, without worrying about her finances. As of August 2022 with a little downpayment assistance, our four children own their own homes. Being in real estate, I quickly realized that if they didn't buy now, they may be priced out of the market in the future. Whether that would have been the case, we will never know, but what we do know is that they are all realizing some good, healthy appreciation in their home values.
As passionate as I am about people owning their homes, I'm also passionate about giving back to our community. I support Compassion First, a non-profit organization that provides aftercare for sex trafficked girls in Indonesia. My husband and I also feel called to financially support social injustice organizations.
I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.
