Door Crown Tole Painting Books

Scribe just wants the darn trim to get done

Over the last couple of decades, the do-it-yourself movement has given rise to loveable celebrities, sold millions of books and magazines, established television empires, and has generally driven homeowners from all walks of life to go to extraordinary lengths to customize their living spaces.

Unfortunately, the downside to our obsession with home improvement is a lot of projects in a perpetual state of 'not quite finished yet,' which includes a quantity of unfinished trim that is probably several hundred thousand miles long, and is growing exponentially ,every year.

During the last decade I have met many, many, people who have a lot of uncovered 'surface transitions' in their homes [thank you Wikipedia.]

This includes baseboards, quarter round, wainscotting, bead board, corner guard, crown moulding, window casings and picture rails.

In fact, the sheer variety of decorative trim that can remain unfinished at the end of a renovation project is astonishing. I asked one of the handiest men I know (my husband) why this is and he did his best to explain what has led to the current state of affairs.

Firstly, he says that because the trim usually comes at the end of a long and dirty job, when everyone is tired and all but a few stalwart souls want to go home, no one has the energy to crawl around on their hands and knees installing baseboards.

Secondly, he suggested that because the absence of trim is rarely detrimental to a job, at least from a functional viewpoint, it makes it that much easier to render the project "mostly finished," and pack up the tools and grab a beer.

Lastly, he lays the blame squarely at the feet of the "female race." [I have tried to tell him women are actually part of the human race but when he gets going sometimes he forgets.]

He says "we women" often want to prematurely decorate and furnish spaces, and as soon as "our stuff" comes in, the trim is next to impossible to finish.

How to Work With Trim to Give Your Space Depth and Interest

Decorative plaster or wood trim applied where walls meet ceilings, doors and/or windows go a long way to define a room's feel. Even the simplest, off-the-shelf moldings and casings can give a would-be bland space depth.

Don't get me wrong; you can have plenty of depth without moldings, too. But if you do have moldings, casings and trims, there are so many ways to treat them. Stain them for a historic feel, paint them white for a traditional New England crispness, paint them the same color as the wall to create a seamless framed view that doesn't detract from a fabulous window treatment. Really, the options are endless. Susanfritchie, you're so very welcome!

Akjuice, I'm a matte paint kind of girl, especially when painting moldings and casings the same color as the walls, but I tend to prefer the flatter look in general, unless your'e going for a high-gloss lacquer, which is a whole different treatment. Matte washables are just as durable as eggshell, without the sheen. Satin or semi-gloss is the go-to finish for builder-grade apartment buildings and commercial spaces, but I don't love it for residential use. The glossier paints were applied to moldings and casings in ye olden days, when electric light was scarce; the glossy finish would help candle light bounce around rooms and illuminate them more effectively. We don't need so much help with that these days, but higher-gloss finishes are certainly appropriate for many spaces. It all depends on what kind of look you're going for!

Sheila_edmond, moldings and mirrors and shelves, OH MY! :) I also love flat paint on my walls. I had a 60's ranch were I wanted my door and window moldings the same color as the walls. I did however want to set the moldings apart just a bit by using glossy paint. I had multiple colors I was dealing with and as you well know all those little cans of paint add up. Also, glossy paint can be tricky to work with.

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