Decorative Woodwork Boasts an Eternal Appeal

AI-generated image courtesy of Adobe Stock/Teerasak

Decorative woodwork, also known as millwork or moldings, “brings the interior structure of a home to life,” says Bruce Kading, principal of Bruce Kading Interior Design in Minneapolis. “It’s like adding just the right earrings, a special belt, scarf, or other accessories to your attire. Without it, you only have a basic form. Moldings provide a sense of quality, style, and character.”

Illustration by Traci Zellmann

Millwork originated with classical Greek architectural forms, including proportion, scale, and how moldings are joined, columns are detailed, and cornices designed, Kading explains. “Even in today’s modern homes without much detail, many classical Greek proportions are used,” he says. Throughout history, residential millwork has adapted along with architectural styles, from elaborately carved Victorian panels, screens, staircases, and newel posts to the dark-stained paneled rooms, heavy crown moldings, and box beams of the Arts & Crafts era.

“With our busy, complicated lives today, we are looking for simplicity, but at the same time, we want warm, comforting spaces to relax and rejuvenate ourselves,” Kading adds. The sheer scale of today’s homes has also increased. “Now, with 9- or 10-foot ceilings, trim needs to be scaled up,” he explains. “Baseboards are now 5- to 7-inches tall, and door and window casings are beefed up to 3 1/2 to 4 inches.  Five- and 7-inch crown or cove moldings are used around the ceiling, sometimes with a back band to make tall rooms more intimate.”

Kading notes that designers have returned “to trimming windows with a stool [the first piece of trim] and apron [trim against the wall beneath the stool], a more classic construction aesthetic.” He adds, “Windows can be dressed out with panels to the floor, adding a sense of height. Wainscoting and paneling provide character and warmth for libraries and dining rooms. Box beams enhance ceilings in traditional rooms, and timber beams can enliven a cottage or European-style [home].” But, he says, “Homes today are more tailored, with much less ornate detailing.”

In short, “Styles ebb and flow over the years,” Kading says. But throughout the day and evening, as lighting changes inside the home, “millwork catches shadows and depth, accenting the structure and framing and setting interior spaces apart from less-exciting and less-detailed homes.”

AI-generated image courtesy of Adobe Stock/ngstock