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white-finished wainscoting in a living room
suggests more of the country cottage look.
And the wall above the wainscoting pan-
els can then be painted or wallpapered to
achieve the desired look.
In bathrooms, including wainscoting is
a great way to add architectural interest
without having to totally remodel. It is
most commonly featured as white bead-
board, which creates a clean, crisp feeling
and complements any accent color. And
try it on the ceiling — it's a great way to
hide an old-fashioned textured ceiling
without the bother of removing it.

Chair Rail
A chair rail is functional as well as decora-
tive. It helps protect areas where chair backs
might damage the wall. Various chair rail
styles are available. They can be a single
piece of wood, called a moulding profile,
or two or more different mouldings can be
combined to create a built-up profile.
Chair rails are often used alone, but
also are used to top wainscoting to give
it a clean edge. When teamed with wain-
scoting, chair rail will have a groove
underneath that allows it to be placed
onto the wainscoting, so be sure to install
the wainscoting first.

Enhance a home's charac er
with hardwood architectural
details.

. Architectural details

such as this hardwood

niahtle by White River

enhanCe the character

of a home.

W

alk into any older home and
you'll always find a lot of
hardwood details — wain-
scoting, crown moulding, fireplace sur-
rounds, spindled staircases, even chair
rails — because decorative trimwork
used to be standard in new home con-
struction.
But after World War II, builders began
reducing the amount of trim, using just
enough to cover gaps around windows,
door frames and between walls and
floors. Unfortunately, that cost-reducing
practice continues with most new home
construction.
As a result, today's rooms often appear

plain and featureless, lacking the warm
ornamental details that would otherwise
provide architectural character. But they
don't have to be plain, according to the
American Hardwood Information Center,
(www.HardwoodInfo.com ). Enhance the
character of your home by installing or
upgrading its trim. It can be as easy as
it sounds. Consider some of these cost-
effective ways to add hardwood details to
your home.

Wainscoting

Wainscoting is a type of paneling most
often used to decorate the lower three feet
of a wallit comes in different styles, from

simple flat panels to a raised design or
beadboard.
It is installed with nails, screws, glue
or a combination of these and is usually
topped with crown moulding or a chair
rail. During colonial times, it served to
protect the bottom portion of a wall from
water damage arising from a cracked
foundation.
Today, wainscoting continues to ward
off damage — scratches, dings and the
like — while adding warmth and great
architectural interest to any room.
In living and dining rooms, dens and
libraries, it adds a formal look, especially
when finished in a dark stain or paint. A

Crown moulding
Any moulding or group of mouldings
installed between the wall and a ceiling
is called a cornice. It provides a decora-
tive transition between the wall and ceil-
ing, and can improve the appearance of
almost any room.
Crown moulding is the most popular
cornice. It is a thin length of wood installed
diagonally to the corner of the wall and
ceiling. Like chair rails, crown mouldings
can be a single piece of wood or can be
built up of a number of different profiles.
Some cornices include details, such as den-
til blocks and other intricate features.
Since crown moulding is placed at an
angle to the wall, the cuts needed to form
corners are more complicated, so you
might want to have it installed by a pro-
fessional.
Redecorate by incorporating hardwood
architectural details and see how wainscot-
ing, chair rails and crown moulding create
a greater sense of warmth and enhance
the beauty of your home. These easy and
cost-effective additions will transform any
room from plain and empty to a richly tex-
tured, even elegant, living space.

❑

For decorating ideas and information
about American hardwoods, visit
the American Hardwood Information
Center at www.Hardwoodinfo.com or
(412) 244-0440.

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