Posted by Pattern Cut on 9/10/2014
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Architectural & Decor
House mouldings in today’s modern homes create an aesthetic, decorative statement. They have also long-served a practical purpose such as connecting different spaces within a building. An example would be the point where wall surfaces meet floors, around window openings and doorways.
Original Mouldings
Earlier mouldings were made of plaster, so crown and cornice mouldings were used to cover up inevitable cracking from the plasterwork between ceiling and wall, whilst adding a decorative finish. Chair rails and base mouldings were installed to protect walls from sliding chair backs and other forms of inadvertent damage. Mouldings also became quite the status symbol, adding value to homes. They have also been used to denote the use of a room, such as decorative mouldings embellished with fruit motifs in the dining room. Today’s mouldings are lightweight and easy to install. They’re incorporated into the design of homes to create distinctive period styles or simply to add a decorative finish.
Victorian Style Mouldings
Victorian style mouldings were richly detailed and elaborate.Their architectural style points to the period when Queen Victoria reigned: from 1839 to 1900 and is commonly divided into Early Victorian (1840 to 1865,) Mid-Victorian (1865 to 1880) and Late Victorian (1880 to 1900). Stately and grand residences that were built during this time exuded affluence and were designed to prominently display the social standing of the owner. This was primarily through their size and the volume of detailing used to finish the home. This affluent moulding reflected the progress and prosperity of England and her colonies. Mouldings of the Victorian era tended to be ornate with sumptuous detail. Door blocks were a common feature in Victorian architecture with many of the larger homes incorporating highly decorative two and three-piece skirtings.
Georgian Mouldings
From 1826 to the 1860 the most sought after architectural style was Georgian, overlapping with the Victorian era. This style is named after England’s four King Georges and draws heavily on classical influences. The Georgian style is known for its symmetry, formality, straight lines and fine detail with paired chimneys as well as. It also featured decorative “crowns” above the main entrance, which was a common feature in buildings of this era. Georgian period mouldings are characterized by flat surfaces as well as simple, straight lines without curves.
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