Interior trim can add spice to every room from the ceiling down to the floor. Trim is functional in that it covers the gaps where different building materials meet, i.e. where the ceiling meets the walls or the walls meet the floor. Trim provides a decorating tool where you can dress up some of the simple features in a room like windows and doorways.

For the interior designer or Do-It-Yourself homeowner, finding the perfect “spice” for a room you already love isn’t always easy. Having chosen furniture, window treatments, throw rugs, and furniture layout, the room may still lack the sizzle you want to create that perfect look. Interior trim is the perfect way to accent your room to put more focus on it’s best features.

Interior Trim Adds Spice and Sizzle To Your Home

Basic trim in every home includes the baseboard plus trim around doors and windows. This trim covers up the gaps where the drywall (also called sheetrock) meets the floors, windows or doors. After these basics, the most common types of trim are crown molding and chair rails but there are many trim choices to consider when updating a room in your home.

This series of article provides a glimpse into the many choices you can make to enhance your home’s interior skin.

• Interior Trim Series:  Where the Walls and Floors Meet
• Interior Trim Series: Gorgeous Walls are the Decoration
• Interior Trim Series: Ceilings that Add Dimension to a Room
• … and coming soon
• Interior Trim Series:  How to Make Your Fireplace Pop Visually
• Interior Trim Series: Shelving that’s Beautiful and Functional
• Interior Trim Series: Cabinets and Built-Ins
• Interior Trim Series: Grand Staircases and Entryways

You may find the solution you’re searching for here or you might need to do further research. Some of the best books available that give you endless ideas include the following:

• Trim Idea Book, Taunton Press (ISBN 1-56158-710-9)
• Decorating with Architectural Trimwork: Planning, Designing, Installing by Jay Silber, Creative Homeowner (ISBN 1-58011-078-9)
• 1001 Ideas for Trimwork by Wayne Kalyn, Creative Homeowner (ISBN 1-58011-260-9)

Once you find the look you want, your next decision is how involved you want to get in the installation. Decide if you want to install the trim yourself, as that will help you focus your selection of materials on what you can work with successfully. Some contractors are flexible and willing to share a project with you but follow their advice as they’re going to be concerned about the finished product that includes your work. In my handyman business, the more typical call is a request to finish a project that a home owner started and somehow can’t find the time (maybe it’s really the tools and/or skills) to finish.

For most do-it-yourself homeowners, you should stick to trim that will be painted. Once you’ve installed the trim, you can fill in the gaps with caulking to get smooth surfaces. If you’re going to stain the woodwork, you are better off hiring a master carpenter as it’s almost impossible to hide gaps and other mistakes with stain. Unless you’re an amateur home carpenter with lots of experience using your compound miter saw, stick with designs that only require straight cuts. Crown molding is challenging so if you’re determined to install it yourself, find a company that offers either pre-cut corners like sosimplecrown.com or coordinating inside/outside corners so you only have to do the straight cuts.

Author: tinagleisner: Tina Gleisner is passionate about helping women home owners LEARN about their homes, CONNECT with home professionals committed to delivering quality home products, and CREATE homes that support their lifestyle. Leveraging her experience as the owner of a handyman business, Tina created the Assn of Women Home Owners at www.HomeTips4Women.com.