Ok, so it’s day 11 and I am scrambling to get this post up. There’s too much I want to say about details/architecture. It will take me forever to tell you that you don’t need to feel hopeless if your home has walls that don’t corner up to beautiful molding. So here it is. A chaotic, runaround post that I hope you can get something out of. Thanks for hanging with me for 31 days!

When first saw this house I fell in love with this picture frame detail in what’s supposed to be the dining room.

Today, I’ve completely forgotten about that precious little bit of character. I think I want to try to highlight it. Which is hard to do if you don’t paint.

I like a little architecture in every room. Some people get it honest, by living in older homes that are bursting at the seams with palladian windows, heavy crown molding, crisp white wainscoting and leaded glass cabinets. And for those of us who don’t live in heavenly homes like this, we have to cheat and make our own charm. And for those of us who are leasing our houses, the challenge can seem impossible.

If I owned my home I would be doing this board and batten project all over the place. I’m tempted to do it even as a renter. And have you seen Kimba’s living room lately?

We once lived in a house that had nice crown molding but they took it a step further. About 5 inches under the crown, down on the wall, they attached a decorative piece of wood that I’m sure has a fancy name. They painted the crown molding, 5 inches of blank wall under that molding and the decorative extra piece that went around the room, all the trim color. So it gave the illusion of thick, fat, expensive mill work. What an inexpensive project to bulk up your trim.

Remodeling Guy has some great info on molding here and here.

If you are lucky enough to live in a home that has lots of decorative casings, the best way to show it off is to have a nice contrast of color from your walls to the mill work.

For those of us that are leasing we need to be a little more creative. Here are a few ideas:

  • hang a vintage window frame on the wall
  • utilize premade shelves to bulk up a bare naked mantle
  • frame out your mirrors with trim like Rhoda does–or hang a store bought mirror with a thick frame
  • hide the fact that you don’t have window casings with easy no sew window mistreatments

Most homes have at least one thing that adds character: porch columns, brick steps, a fireplace, built in shelves, crown molding, a stair case and banister, pretty windows, 6 paneled front door, archways, french door, chair rail, picture frame molding…

I realize that adding crown molding is not something that is quick, easy or super inexpensive. But look around your home, are you taking advantage of those pretty character traits that your home has to offer?

Even incorporating something as simple as hanging a shelf with lots of it’s own character {I saw this one at the Goodwill} can enhance the detail in your home. I bet you have something like this in your home someplace already.

This $3 yard sale cabinet adds so much character.

Today’s assignment: look around your home and note any unique, special details that your home has–are you taking full advantage of accentuating those details? If you have no details whatsoever {I’ve lived in a few homes that seemed to have NO details but upon closer inspection found some–ok, one} then what do you have that can act as an architectural element?

see you tomorrow!