Choosing Moulding for Open Floor Plans with Smith & DeShields

August 14, 2024

Open floor plans are a fan favorite for modern homes, offering ease of movement between living areas. Choosing the best moulding in such wide-open spaces can be a bit daunting. But Smith & DeShields, with its deep understanding of high-quality mouldings and millwork, lays down insightful recommendations to choose the perfect moulding for your open floor plan.

Understanding the Role of Moulding

Moulding has both functional and aesthetic appeal. It can help describe a space, add some architectural interest, and finally give your home a finished look. In an open floor plan, moulding will help divide the spaces without having to use any walls, hence the look will be coherent and polished.

Baseboards: Foundation of Style

Most people underestimate the crucial role that baseboards play in a room. When you’re considering an open-concept look, baseboards are one way to marry the spaces together. Reach for something simple and linear, like tall baseboards, to add an element of sophistication.

At Smith & DeShields, there’s a world of possibilities for baseboards, fully customizable for your ideal home’s design.

Baseboard Shopping Tips:

• Height: 5- to 7-inch-high baseboards are optimal. They help create a more massive look and are well suited, especially in open places
• Style: Choose a simple, classic profile designed to critically bond with the unit’s other components
• Material: Durable hard-wearing material like MDF or hardwood is preferred for its longevity and serviceability.

Crown Moulding: A Touch of Opulence and Depth

Crown moulding in your open floor plan can make your room look richer and more luxurious. Giving dimension to your walls and ceiling; your eyes naturally continue to move throughout the space, visually flowing upward.

 Tips for Choosing Crown Moulding:

• Scale: Choose a moulding sized in proportion to the ceiling. More detailed profiles can be selected for higher ceilings
• Style: Select a design with elements that complement the style of your home: traditional, contemporary, or a blend of both
• Installation: Paying close attention to where the crown is installed with a high level of skill. When elements fit together seamlessly, the result is a great appearance.

Door and Window Casings: Focusing the View

The casing around doors and windows frames your view. In an open concept with free-flowing space, the continuation of styling within the casing will prevent the appearance from appearing choppy.

Choosing Door and Window Casings:

• Consistency: Stay consistent on style and materials with all casings.
• Width: If you are going to select a wide width of casings, then make them one that will make a true statement (between 3-4″)
• Detail: Select profiles that are a little more detailed. Not so much that it drives a lot of activity, but enough so that you add a little visual interest

Chair Rails and Wainscoting: Defining Spaces

Chair rails and wainscoting are structured methods of defining different functional areas of an open floor plan, for instance, a dining area off of a living room. They also provide texture and visual interest in the walls.

Tips on Choosing Chair Rails and Wainscoting:

• Height: Chair rails are typically installed 32-36 inches from the floor. Wainscoting can be any height you like
• Design: Choose designs that enhance the overall design of your residence. Raised panel wainscoting is much more conventional than flat panel wainscoting and fits with conventional areas better
• Color: Coat or tarnish the wainscoting with a shade that breaks against the shade of the wall to be highlighted; or, use a shade that blends with the color of the wall for a much more understated look

Combining Moulding with Interior Design

Moulding should complement, not compete with the rest of your home’s interior. Smith & DeShields recommends that the colors of the mouldings should match the walls, trim, and furnishings to create a harmonious feel. For a continuous flow, paint the moulding the same color as the wall. To achieve contrast, choose a complementary color that highlights the architectural details.

Smith & DeShields

Choose from an unparalleled selection of doors, hardware, moulding and other architectural accents, as well as building supplies. Many of these are in stock, available immediately and are locally exclusive to Smith & DeShields. Quality permeates every facet of our business and it’s no different when it comes to choosing top-quality hardware.

For over 67 years, Smith & DeShields has been well-respected for evolving its product lines to match the latest technology, designs and hardware that stand the test of time. Contractors, architects, and homeowners alike are invited to experience the wide variety of quality products showcased in each of our four Florida showrooms.

Visit SmithandDeShields.com to learn more.