INTERIOR INSPIRATION
BY KATE KINGSTON
Kate Kingston , Managing Director of Kingston Shaw , an award winning interior design company with offices on the Wirral , London and Dubai , shares with us the latest trends for creating the perfect home .
IT ' S ALL IN THE DETAIL !
Mouldings , skirtings , cornices all the glorious architectural details that we take for granted , this month we celebrate them !
Recently I moved and the one thing that attracted me to the new digs was the architectural detailing . It is magnificent and abundant , in fact it is the star of the show , people walk in and don ’ t notice me or the furniture they comment on the staircase , the mouldings and yes even the skirting . Being a designer I have been trained to see and appreciate the detail , but I don ’ t expect other people to notice these unsung heroes , it made me think , how we take for granted the very things that can elevate not only our homes but our lives .
From the 16th century , 5 distinct orders were recognized whose origins come from Ancient Greece with some modifications by the Romans : Tuscan , Doric , Ionic , Corinthian and Composite . The column consists of the base , the shaft and the capital with the horizontal structure supported on the columns called the entablature . The entablature consists of architrave , frieze and cornice all separated from each other using mouldings . The base consists of the stylobate and the plinth and mouldings with profiles e . g . the convex torus and the concave scotia , terms still used nowadays for skirting board profiles .
So what are architectural details and how can you ensure yours are elevating your life ! Let ' s start at the bottom with the humble skirting board !
Skirting Historically , skirting boards were necessary when walls were wet-plastered to cover the junction of floor and wall and it solved the problem of achieving a neat edge to the plaster at the bottom of the wall . Now that we have nice neat sheets of machine-cut plasterboard and metal edge beads for plaster , there is no practical point to skirtings whatsoever . However , they have become a sentimental detail of nearly every room . We call them " period " detail , mass-market house builders like them because they allow for a poor standard of workmanship and higher speed . Interior Designers and Architects like to eliminate skirtings and architraves in favour of a small recessed " shadow gap " detail which neatly articulates the junction between wall and floor , making wall planes appear to " float " over continuous floor planes . Personally I love a deep skirting board , it ' s like a pair of shoes , it can make or break the whole look , but what skirting board look should you go for ?
Choose a board that compliments your room in both style and scale , if it is the only architectural detail in the space make it sing and paint it in a contrasting colour . MDF , solid wood or pre fabricated it doesn ’ t matter and is budget dependant , or if you cannot find something you like , design it yourself and get a good joiner to make it for you .
Architraves The Collar to the skirting board Cuff - a door architrave is a decorative moulding that is used to further enhance the appearance of your door frame . They are able to conceal the join between the wall and the frame of the door . This is usually fitted as a finishing touch around your home , to give your interior a much more completed look . It is known to date back to classical Greek architecture , but it was the Tudor ’ s who developed architrave in a way that we see today . You can also use an architrave around a window for extra impact .
Bullnose Architrave – A simplistic architrave for those looking to keep it sleek yet stylish . Chamfer Architrave – Another simplistic design which features a single angled face . Ogee Architrave – Ogee features a sweeping curved profile which is a popular style in homes . Torus Architrave – Torus provides a classic , but sleek and subtle style to any door frame .
Shaker Architrave – Perfect for traditional and contemporary homes . Lambs Tongue Architrave – Lambs Tongue combines a traditional and minimalistic design . Ovolo Architrave – Ovolo features a simple curve that creates an overall smooth , stylish look . Square Edge Architrave – Square edge is a simple and cost effective design for all interiors .
Cornicing In architecture , a cornice ( from the Italian cornice meaning " ledge ") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element – the cornice over a door or window , for instance , or the cornice around the top edge of a pedestal or along the top of an interior wall . A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown , as in crown moulding atop an interior wall or above kitchen cabinets or a bookcase . It literally crowns the top of a room and joins the ceiling to the walls .
There are literally hundreds of different cornices or mouldings to choose from , my advice if you only go for one architectural detail make it sing , make it flamboyant and make it the cornice !
Picture Rails Around the 1840s , picture rails or picture moulding became common . The idea had been around since the 15th century : hanging pictures from a moveable hook that can hold substantial weight and that doesn ’ t mar the wall surface . The modern picture rail was simply a horizontal moulding of wood or composition material , often decorative , mounted high on the wall .
Picture rails were mounted in one of three positions . In formal rooms , the rail was mounted ¼ " to ½ " ( for the hooks ) beneath crown and cove mouldings . A simpler treatment had the rail tacked to the wall at about the height of window and door heads — which left a frieze area between the rail and the ceiling . During much of the Victorian era , the frieze would receive decorative embellishment . If you are lucky enough to have original architectural features in your home , then love and preserve them , if you don ’ t then , wisely chosen , the architectural detail you chose can bring charm , elegance and a sense of history to your space . Stay well !
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