Our house was built in the 1920's and has some really lovely woodwork and trim that was commonly installed during that time period.
Unfortunately, when we moved in, we noticed that it was not consistent throughout the home.
The windows and doors were framed with some fabulous thick, flat boards, but the ceiling mouldings were skimpy and very uninteresting.
As we renovated the house, room by room, my husband added more prominent trim to the ceilings and I think it makes a huge difference.
Of course, I am not a fan of renovation and rip out, so he cheats and lays moulding over moulding to get the job done in a fashion that makes this girl super happy.
Plus, the walls in this house are very old and brittle.
In some of the rooms there are layers of wallpaper covered with many coats of paint.
Disturbing the delicate balance to rip moulding off the wall would end up with us re-sheetrocking on a grand scale and nobody here is into that.
So smartypants that he is, he's come up with a way to upgrade the trim without the hassle and mess. He's been doing it for years, but I've never documented it before.
This time, I grabbed my camera and captured the process.
The walls started out pink with some very thin moulding.
My husband purchased corner blocks at Home Depot and notched them to fit over the existing trim.
He predrilled pilot holes into the the corner blocks so the wood wouldn't crack, one in the center, two in the sides.
Then he nailed them into the corner, using 3 inch finishing nails, catching the wood behind the sheetrock.
Next, he added a thicker moulding right over the old. He used nails, no glue.
Each nail was countersunk and wood putty was applied to fill the holes, for a perfectly smooth finish.
As you can see, the new moulding covers the notches on the block. It goes right over the old trim and doesn't make a mess of the walls.
Even better, there aren't any tricky corner cuts to make.
Since the trim was going to be painted white, he grabbed the pre-primed pieces.
The blocks were painted with a primer/ paint mix.
They required two coats.
It's exactly what the client requested.
It's a small detail, but the moulding makes a big difference in the room's finished appearance. It raises your eye, which makes the room feel larger and adds a bit of elegance and charm to the space.
I love the final product, but even more than that, I love the fact that there was no rip out, no damaged sheetrock to repair and it was completed in a day.
Now that's my kind of renovating!
Here's to the handy husband.
Again.
Does your home have ceiling trim?
I have never seen blocks like that in the corners. They really do add interest!
ReplyDeleteThanks Carol! We really like the way they finish the room.
DeleteAnd no complicated miter cuts in the corners! Great job. My house has no ceiling trim but I have always coveted it. I have become increasingly aware of what a significant design element trim can be.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Lorri! Those cuts are always troublesome. The blocks are a great way to avoid them! :)
DeleteLOVE IT!!! What a super cozy room - I want to snuggle right in!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Debbie...my daughter is pretty happy with it, too! :)
DeleteHi Kim, the added trim looks gorgeous and really interesting. Love the block corners, Your hubby did a great job and the paint pulled it all together. Just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYes our home has lots of trim and moldings in all the rooms and chair rails too. We love it for the character and interest it brings.
Enjoy a great holiday weekend.
cm
Thanks so much, Celestina Marie, I think it does add character, you are right!
DeleteHooray for handy husbands!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHere, here, Tessa!! ;)
DeleteHi Kim, I love how pretty the room looks with the trim your husband put up in the room. Great job.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a nice weekend.
Julie xo
Thanks Julie!
DeleteYou are now the lucky lady of the manor, with these marvellous, new mouldings! Kudos to both you and your hubby!
ReplyDeletePoppy
Thanks so much, Poppy!
DeleteGood job! I have no ceiling trim... It would sure look better if there was! Want to send your hubby down to GA?? I'm tired of working on houses. lol
ReplyDeleteYou are one energetic lady...I bet your GA house is lovely!!
DeleteThat looks lovely....what a great idea! Your husband did a very neat job....and like you I hate the mess of ripping out if there is an alternative.
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend.
Helen xox
We’re always looking for the easy way out of a mess, Helen!
DeleteWe have the same molding and corner blocks in our home. It really adds some "zing" to our 1950's architecture!
ReplyDeleteYour room is looking beautiful!
Have a wonderful holiday weekend!!
Blessings,
J
Thanks J! That's so neat that we share the same decorative trim. I like "zing"!!
DeleteYou can never have enough molding!! I love what your husband did. We need to add lots more molding to our house.
ReplyDeleteThanks Stacey! This is an easy way to do it. We like easy around here! ;)
DeleteHe's one clever guy! He's kind of....Remarkable! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Deb! I'll tell him you said so! ;)
DeleteThis is neat...I wish I could borrow him!
ReplyDeleteJane x
I actually hear that a lot, Jane! ;) He’s a very handy guy!
DeleteVery nice! So nice for you to have a handy hubby! Looks professional and a natural part of the home.
ReplyDeleteThanks AnnMarie. It really suits the house much better than the old trim.
DeleteIt looks beautiful. Well done!
ReplyDeleteVisiting from Harvest Lane Cottage,
Laura
Thanks for the kind words and the visit, Laura!
DeleteReally . . . REALLY . . . changed the look . . . Adds an elegance and I agree . . . seems to add height and makes the room larger . . . I liked the all white too . . .
ReplyDeleteIs your handy, dandy husband for rent??
Ha! Probably, Lynne! He loves to travel!
DeleteThat looks so nice, Kim. Hubby did a fantastic job. I like those corner blocks. Sometimes mitered edges are hard to get just right. Our 1879 house has a lot of fancy wood mouldings but only in the main rooms, not in the bedrooms and baths. We were fortunate to find a couple of old houses being torn down in the area so we bought enough wood and trim to do all of the rooms except the kitchen. I wanted it to stay more simple..Your room looks beautiful..Happy Weekend..Judy
ReplyDeleteThanks Judy! :) 1879? Wow, that sounds like a dream home to me!
DeleteYay for handy husbands. I snagged me one too. We added molding to each room when we did them but we never tried this. It looks great!
ReplyDeleteThe blocks were all his idea, Kristi. I think it was his way of alleviating the need for mitered corners! It's a crafty cheat and I agree, it looks great! :)
DeleteIt's all in the details and this corner block adds a lot of interest. And now you have a blank canvas to play with, lucky you.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Thanks Amalia! I have to say I am really in love with the white...a blank canvas for sure!!
DeleteBrilliant! What a smarty pants he is! Well done, Mr. Remarkable! We don't have ceiling trim. Not because I don't like it. I do, and yours is exquisite,. but we have a lot of windows with craftsman trim that stops 8" from the ceiling, and in our tiny cottage the ceiling moulding would be over kill. It's perfect in your precious cottage, Kim. Hugs, Nancy
ReplyDeleteThank you Nancy, he is pretty remarkable. I have to agree! :) I think your cottage is totally perfect just the way it is Nancy. You guys thought of every charming detail the first time around. I think that is pretty remarkable, too!! xo
DeleteWhat a great solution! The corner pieces really add so much!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I always argue with my husband, telling him we don’t need them (I am not a fan of construction), but I love them when they are up!
DeleteIt looks like it's always been there! He did a fantastic job, Kim.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, I don't have any trim. I guess because of the detailed living room ceiling? I never though to look it up, which is weird for me, but maybe it wasn't in style when my house was built. I think I'm going to look into that...
I hope you've had a great weekend :)
xo,
rue
It's so weird. I am not sure when trim was big and not...or maybe it was a money thing? Our old cottage was built during the same time period and is literally located across the street...um...no trim. This house, tons of it. The only difference is that the old house was built as a summer cottage and the current one was touted as the first year round home in the hood. Who knows, but I like it!
DeleteI think your hubby did a great job! I love the moulding and corner pieces. Those corner pieces also keep from having to miter corners! Another great idea!! :-) And they add so much interest and high-end detail! I can't wait until you show off the final finish!! We have crown moulding in the new house, but not in that bathroom I want to work on. That will be one of the things we add.
ReplyDeleteThanks Benita. I bet that bathroom will be fabulous when you are done with it! :)
DeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing this DIY trim that your husband made. It looks great.
We love having you share with us each week at Cooking and Crafting with J & J.
I hope you have a nice week.
Julie
Thanks Julie!! It's a fun party!
DeleteWell done. It looks great.
ReplyDeleteNo our home does not have corner pieces, but I think I will be changing that. ;-)
Thanks! It was so easy to do, Carla and not messy at all!! ;)
DeleteWow, what a difference that made! He did a great job! I didn't realize your home was that age. My hubby added crown molding to every room in our previous home.....none had existed before. He talked about doing the same here, and has added it to certain rooms already; but our ceiling are so high with lots of transitional places.....too much work! He has kind of replaced that idea with adding larger baseboard molding.....still a lot work, but at least he wouldn't be way up on a ladder!
ReplyDeleteWe have low ceilings in the bedrooms, but the kitchen has high ceilings with transitional places, too. I agree, not the place for this kind of trim…and I am not a fan of my guy on a high ladder either. I’m with you…stick to the floor! ;)
ReplyDeleteWow, it looks really nice Kim, and what a great timesaving tip/trick to cover up the old with the new! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, it really adds to the room.
DeleteI so want to put molding in the nursery, someday I will, and will remember your tip!
ReplyDeleteIt's so easy, Vel...I say go for it!
Delete