The Emergence of Timber Mouldings

From early years to those more modern, timber mouldings have graced the most modish and fashionable of decorating walls, windows, doors, and interiors. Decorative timber mouldings such as cornices, coving and skirtings have stayed as an ever admired concluding detail; tremendously versatile and sturdy, enhancing the aesthetics of any home and giving a level of detail, which emphasizes on the class of a room. Wooden skirting and timber mouldings have a huge series of uses, many of which came into existence during the Victorian epoch.

Timber skirting boards are the only existing feature of three interior timber mouldings objects discovered in the Victorian homes; the others being picture and dado railings. In the beginning, timber moulding was a practical piece, used for three main purposes:

1.     To conceal the untidy base edge of plastered walls, which was much less accurate than our smooth forms

2.     To protect the plaster work from any harm from heavy furniture

3.     To hide any proof of increasing dampness

However, timber moulding with its practical functions was also used as a decorative piece and to show-off the wealth Victorians possessed. Hence, rooms which were likely to be visited by guests would have superior skirting boards with more multifaceted and complex details.

Together with timber mouldings and skirtings, the details of these timber mouldings were meant to emulate complex, conventional decoration such as that seen at the top and bottom of Greek and Roman columns, so for highest impact these features were used together. Today, skirting board is still an absolute must in any home and is readily available in a number of styles and finishes.

Interior timber mouldings and cornices are both examples of decorative timber moulding and help bring sharpness to the spaces they are used in; a chief facet of Victorian interior design. Coving is used to cover the line between two surfaces, most often where a wall meets a ceiling. Old fashioned coving creates a curve between the top of the wall and the ceiling and is usually painted white to create an approximate mirror image of the skirting board at the other end of the wall. 

This creates a seamless finish and is still a great way to update the design of any room.

A cornice on the other hand extends out into the room like a ledge. These are more of a statement piece or specific design feature than the coving and were conventionally seen with ‘egg and dart’ or fleur-de-lys patterns. However, cornice certainly still has a place within the modern home and lots of contemporary styles are available, including up-lighting cornice which is open at the top and fixed to the wall approximately 15-20cm from the ceiling, with LED’s or tube lights fitted inside – an elegant way to add the perfect finishing detail to your room.