A little trim to top it off!

Trim in a home is the icing on a cake to me! It is a great added touch to any home. If you are a fan of the traditional look-then you love moulding too.

I grew up in Denver. My grandparents had this beautiful old 1920s Denver Block Style home. I loved the moulding in it. By the time I was sixteen my grandparents had moved out of their home but the memories of their beautiful home still influence me today. Look at that timeless trim. . . . (look past the sweet 80s hair-do and see the beautiful paneling in the dining room)

Many of the trim projects in my home, even in my friend's homes, have been inspired by my Grandmother's home.

These pictures are of Teresa's door topper-we went a step further and made her topper a shelf patterned after the the plate shelf in my grandmother's dining room. She does a great job decorating it for the seasons.

After we moved into our current home, one of our neighbors went to town on the trim in their home. I was so impressed. It looked very hard and intimidating. I asked him how it was done and wa-la! I figured it out, it wasn't as hard as it looked. One of my friends also learned how easy it was from him and now she even has her own trim business. So hopefully after reading these different projects you can feel confident about doing your own trim work.

There are different materials that you can use.

• MDF (medium density fiberboard) is widely used because the cost is the least of the products, it is easier to work with-doesn't warp, and it comes pre-primed in many varieties.
  
• Wood moulding comes in many different varieties. You'll notice the harder the wood, the more expensive it get. I like to use wood moulding in higher traffic areas, such as door ways and chair rail. The MDF is easier to damage so wood works out better in high traffic areas, in my opinion. The least expensive option for wood moulding is to buy it finger jointed. FJ moulding is pieced together. So every 18-24" you will see a joint where the wood was pieced together. If you are painting the moulding anyway FJ is a good less expensive way to go.
  
• Foam & PVC mouldings are another option. I personally have not used any foam moulding. It can be a little pricy and you need to glue it on. If you are interested in doing foam I would reccomend you research it to see if it will suit your needs.
  
• Flexible moulding is definately pricey but if you are doing a curved wall or area the price is worth it. Outwater sells it, they are a great company to use (I love all the fun stuff they sell).
  
• Decorative moulding is VERY pricy, but so beautiful. If you are on a budget you can use this moulding as accents just to give that extra detail but not break your budget.

So I want to walk you through some trim ideas to do in your own home. I will include seperate posts for different moulding projects. Each project will have their own download-able instruction sheet. For a shortcut to all of the trim projects just click on the moulding lable in the side bar to access all projects. As I get more done on the blog you will be able to click on the project below and I will link it to the post.

The different projects will include:

Baseboards

Window casing

Window Sills

Toppers (windows & doors)

Crown Moulding

(pre caulk & putty)

Wainscoting

Decorative Touches

Now remember the trim job doesn't end when the trim is on the wall--Now you have to caulk, putty, and paint. I really do not enjoy that part.

So if you don't have a friend like Teresa (who is always willing to help with my crazy ideas-notice our "don't get caulky" T shirts) and you are going to hire help for any part of your trim project I would reccomned a good painter to do all three! If that is not in your budget follow these tips:

• Invest in a caulking gun. They are inexpensive and worth it!
  
• Cut the tip off the caulk (at an angle) only as big as you need-if you cut it too big you end up with too much waste
  
• Apply the caulk where needed
  
• Cover you finger with a damp small cloth and smooth the caulk into the seam. Wipe off any excess. (It the area you are caulking has a large gap you may have to go back over it after it dries-caulk tends to shrink)
  
• Rinse off your rag when it gets too caulky!
  

To putty I just apply with my finger. You want to over fill the hole so you can sand it smooth after it has dried. (I also prime the putty if the trim is already primed to avoid any bleeding through the paint)

Keep in mind your style while looking for trim accents for your home. Take pictures of things you like, watch for ideas in your magazines, and keep your eyes open. Your home is YOUR haven. When you start getting into finishing touches on your home remember it is for you, not your guests. You should love to be in your home and it should reflect YOU, just worry about being comfortable in your own home, you're the one there day in and day out!

So good luck and as always, please share any great trim projects you have done with the rest of us too!