12 - Friday, May 2, 1997 - North Shore News nerth shore news 3s FIOME & Moldings making a icome comeback WOOD moldings and decorative trim were almost forgotten during the last decades of ‘modern architecture’. Not only forgotten —- they were frowned upon in any- thing, but restoration of histor- ical buildings, Architects pre- sented us with neat and streamlined boxes, pristine white walls and large picture windows, The front porch was replaced by the carport and those nice lithe dormer win- dows disappeared altogether. Crown maldings became 2 thing of the past, only seen in traditional older homes. But the wave of nostalgia we have experienced in the last 10 years has brought back many decorative details that modern architects had assigned to the dustbin. If you take a louk at new construc- tion, you will even find the old front porch again. as weli as elaborate (if sometimes plastic) moldings in living and dining rooms, in bed- and bathrooms and around door frames. It is reassuring that in fash- ion, as in architecture, the old never completely disappears; it is simply repackaged and pre- sented again nvo or three gen- erations later. Along with color, wallpaper and dormer windows, we now have woed moldings again. They can do wonders for a home built in traditional style, lifting it from nondescript sim- plicity to almost stately ele- gance. There are exceptions however: the pristine and square white ‘modern’ house will never look comfortable in chair rails and crown mold- . ings, though it might accept a simple d. Chair rails are installed at 30 to 36 inches (76 to 91 cm) above the floor to protect walls from scratches and dents that chairs make. In combina- tion with dados (wood panel- ing) on the lower portion of the wall, they can make a din- ing room look quite formal and distinguished, especially when a small decorative mold- ing is used to divide the dado into equal rectangles. It’s a treatment more suitable to a separate dining room with high ceilings than to the mod- ern J-shaped living/ dining room. The must elaborate of all moldings are crown, cornice and cove moldings. They cover the joint berween wall and ceiling and were indis- pensable when walls were made of plaster, and the joint was not always perfect. They look best in a room that is at least nine feet high (2.74 m) and has traditional furniture. The higher and bigger the room, the more elaborate they can be. A general rule is that they should be no higher than one-fourteenth of room height, i-c, just under cight inches for a nine foot ceiling. Traditiona! duors, those with stiles, rails and panels, need traditional trim, usually four-and-a-half inches (11.5 cm) wide and mitered at the top, or fitted with corner blocks. These are particularly useful for the do-it-yourselfer who is not up to the challenge of pertectly mitered corners. The picture molding is one type of rim that we still don’t see very often although it can be a very practical device, especially for thase who like to change pictures on their walls frequently without leaving all those unsightly nail holes, The molding projects from the wall and is curved at the tap so that the picture hook can be slipped over it. Phe big question with the use of moldings is: Should they be in a contrasting color "SAVING ¥C FEATURING © ROPER ¢ JENNAIR * INGLIS * FRIGIDAIRE « PANASONIC © KITCHENAID * DANBY ¢ [SE © DACOR * WHIRLPOOL ¢ G.E. « MAGIC CHEF * WOLF « AEG * SUB ZERO * GOLDSTAR * DCS ¢ VENMAR * AND MANY OTHER QUALITY BRANDS. * COMPACT & FULL SIZE © BUILT-IN & FREE STANDING © GAS & ELECTRIC * MOST ITEMS IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY OR PICK UP CHECK US OUT v HUGE SELECTION ¥ LOY’ WAREHOUSE PRICES | ig COLONY HOME FURNISHINGS 1075 Roosevelt Crescent North Vancouver (2 blocks behind Avalon Hotel) Open Daily Fri. 9-9; Sun 12-4 985-8738 fo wall and ceiling, or should they be painted and blead in? The decision may become easier if you ask yourself whether the molding should become a focal point and stand out clearly, or whether it should act as an accent and simply provide another inter- esting detail. A contrasting, molding in a light-colored room draws the cye; it creates lines and borders that are not often necessary or desirable. A very slight color contrast is often more appealing. It sets an accent without being obtrusive. Edith Saatkamp is an inte- rior designer who practices and teaches on the North Shore. NEWS photo Mike AFTER an abscence from the home construction business, mouldings are coming back in a big way. Columnist Edith Saatkamp reminds that the big question v:hen it comes to moldings is shoufd they be in a contrasting color to the surrounding wall and ceiling or should they be painted to blend with the surrounding color. | Right now, you can get expert advice from your Benjamin Moore dealer plus our best quality paint at our very best price! 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