Overlooked Design Details: Mouldings, Casing, & Finish Work

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dear Alice | Interior Design

Episode: Overlooked Design Details: Mouldings, Casing, & Finish Work
Hosts: Jessica Bennett, Suzanne Hall (Alice Lane), with Corey
Release Date: May 21, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode delves into one of the most overlooked but impactful aspects of interior design: mouldings, casings, and finish work. Jessica, Suzanne, and Corey break down why these details matter so much, how to approach them in any home style, share historic and current project examples, and offer strategies for elevating your spaces—whether you're renovating an old home, building new, or simply want to add refinement. They also touch on hidden design gems like secret doors, personal flourishes, and the value of skilled craftspeople.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Finish Work Matters

• Finish work is described as the "icing on the cake" for interiors. Jessica emphasizes its transformative power:

  "During the build... it actually starts to really look like a house instead of a construction project when these layers are going on." (01:32)

• It's never too late to add or upgrade mouldings—even in an existing, finished home.

---

2. Classic vs. Trendy: What Mouldings Are In, What’s Out

• The team explains that flat stock and shaker mouldings are out.
• There’s a move towards more decorative, layered, and complex mouldings:

  "What we're not doing [anymore] is the straight flat stock and the shaker moldings...what you’re going to see us get into is more decorative, stacking different moldings." – Jessica (03:05)

---

3. Understanding Profiles, Proportions, and Components

• Mouldings have several components (baseboard, toppers, casings).
• Tall baseboards (6-8 inches) are favored for most projects—these can be stacked, layered, or enhanced depending on the desired style.
• Start with the baseboard profile as the "DNA" for the home; casings should act as "baby sisters" to the base, creating a harmonious look.

---

4. Historic Inspiration & Handcrafted Details

• The Boston brownstone project (built in 1808) serves as a master class in historic finish work.

  "Mouldings we really paid attention to...we cleaned it up a little but overall it nods back to the historic nature of the home." – Suzanne (07:10)

• Many original elements were hand-tooled or plaster, requiring care in restoration and careful recreation for new areas.
• Unique details often carried social meaning—e.g., an ivory "eye" at the stair entry signifying a fully paid-off home.

  "Even in the finish work, even in the ivory little eye that sits in the middle of this swirl...it was a status symbol that you owned your home outright." – Suzanne (09:18)

---

5. Paneling & Applied Moldings: Execution and Impact

• True paneling involves styles and rails, not just applied moldings on drywall.
• Paneling approaches:
  • Raised or sunken panels for depth.
  • Divided into odd numbers for rhythm and architectural harmony.

  "We're never, ever, ever going to cut a wall in half. It's always going to be in odd numbers, and you're going to create bands and rhythms within this." – Jessica (18:03)

• Tall walls (>10 ft) often need an extra band for proportional balance.

---

6. Translating Profiles to Modern Homes

• The team notes that contemporary and traditional homes can both benefit from smart finish work, just by tweaking profiles (more straight lines for transitional homes, curves and steps for traditional ones).
• Reference architectural context—let the exterior and history of the home inform the details inside.

---

7. Case Openings and Cased Doors: Missed Opportunities

• Cased openings (doorways without doors) are described as a place to make a statement with bolder or more intricate moldings, rather than just using baseboard stock.
• Double-framed walls create "juicy" deep sills, perfect for adding marble or growing herbs, especially in kitchens.

---

8. Unexpected Flourishes & Secret Details

• Secret doors and hidden compartments delight both residents and guests:

  "I've never met anybody that doesn't love a hidden door. I swear, there's one in every project right now." – Jessica (31:46)

• Creative use of wall cavities can provide storage or whimsical surprises (e.g., a hidden liquor bar or an incognito tampon box).

---

9. Personalization & Memory Points

• Incorporating unique trim or customized elements (e.g., a tulip or bead around a child's doorway) makes the experience of home unique to its inhabitants.
• Collaborate closely with finish workers and show them inspiration photos—drawing and mapping details on the walls is encouraged.

---

10. Resources & Tricks

• Recommended resources for decorative moldings: Deckwood, Decora Moldings.
• Employ strip moldings, pediments, and chair rails to explore different rhythm and texture.
• Ceiling treatments—use crown, medallions, or even high-gloss sheen for added luxury.

---

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On the transformative power of finish work:

  "Finish work is the icing on the cake." – Jessica (01:32)

• On updating your home:

  "If you don't have the mouldings of your dreams, it's not too late. You can always add it even though your home is finished." – Jessica (02:09)

• Historic craftsmanship:

  "Whoever did this had to have worked for the king or something...This was not for the common man." – Jessica (08:43)

• On meaningful detail:

  "Even in the finish work, even in the ivory little eye...it was part of, as a status symbol that you owned your home outright, which I thought was fascinating." – Suzanne (09:18)

• Why design school isn't enough:

  "Mouldings isn't something that you learn in school. This is something you have to pick up in the trades in talking with people." – Jessica (09:43)

• Designer-craftsman collaboration:

  "Don't be afraid to draw on your walls. The finish worker, good ones, usually do that—they'll map it all out." – Suzanne (11:20)

• On paneling proportions:

  "We're never, ever, ever going to cut a wall in half. It's always going to be in odd numbers, and you're going to create bands and rhythms." – Jessica (18:03)

• On hidden doors:

  "There's always room within a framed wall to have a secret door...We could do a book on secret rooms." – Jessica (33:38)

• Customization & legacy:

  "You might as well choose those special little details, because everybody goes crazy for them. Create those custom little hidden doors because you can, you know, you're building this thing the hard way, one material at a time." – Jessica (39:08-40:20)

---

Memorable Project Spotlights & Timestamps

• Boston Brownstone (Historic moldings, ivory eye, Greek key curve):
  06:40–08:56; 36:04–38:25
• Desert Oaks (paneling, stain grade):
  16:42–18:32
• Berkshire Hall (two-story paneling, fluting):
  19:39–21:46
• Windsor Manor (micro-reeded texture in panels):
  28:19–29:26
• Hidden panel bar & secret doors:
  31:46–34:12
• Personalized trims for children's rooms:
  38:36–39:08

---

Practical Takeaways

• Always Begin with the Baseboard: Choose the main profile and let it guide casings and other millwork.
• Work with Craftspeople: Build relationships and encourage collaboration; great finish workers are invaluable.
• Layer and Stack: Don’t be afraid of complexity; stack moldings, play with odd numbers, mix flat and decorative pieces.
• Reference Tradition—But Add Your Spin: Study historic spaces, then adapt for contemporary needs and personalities.
• Map and Mock-up: Draw on walls, use CAD, and adjust heights and lines for real-world impact.
• Don’t Forget Ceilings and Sills: High-gloss, medallions, double-framed windows—all overlooked details that add luxury.
• Include Whimsy and Utility: Hidden doors, surprise compartments, and unexpected trims delight and personalize.

---

Final Thoughts

The hosts argue that attention to overlooked finish work details isn’t just a mark of design sophistication—it’s a way to create a home that feels cared for, layered, and deeply personal. Whether you embrace historic precedent, modern interpretations, or surprise touches, the smallest choices in wood, plaster, and paint can tell the richest stories and turn any project into a lasting legacy.

---

For More Inspiration

• Explore Deckwood and Decora Moldings for unique profiles.
• Review historic buildings in your area or design books for ideas.
• Consult with both your architect and finish worker early, and don’t hesitate to bring cookies.

For episode questions or future topics, reach out to [e-mail] or on Instagram at @alicelanehome and @alicelaneinteriors.

Transcript

[Suzanne]

Expedia and visit Scotland. Invite you to come experience the beauty that awaits in Scotland. The sweep of wild coastlines, quiet lochs and untamed landscapes. Fresh cuisine that feels rooted in the land. Come experience the kind of stillness that stays with you long after you leave. Plan your Scottish escape [e-mail] VisitScotland

[Jessica]

Pool Days call for cookouts and lots of

[Corey]

laundry this Memorial Day at Lowe's. Save $80 on a Char Broil Performance Series 4 burner gas grill now just $199 plus get up to 45% off. Select major appliances to keep dishes, clothes and food fresh. Having fun in the sun is easy with us in your corner. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's, valid through 527 while supplies last selection varies by location. See associate or lowes.com for details.

[Suzanne]

Hi everyone.

[Jessica]

Welcome to Dear Alice. Today is another episode of Overlooked Design Details. This was our new series that while we've been out in the field working on these projects, we're like we got to make sure and pay this forward to the listeners because there are so many times that the little things get looked over and we wanted to share those somewhere. So lucky you.

[Suzanne]

I know that's what take will take your home next level. I will say that those details, they're small but like stuff you're already going to have a baseboard. Make sure it's the right baseboard. Make sure you have the best profile.

[Jessica]

I love it. Yeah, finish work is the icing on the cake. And today's episode is all about stairs and finish work. You're going to become best friends with your finish worker. You're going to bring him a treat after lunch. You're going to find out all of his favorite things because you're going to be spending some time with him on the house. And this also is a really fun time. During the build. I feel like is it actually starts to really look like a house instead of a construction project when these layers are going on. I also want to say if you don't have the moldings of your dreams, it's not too late. You can always add it even though your home is finished. I was just staring in my entry the other day and I thought that's so interesting. I didn't do any crown molding. Of course. I was more transitional at the time and more casual and now we're kind of getting more formal and high glossing walls and I could totally just add crown molding.

[Corey]

Absolutely.

[Jessica]

To my foyer. So you can all do this if you don't already have it anytime in your life, you can get to know a finished worker or get a great one and start to add the icing on the cake, as we're calling it.

[Suzanne]

Yeah. And I'll say with any style of home that you're in, whether it's transitional, modern, really traditional, you can, like implement these tricks because it just the profile changes, but the high and the detail, you're just inviting it to the home. And so I cannot wait to show you all of our examples.

[Corey]

And this topic was sparked by a listener question from Andrea. She asked, I love listening and watching your podcast so much. It's so inspiring and I learn so much every time. Could you all do a podcast about different types of trim and millwork and what profiles are classic?

[Jessica]

Couple things that we're no longer doing, and that is the straight flat stock.

[Suzanne]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

And the shaker moldings. It probably goes without saying. I just wanted to hurry and say that's what we're not doing. And when you're going to see us get into is more decorative. There's more layers to stacking, different moldings and a lot of different types. And so we're going to go in and define some of those and show you lots of examples from our projects.

[Suzanne]

You might be sitting with a shaker doors like your entry, and even just like the flat stock on your baseboard, you can add on to that. So that is what's so exciting.

[Corey]

Yeah. Put an applied molding on that or stack something on top of it.

[Suzanne]

So just to help define some of these molding profiles, Andrea, you asked what makes a just moldings in general classic? Honestly, on most of our projects, I noticed when I looked at the baseboard details, we have a couple different components. You have the top portion, which is what's just called the baseboard, and then you have base moldings or toppers that you can put on top of it. So whether you're just buying one full piece, the thing that is consistent is that it's a nice tall piece, more flat on that bottom portion with some type of detail on the top. So be that if you're traditional, you're going to have a few more curves, you're going to have more steppings. If you want to be really tall, you can stack these. If you are more minimal. I know that for your transitional home, yours was a little bit more strict, but you still had detail.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

For a transitional home.

[Jessica]

Yeah. There were like three different levels of depth to it, even though they were all straight. And I didn't have any ogee edges, which are those sort of S shaped curves.

[Suzanne]

So when you are looking at your catalogs or working with your finished worker, that's the thing that I think is the most successful with a baseboard is if they're tall, if that straight portion has some nice height. And I'll say we're usually around the 6 to 8 is our average baseboard height in most of our homes. So take that and then you get to kind of cake decorate it on the top with whatever molding you are based on the kind of home that you're in or want to live in. Right. Here are a couple examples on the screen. If you're watching this on Spotify or YouTube, we have some examples from projects showing you kind of successful baseboards in homes. What we've done, and the fun thing with the finish work game is we usually pick our base mold first and then for your casings that go around your windows, your door jambs, all those things that is like a baby sister to what the baseboard is. And so you kind of want to start with, what is my profile? What is the personality of all my finished work? And I think that starts with your baseboard. That's how we've always done it.

[Jessica]

Yep.

[Suzanne]

So I think that's a great tip for you guys to employ.

[Corey]

Are you running that everywhere in the house, same profile?

[Suzanne]

Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes in more formal areas, we'll stack it. We'll have like, here's the one for the whole house. But we're going to exaggerate the height in the dining room because we're going to also add paneling to this and we want it to be a little bit higher. But we'll usually use the same DNA for that base and then kind of build from there. So.

[Corey]

Makes sense.

[Suzanne]

And I think it's just like, nice. I think the uniformity of feeling that feels really nice in a home. And the eye loves to see repetition. So I think that molding is a really great way to do that here. Here are a couple examples. Jess, let's talk about this first one.

[Jessica]

Yeah. This is in my primary bath. This base mold runs throughout my entire home. No edits or changes. And then we just cut off that bottom piece of stock. It was one big knife. But you can see that step closest to the floor. We cut that off and use the rest for window casings and door casings.

[Suzanne]

Love that.

[Jessica]

Yeah. So really simple stepping detail. Like we said, more transitional, no S curves. I still love it today. And it's been 10 or 11 years since we've done it, I actually wouldn't add anything. It like, I wouldn't add any more moldings on top. I probably would add some crown mold details like I talked about earlier to some of the ceilings.

[Suzanne]

Yeah, I love that. Okay, this next concept photo that we're not concept actually installation photo we're looking at is from our Boston project. You guys, we're going to be referencing this a lot today just because no one did it like they did in the past, I'll tell you that much. This brownstone that we just finished installing, we don't have professional pictures of it yet, but. But it was built in 1808, and they.

[Jessica]

1808.

[Suzanne]

1808.

[Jessica]

That's not 1908. That's 1808.

[Suzanne]

1808. You guys.

[Corey]

Original moldings from it. That's crazy.

[Suzanne]

Isn't that wild?

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

We completely like refigured rooms in this whole home. But the moldings we really paid attention to, what did they do? The dining room became the kitchen. The kitchen became a party pantry. But those base moldings and those. I don't know, that historic touch, like we needed to keep that going through in some spaces, we cleaned it up a little bit. But overall, it nods back to the historic nature of the home, which I love.

[Jessica]

The level of moldings in this home, it could be a master class. And it's fun that we just came off this install last week because it's so fresh on everybody's minds. And just the level of. Of care and craftsmanship that people took. And I don't think that these. There was many machines doing this. If these are all hand tooled. There are. Some of them are plaster moldings that had to be recreated with plaster. And then obviously, the spaces that we did and created our own moldings and details for it. Just so much of that level of care was in the house. And so you had to keep it going just to keep up with what they did in 1808.

[Corey]

Yeah. Which is crazy because, like, we were barely a country then. We're like 32.

[Suzanne]

We just got here from England, and

[Corey]

then we're making all of this. And that's. That's nuts to me.

[Jessica]

Extraordinary.

[Suzanne]

I mean, they made things with their hands back then. There wasn't a lot of industrial, you know, didn't happen yet. So people were like, these were craftsmen that were making these. And the thing that I love the most, there's a scene in the entry that we're going to show you is that molding on top of molding on top of molding, and I think we feel, like, almost too disciplined. Oh, you can't do that with that, and you can't do that with that. But then you see it all together, and you're like, why not?

[Jessica]

You know, whoever did this had to have worked for the king or something, because the. The level is just so. So ornate and so special. This was not for the common man. This house was not created for somebody common.

[Suzanne]

There are just these interesting historic nuggets that we've learned. We're going to be talking about stairs in a little bit, but at the bottom, the main entry has. Instead of a big new post, it kind of swirls around, and then there's this little spot. It's not like a big ball, you know, sitting there, but it's this little eye of the ivory eye that we took out during the whole construction because we didn't want to lose it. But that meant that you paid off your home.

[Jessica]

Oh, interesting.

[Suzanne]

Isn't that fascinating? So even in the finish work, even in the ivory little eye that sits in the middle of this swirl. Yeah. Meant, you know, it was. It was part of, like, as a status symbol that you owned your home outright, which I thought was fascinating.

[Jessica]

That is fascinating.

[Corey]

We've departed from that era a little bit. Back then. There was so much thoughtfulness that went into a home. Yeah, we need to bring that back a little bit more.

[Jessica]

And, yeah, it's fun that we're in this era of moldings. And. Yeah. I also wanted to say really quick, moldings isn't something that you learn in school. This is something that you have to pick up in the trades in talking with people. Maybe your architect has a particular hand. There's a gentleman works here in Salt Lake that was schooled in Oxford in England in architecture, and he has a great knowledge of moldings. And I had said to him, hey, will you come in and just do a meeting for our team just about moldings? So if you are an interior designer, you might need to learn about moldings in the trades. And one of the ways that we love to do it also is just by studying great work and being able to show concept photos, doing our own drawings for heights and scales and creating bands and rhythms and everything. But when it actually comes to stacking, which pieces go together, you're going to really want to take a meeting with your finish work, because you're putting this together like a puzzle on site, and it's very much like you build it while you're flying it kind of a thing. So I just Wanted to say that out loud. If you're a designer and you're like, I don't know why I didn't get taught the moldings portion of this. We haven't needed to know a great deal about moldings. Always in design, it was so casual over a decade ago, where flat stock was the base mold and was the casing.

[Corey]

Yep. For such a long time.

[Jessica]

And shaker was the door style for. For the kitchen cabinetry. And if that's been the practice and now you're moving into these more traditional high decorating times, you're like, whoa, where's the playbook on all of the moldings? Because that's what we're doing right now. You can get educated from, you know, people that, you know, obviously great finish workers and staring at great work. I don't know, would you add anything to that, Suz?

[Suzanne]

Lean on their expertise. But I think having concept images, we'll draw all the rhythms. But. But having an image will go so far. When you're talking to the actual tradespeople that are building this. Oh, you drew it like this. You're actually going to need to use this kind of profile to catch the height of this molding coming intersecting here. And what's really, really fun, I love this part of the project, probably because it constitutes drawing, is when they draw it on the walls or they map it out on the walls so you can understand the scale and you can make adjustments from there. Actually, I want to see that little tiny detail molding. I'm going to drop that a little bit lower, and I want to line up with this window grid, so. So don't be afraid to, like, draw on your walls. Truly. Cause the finished worker, good ones usually do that. They'll map it all out, which is such a fun exercise.

[Corey]

Finish workers follow suit as well. You know what I mean?

[Suzanne]

Oh, it's so true. When you find a good one, bake them cookies. Yeah, yeah. Be so kind to them. More detail, the better. And I love this era that we're in.

[Jessica]

So, so good.

[Suzanne]

Obviously, we love detail. All these concepts that are pictures that we're showing you right now have a lot of different layers. Let's hop into this one from Boston. We're. What I love about this one, too, is that they actually have a plinth that catches that window casing that integrates with the baseboard height. I think that's such a great detail to have on your actual door casings as well as, like, these window casings, because you can see that they also did A panel underneath that window rhythm that the baseboard dives and ties into.

[Corey]

So a plinth sits vertically at the bottom of either your casing around a window or a door. And then your casing runs into the top of it and your base runs into the side of it.

[Suzanne]

Y. I just love that detail. We're painted light neutral in here, but the texture of those molding pieces is so interesting, especially when you're experiencing it live. It feels historic and it feels really paid attention to. So I love this example. Don't ignore that detail.

[Corey]

Probably back then it was like the miter was really hard. So creating like a stopping point for both moldings was just easier. It's like, let's just create something new to do it, you know, so grounded.

[Suzanne]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

And I don't. And I don't feel like you see it as much anymore.

[Corey]

No.

[Jessica]

Because we are mitering so much. Yeah. So it. It feels historical. Like Suze was saying. When you do see this detail feels special.

[Suzanne]

Yeah. I feel like all the projects that we're drawing up right now have these, you know, whether it's traditional, but even in the more transitional, contemporary ones where it's a little bit more straight and then it has like a curve. And anyway, there's just so many different applications that you can do this with regardless of the style of home that you're in. And it's a detail that really does not go unnoticed.

[Corey]

Yep.

[Suzanne]

It's amazing. So anyway, high five, Boston. More. More of that to come. This next one's from our Capitol heights. And this just kind of employed that same trick that I talked about of just that height that we're continually seeing with a little bit of curve. This was also. This was in Washington, D.C. so we did want it to have some historic nature. And so it was a little bit more curved because these were new spaces that we needed to make sure. Talk to the old spaces. So just make sure. I think that that's really a good thing with all these details and finishes is to understand what is your house on the outside. Where are you? You know, because these are the bones. These are still part of the bones of the house. And you need to, I think, speak back. Don't go rogue. I think speak back to the architecture. If you're in a contemporary mid century house, you're probably not going to have some of these details.

[Corey]

Molding profiles.

[Suzanne]

Yeah. But research what that looks like. Because there's details that famous architects and famous buildings have employed that you should make sure you're paying attention to those to make your house stand out.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

Okay. This is our Linden Art Manor. And in this whole entry, we have, like, a Wayne scouting that ties into this door casing. I just wanted to really highlight the door casing, that it was the sister companion to the base mold, which, again, wasn't complicated, but again, kind of knowing what, you know, the hill that you're dying on. I'm going to have blue, and I want to be a bold color. Maybe you go a little bit more simple on your mold, you know, but know your hero. Know what? The whole personality of the house is again, going back to the architecture of the home, so.

[Corey]

Yeah. Yeah. And then when you're picking out base and case, the profile will have a number. Typically, they'll sign it. So It'll be like 304B is the base, and then 304C is the companion case.

[Suzanne]

Different types of paneling that you can

[Corey]

do 10, 15, 20 years ago, I think we got used to just, like, the applied molding just over drywall. I don't consider that paneling. That's, again, just an applied molding. So when we say paneling, we mean styles and rails that have been put onto a wall, and then you're casing those with. With applied molding. So that's where really the paneling comes from. And in this case, on the screen, it's. It's a stain grade. So there was even paneling put on top of that. And then case and stiles and rails.

[Suzanne]

It's more expensive paneling that we're talking about. It'll either be a raised panel, or the actual center panel will, like, be. And then it'll kind of graduate out with your trim moldings. Or it'll be a sunken panel where all that framework and the style and rails sit on top of that. And so you do just feel like a really great depth relationship versus an applied molding, which is throwing stick moldings on your drywall and calling it a day.

[Corey]

I think that's the easy way to it. But right now, it's, you know, we're getting into the ooey gooeyness of this, and that's what's in what's poppin. I know.

[Suzanne]

It's also what will stay in.

[Corey]

Totally.

[Suzanne]

Historically, I don't think anybody's ever looked at this and been like, yep, that dates you.

[Corey]

You know, it feels like 1808 to me.

[Jessica]

There's so much care.

[Suzanne]

And the finished workers that do this type of work are really good at their craft. Really, really good at their craft. And it's such a beautiful thing to watch. So these are a couple images that we have on the screen from our Desert Oaks project in Odessa. We don't have professional photography of it yet. It's coming up soon, but this was just in process pictures. First one looking at different stain options, But I just thought it was so interesting to see that with a wood grain. Like you said, there's a full wood panel. Then we're adding trim. And now this next picture where they're actually hanging drapery. I wanted you guys to see the profile where you can see where that the panel sinks in and what projects out. And you have several different molding pieces that talk to each other to create those rhythms. So I think it's so beautiful whether you're doing it really tall or whether you are just doing a wainscoting, it's just stunning. If you can do it in stain grade. High five.

[Corey]

Yep. How tall are these ceilings? Like 12ft, probably. One thing that catches my eye is that there are three different panels stacked on top of each other to get that height.

[Suzanne]

Yeah.

[Corey]

So you don't want to just do one smaller one on bottom and then the rest of the length to the top.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Corey]

There's a divide up there that's like, probably three quarters or two thirds of the way up, and that I think is needed in probably anything higher. Like anything from 10 to 12. You have to have that third panel up there, or it just looks too awkward.

[Suzanne]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

It probably goes without saying, but we're never, ever, ever going to cut a wall in half. It's always going to be in odd numbers, and you're going to create bands and rhythms within this. And usually there's a line within the architecture that's happening anyway. We'll go into that more in the next set of images, how to divide these up. So, yeah, in this instance, you can see the top of the doorway and that sort of portal that you walk through to get to the stairs. That is the line that we used for our first molding break.

[Suzanne]

And you can also see how it kind of ties in with the steel doors happening throughout this whole gallery of the parlor, which, again, it's just. It's so beautiful and it feels so intentional. And you don't you assume that this home has existed for, you know, 200 years, honestly, since 1808.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

Yeah. Like, they do.

[Corey]

So the advice there would be just to pay attention to the. The architecture that's there and the stopping points and lines that. That's creating itself.

[Jessica]

The architect isn't Going to have already drawn this in for us. And so that's the study that we're going to do as we're staring at the rooms, is trying to find this line work that we can start. We can have starting places and stopping places. And we're just really playing with those lines in CAD to start to create these millwork drawings to be able to hand off to the finish workers.

[Suzanne]

Yeah. And you're selecting your windows and you're designing your doors. Usually before this, this design happens. So you understand what my window grid is.

[Corey]

What.

[Suzanne]

And so you can really be intentional with where those bands are happening. We have a few different videos kind of showing you everything. It's just so pretty.

[Corey]

It's amazing.

[Suzanne]

It's so beautiful. So, yep, don't ignore the paneling. Now we're on the screen. We're looking at our Berkshire hall project here in Utah, which this was a feat. These are massive, massive volumes that we're dealing with. And our client loves tradition from the east coast and really want to make sure that I felt like something that he. He grew up in and felt like true to his. His upbringing and hers also. So I remember when we were doing these drawings, oh, my gosh. Let's add another band. Oh, my gosh. We do another band.

[Jessica]

Another band. If you can't see this right now, this is a two story family room, but we can see the second story loft and you can see that floor line. And so we created a rhythm that is a really beautiful. I don't even know what that molding would be called in the book.

[Suzanne]

It's not a fluting, concave fluting that you see like in traditional architecture and columns and things usually. See, sometimes fluting happens when you're just scalloped outward or inward. These are actually carved like separated flutes. Exactly.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

Like sink in from that surface layer.

[Jessica]

This one feels like a master class. We actually just came from here this morning where we were shooting this project. And the family, they love America, they love the White House. They love these beautiful, grand, traditional spaces. They love England, they love Scotland. And this was a real, pure project. It was actually, actually a remodel, if you can believe it. And they did not have this level of finished work. So two stories of not much going on is a pretty empty desert. And today it looks like, I mean, this was a work in progress. We don't have photos yet, but you can see on the screen just how beautiful this study of just rhythms and molding and banding takes place. And you can see the play that it has with the floor level up above and also with the breaks between the windows. And I just think this is a master class in molding and paneling.

[Suzanne]

Yeah. It's interesting though. I can think of all the different homes that I've been in throughout the years where they do have that big two story building. It is the open space concept. And they feel so cold. I'm like, this room is massive and there's a lot of seating groups, but because you have that texture on the walls, you don't feel so lost.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

And empty. There's something about having that woodwork happening in those rhythms carrying from top to bottom that really make the space feel like home.

[Jessica]

There's like a whole conversation that's happening in that space because of all of the vibrato and all of the line work. And it's just something to just sort of sit in a chair and just stare at it. So beautiful. It turned out really, really lovely and just really great craftsman to be able to pull this off.

[Corey]

Yeah. Slow clap for those finish workers right there. They're the best when.

[Suzanne]

Absolute best.

[Corey]

When you have a design like this, These pieces of molding just come in in long strips and you have to know which what goes on the wall first.

[Suzanne]

They were tiles.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

During construction.

[Corey]

That's a complicated one. So, I mean, amazing job to you guys for designing it. And yeah, having a team to be able to see that vision through is amazing.

[Suzanne]

One thing that I love too, if when you get a chance to look at these, if you're not with these bands and these breaks, mix it up. You don't have to keep it all flat molding. And I think that that what separates the good from the greats is when you can have some of these decorative pieces which places we love to look for. Those pieces are deckwood. If you go online, look at deckwood. They have such great stick molds and things to apply to this type of look. Decora Moldings is also a really, really great one. So those are two really great decorative websites to be inspired by. Honestly, they have so many great things.

[Corey]

They might be in groups called chair rail or pencil molding too. So it's just molding that can run horizontally through your space.

[Suzanne]

Yep. Okay, we're back in Boston again, you guys. This one's fun because this is all new. All the molding on this one is new. So again, speaking back to some of the more traditional things that we've seen in the space, we took notes from their baseboard to continue some of those lines and then One thing, because the, the family and the couple that occupy this primary bedroom, they're so fun and they're young and they're hip. You kind of had to balance this historic moment where we have like some tissue pinks happening. But then when it came to the paneling, we didn't want to do just the stack of two and we're like, what would be a little bit more young approach? And it was to do the solid panel on top of the base. I love, I love, love, love how this turned out because you do go in there, you still feel like you're in the same home. But there's just a relief, I think too, without. You know, sometimes if it gets too much, if it's a more restful place, you don't want to get too nervous. So sometimes it's good to just chill it out a little bit, go for something more.

[Jessica]

It's kind of a hush to this. And this is a bedroom. If you're seeing it on screen, you can see there's a full wall panel. Sue, remind me what the height, ceiling heights are in this space.

[Suzanne]

I'm say we're 10, 10ft.

[Jessica]

And so we have, gosh, probably like an eight foot panel in between that is wallpapered with is. It looks like a silky grass cloth.

[Suzanne]

Yeah, it's a Phil Jeffries.

[Jessica]

Just beautiful. And it's this pretty shade of tissue pink like sue said. And it gives kind of a boutique or bedroom feel and there's a softness to it.

[Suzanne]

Historic to you.

[Jessica]

Definitely, definitely. So beautiful. I love also, we don't talk a lot about it, but door casings, or I should say cased openings. Yeah, that's another place to go for it. So in my own home, going into my living room or into my office, I don't have doors on those rooms, but big, huge case openings. And that's a place to really go for it on your millwork. And I love it here. I know there's pocket doors in these casings, but it just reads like one big cased opening with these beautiful arcuated corners here, which also just feels so historical. Really, really special. So don't forget your cased openings. I think that's always a missed opportunity when they just use like the base mold stock around that and.

[Corey]

Or just drywall it and don't.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Corey]

Bring any attention to it.

[Jessica]

I love the interior profiles too, how there's a real chance to hit that with panels.

[Corey]

Yep.

[Jessica]

Yeah. That you create a portal, you know, to be able to go through and experience a new space. And it Gives you gorgeous termination points for wallpaper or a new feeling that want in that room.

[Suzanne]

I love that you talked about the portal, because a lot of times that means that those spaces where those big cased openings are, you're going to want to double frame those to thicken up the wall. And that's when you can do those interior, the jam molds, basically, to really welcome you into a space. And when you see the thickness of walls and that finish work built up, this is a really established home.

[Jessica]

Also, speaking of double framing, if you'll double frame those exterior walls and you can get those big, fat window juicy sills, especially, like. Or just at least do it in your kitchen. You know, you could, like, grow herbs on those big seals and. And if you will throw marble, the countertop material in the sills, that's another overlooked design detail. Since today is all about the overlooked design details. Yeah, the double framing is a good trick.

[Suzanne]

A couple other things in from this home, I just want to point out is this band, too, that we ran kind of like that fluted scallop trim detail that kind of chases around up

[Jessica]

at the crown mold area.

[Suzanne]

Crown molding is kind of like just that base. You know, it's above the window, so you don't have room for, like, a full panel or anything. So you have to just kind of, like, embellish with, you know, a really great molding. So we found this amazing detail that has this large scallop. And then instead of just, again, because we wanted it to feel a little bit more young, we did a really exaggerated cove and just kind of make it feel like it's pillow on top of you guys.

[Jessica]

The COVID Right, the COVID And also back to the architecture of that arcuated corner through that portal. Just speaks that cove language up on the ceiling. It's just. It is so soft and pillowy and just takes the edge off of a room. And you get so much credit for this.

[Corey]

I was gonna say, yeah, this is an instance where there is one large panel, but you paid attention to where the wall meets the ceiling. So had you left that out, that's

[Suzanne]

gonna feel lame, you know, and because of that exaggerated. We didn't do anything else on the ceiling aside from the lights. You could. Another design detail, not in this picture that people don't consider all the time, especially coming from where we've been, is the ceiling medallion. I love a ceiling. I don't know if I have any examples in here, but, like, in our Desert Oaks project, we have some really, really great ones. And when you gloss those girls up.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

That's your ceiling treatment.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

Yeah.

[Corey]

Truly, a ceiling medallion is a decorative piece of molding that goes up that typically a light fixture hangs in the middle of it.

[Suzanne]

Holds that light fixture.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

A real wedding cake moment. Yeah.

[Corey]

I mean, you did high gloss those ceil, though.

[Suzanne]

That's what I was gonna take. I was just like, if you're not going to do a ceiling treatment with moldings, at least pay attention to your Shane. Because I don't want to feel flat paint up there.

[Corey]

Yeah. At all.

[Suzanne]

I want that glossy because I want to see the light reflect off of it. I want to see my reflection.

[Corey]

Exactly.

[Suzanne]

Okay. A couple other things. When we're talking about paneling and what to do, you can leave it, you know, painted, but we love to add a texture or wallpaper. And so this is another example from our Windsor Manor in their living room parlor area where. Where we did, again, a really interesting rhythm of paneling. But on the interior of that main large panel, you see a really, like, thin, fluted texture. It's a tiny, tiny, tiny micro read. And it's just. It's so fun to just like break up the space and again, make it feel a little bit cozier at that line. And then you feel the volume happening up there in a really a smaller ratio. But I just.

[Jessica]

When we think of paneling, we don't think of these sort of micro textures, like this thin readed detail going full height. And so it's just such a fun space to come in and experience. Because of that rhythm and that texture, you usually just see great big rhythms in moldings. And this kind of gave it some really fine line work. Almost like a harp. You know, this is a really beautiful, special classical space.

[Suzanne]

Did you know they have a harp in the corner?

[Jessica]

No.

[Suzanne]

Yes.

[Jessica]

Oh, my gosh. It is like heart strings. Don't you? Yeah. You guys were channeling that.

[Suzanne]

No. And again, this space isn't big. The footprint of the space isn't large. So to fill those textures just makes it feel so special. It makes it feel really paid attention to. Again, design details not to ignore to make a small space feel grand. And then this one is from our Manchester house and just shows, again, a grass cloth within that panel. So again, you still have the kind of the style rails, but we just. I love hitting the interior of a panel. It's a great trick with a grass cloth, guys.

[Jessica]

It's a great overlooked design detail.

[Suzanne]

It sure is. Okay. Okay, Back to Boston. This one's really, really fun. This one is More of an applied molding detail to create this rhythm. And the whole room has this paneling. If you're not watching, we're looking at a picture of this really beautiful navy peacock colored wall that has four blocked panels stacked, and it goes throughout the whole, whole room. And the reason we did that is because we didn't want to see any doorways. So we actually applied these because they have a doorway to their primary bath. They have a doorway to the hallway. They have two closet doors. And. And it was just. When you look at it on plan, you're like, that is so many doors to deal with. How can we dissolve those lines a little bit? And it was to do a trick like this.

[Corey]

That's what I would say is the exception for the applied molding. If you have flat stock doors to apply a molding on top of that kind of give that some depth. Or on a soffit that your cabinets budding into. I love that you, like added molding to that to give it some detail. And. Yeah. So it doesn't go away.

[Jessica]

We'll get to the fact that some of those panels open up. But can we just talk about the crown mold? I think this is one of my favorites in the whole house.

[Suzanne]

But the thing I love the very most is this band that catches right above the window of these actual circles. Block, circle, block, circle, block. And it just creates the most interesting rhythm of. I feel very planetary about it. Almost like modern planetary genius person.

[Jessica]

It'll be like the phases of the moon or something.

[Suzanne]

Exactly. It feels smart, but it feels cleaned up. It feels modern. This client, he's very fun. He's a dj, but then he also. He works in business. And he just has so many different personalities. We're like, how do we encapsulate who this guy is in this space? And it was to do. Was to do a glossy croc on the ceiling, but you'll see.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

But also to have a really interesting rhythm that just felt as interesting as he is.

[Corey]

Was that molding there or all this was new. Okay, cool.

[Suzanne]

Don't miss the detail. Make it feel historic, but do it in a way that represents the person. This is exactly that.

[Jessica]

Speaking of overlooked design details, I have never met anybody that doesn't love a hidden door. I swear, there's one in every project right now. This is no exception. You're looking at it on the screen right now. You're like, what is happening? Sue, tell them what we were able to capture.

[Suzanne]

Not a huge space, but he. He's like, I really would Love to have a kind of bar moment. We don't really have room to hold a whole wall bar, you know, in the space if you want a desk or chairs. So we figured out this. This little trick that within all those. Not. It's not even everyone. It's just special ones that have you touch, latch it open, it pops open, and it actually has depth to hold liquor bottles or trophies or whatever he wants to display in here cups.

[Jessica]

So within those squared moldings, who is saying that there's four panel that they were able to capture within the cavity of the wall? There was depth back there, so they

[Suzanne]

actually even added the depth into it to make sure we have room.

[Corey]

So you framed in front of it.

[Suzanne]

Okay.

[Jessica]

In order to capture it. Yeah. And so they were able to make it so that you can touch, touch, latch, and open up the panels. And then if you're looking on screen, you can see there's a shelf in some of them. Some of them, the panel folds down to create a top where you could serve drinks there. This is just so fun and just. I don't know. I don't even know. Just like, next level. I cannot wait for his guests to.

[Suzanne]

No.

[Jessica]

To discover that he offers them a drink, and they're like, oh, no, it's okay. You'll have to go to the kitchen. He's like, no, I got it right here.

[Suzanne]

Yeah. No, my favorite is in this bottom left. You see, like, this one that does flip down, like I said, for a tabletop, because we have two Jimmy Martin chairs that are like this cheetah that just sit there, and you pop that open. There's little scotch glasses that you put there, and he can just serve his guests.

[Jessica]

This is a dream.

[Suzanne]

It's. It's the very best.

[Corey]

It's just rad to have a little secret. You know what I mean? And then. And then you just. Yeah. And you, like, let someone in on it, and then, like, they're in the know. You know what I mean?

[Jessica]

There's always room within a framed wall to have a secret door. There's room under the stairs, room behind a bookcase. I. There's so many of these little secrets within each project now that it's been, like, so fun. We could do a book on secret rooms.

[Suzanne]

Such a treat.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

And I will say there's not a better treat that's not color blocked on the inside. It's so much fun to open that. If it was blue, I'd be like, that's nice. That's fun. The fact that it's like this bright orangey color is everything, you know, and you reference it back. The Jimmy Martin armrests have that same orange. And so you see these little Easter eggs.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

These little Overlook design details.

[Suzanne]

Oh, my gosh. Thank you for exactly.

[Corey]

I would say in every house, if you study the framing of it or talk to your builder, if you're building that, there are little cavities that are just going to be drywalled over. And if you can think of something interesting to do that, I mean, that's going to be something that you remark.

[Suzanne]

Okay, go.

[Jessica]

I've got one. So in 2018, we had a parade home called Tiger Oak, and the client said, I want to be able to hide a box of tampons in the potty closet. I. Nobody needs to see that. It always bothered her.

[Suzanne]

And bright green.

[Jessica]

Sure, yeah. Sport mode. And so, sure enough, within the cavity of the wall, they were able to create this little tiny flipper door that opened up and it was even wallpaper to match the wallpaper. You had no idea it was there, but there was, like a cute little tiny knob where just a box of tampons would fit. Whenever she needed them, they'd be in there. But not everybody needed to know about it. Everybody can do that.

[Suzanne]

Yeah, yeah.

[Corey]

Just room.

[Jessica]

There's room in every interior. Framed wall.

[Corey]

Yep. Get creative. Talk to your builder. You know what? Even right now, there's probably a cavity somewhere. Probably don't go doing it yourself.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Corey]

Hire someone. You know what I mean? Because there is electricity and, like, water running through your walls and whatnot. So how fun would that be to have something like that? It's super cool.

[Suzanne]

The best. Also, I'm just going to give a little, like a quick little shout out, be mysterious about it with all these finished work details. Well, we should do a lighting design details, lighting wise.

[Jessica]

Oh, yeah, let's do it.

[Suzanne]

Okay. Anyway. Okay.

[Jessica]

I mean, would you guys tune in for that? Yeah, I guess we'll do it if you want it.

[Corey]

Comment, Comment. If you. Yeah.

[Suzanne]

You want design details overlooked in the lighting sector.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

All right. Okay. I just needed to share this. This is the stack that. This is like the cake piping. This is in the entry of the Boston project that I did. Jess. I can never get over this view.

[Jessica]

This is the gift with purchase that they received when they purchased this home.

[Suzanne]

They sure did.

[Jessica]

And all of these moldings were just all adorning this beautiful, beautiful project.

[Corey]

How did they do that back then? That's insane.

[Suzanne]

I know. And if you see this whole staircase, which we'll get to. You do feel like Miranda Presley on Devil Wears Prada. Like, we kept saying that. I felt like the little girls at the top and be come up here, but it's just so beautiful. And you can even see how simple the balustrades are on the stair railings. Just the rhythm of them, the repetition of them over five stories. Feeling that detail and then filling each of these cased openings. And the cool thing about this space is there's arcuated walls. So feeling that curve throughout the design details of the whole home. You see that in, like, the arches. You see that in the radiuses. You see that everywhere. Because they did not. They did not hold in 1808, I'll tell you that. But my favorite thing isn't this interesting, because if I were looking at an elevation of this, I would look again. We're looking at pictures of this space. And so really tune in for these ones, because these are gooey. You see, like, the vertical on this door casing happening here. You don't see it over here, because it catches at that wall.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

And I think if I were looking at that on Cat, I'd be like, oh, that's kind of a bummer. But they just went ahead and added more moldings. We're gonna call it. Okay, but my. My favorite favorite is you have this column kind of separating the entry and that stair hall from the kitchen in the next family room. They put this little opening, and on the interior of that top arc, they did a Greek key molding on a curve. The structure of, like, the geometry of that on a curve, I can't even imagine. They had to just, like, go in and hand chisel that.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

I don't know any molding have flexible

[Jessica]

moldings back, didn't they?

[Suzanne]

Sure didn't even. Just, like, the fluting. Really beautiful. Like, I don't know. Creation of space. You really feel like you're in the entry. Even though these doorways, several doorways are to your left and to in front of you with, you know, the addition of molding. It's insane. It's so beautiful.

[Jessica]

How about that little flower petal that's just chasing those curves?

[Suzanne]

Stop it. I swear that that's metal. It feels like it's metal or something, because you just feel, like, the negative space happening between each petal and how it wraps that curve. Just.

[Jessica]

You know that these guys worked on the castle before they. Before they caught that boat to America, settled here in Boston.

[Suzanne]

They earned that little horneye at the center.

[Corey]

I wouldn't know how to do that These days, if someone asked me, I'd be like, yeah, I don't know.

[Suzanne]

This is a master's class of finish work. Ask your finish worker if he can do that. I hope he can, but I'm every builder, if I showed him this, they'd be like, yeah,

[Jessica]

exactly.

[Suzanne]

But. But also say is find decorative details and employ them. However, you can be on your crown banding above your baseboards. We're actually doing a home up in Washington where they have the same casing and base molds, but they have three children. They have two girls and a boy. And we've picked out, like, a different little trim to go around their door opening. So, like, one has a tulip, one has a little bead, one has. The boy has, like, a little bit more geometry. So you can become really personal, where it's not like an obvious thing, but they're the treats. They're the treats and the details that you get to enjoy.

[Jessica]

I love this whole space, those handcrafted details that take a lot of time.

[Suzanne]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

You usually can customize those, and I think you should. I know even this is a design detail, so I feel like it's worth stating. But we work often with Jennifer Gracie from Gracie Papers to create custom murals, and all of those can be customized. And I remember there's like a little bird, the initials of a child, and there's a butterfly with the initials, and then there's a, you know, another little one for the boy. And because people are handcrafting these elements, they're going to be putting in the custom millwork. You can choose the little details that speak to you. You can't do that in a home that's, you know, been mass created. But if you are working for a custom home, a custom remodel, you might as well choose those special little details, because everybody goes crazy for them. Create those custom little hidden doors because you can, you know, you're building this. This thing the hard way, you know, one material at a time. And I just can't say enough for the overlooked design details. How they will bring you so much joy in the build, but also living in the home, and you'll find that it's part of your story to point those things out to your guests and your kids, to their friends, and it'll forever be a part of your story. It's worth getting, right?

[Corey]

Totally agree.

[Suzanne]

Here's one more of that. Boston. I just wanted you to see that stacked base molding right there.

[Jessica]

Get down. Now.

[Suzanne]

It integrates also these sunken panels on this arc way off of the entry door.

[Jessica]

Anyway, Master class.

[Suzanne]

It's a master class.

[Jessica]

Beautiful.

[Suzanne]

Okay. On the screen you'll see just when you're looking at these catalogs for your own home, so you don't miss any of these design details. You'll see. This was, I think was. I can't remember if it was decora or deckwood. They have a category of strip moldings. They have a category of pediments, which is so fun. And they're. The one on the screen is a little bit more formal, but they have, they have one with a bow that has curved ribbon that's molded out of wood. I'm like, ugh, I have to use that someday. Once you see it, you're like, where can I use it? Because it's so, so great and it's such a memory point. So be curious, look at these and just see where it takes you. Look it up with your finish worker and say, where could I employ this and get you both working on it. Y Honestly, it's been the glory of this last year. I will say that all the projects are getting really, really fun as we introduce some of these details that you guys should do. Love it.

[Jessica]

I love that so much, you guys. Our Memorial Day sale is going on right now. It's 20 off site wide. Make sure and check that out at Alice Lane Home. And there's a gift with purchase which is our large tote with a purchase of over 250 or more. And be sure and follow us on Instagram. We're at Alice Lane Home for the store side and the interior design side where we're working on all these great projects with moldings that we've got to show you today. That Instagram handle is at Alice Lane Interiors so make sure and follow us there so you can see the behind the scenes product launches and more. And if you guys have questions or episode ideas, please send those to Dear [e-mail] we read through everyone. We love getting your comments. We love knowing what you want to know because we feel like we've recorded every episode. So it's always great to hear from you guys what you feel like when you to cover. And if you don't mind, leave us a five star review. Corey, where do they do that at?

[Corey]

So go to our show page on Apple podcast and if you scroll down just below our image, there will be a little icon that says write a review. Click on that and it'll take you to the page.

[Jessica]

Awesome. Awesome you guys. We'll catch you next time. Thanks for tuning in. Hey thanks for listening. If you like our show, please leave a five star rating.

[Corey]

There's a new way to sweetgreen Meat Wraps handheld, hearty and made for life on the move with bold chef crafted flavors, fresh ingredients and over 40 grams of protein. They're built to satisfy without slowing you down. Try wraps today in the app [e-mail] available at all participating locations. Did you know if your windows are bare, indoor temperatures can go up 20 degrees. Turn the temperature down with blinds.com and get up to 50% off custom window treatments like solar roller shades and more during the Memorial Day Mega Sale. Whether you want to DIY it or have a pro handle everything, we've got you free samples, real design experts and zero pressure. Just help when you need it. Shop up to 50% off site wide and huge savings on door busters Right now during the Memorial Day mega [e-mail] rules and restrictions apply.