Guide to Georgian Style Moldings
Does your taste in furniture tend to run toward ball and claw feet? Are cabriole chair legs and highly detailed fretwork your idea of the perfect dining room furniture ensemble? Do you like the beauty of Queen Anne furniture but wish it weren’t so, well, feminine? The odds are good that you are the kind of homeowner who appreciates a Georgian style home!
Rising to fame in the year 1720 and leaving a solid mark on the field of architecture for the duration of its 120-year reign, the Georgian structural design managed to supplant the Baroque period that seemed to have a stranglehold on the architectural feats of the time. Inclusive of various styles – most notably Gothic and Palladian – the design displayed was one of the utmost symmetry achievable by human hands. It has been said that cutting a Georgian home in half would present you with two perfectly equal and functional halves.
While the interior base color of the home may have been a neutral tan, the accent pieces almost always were startling in their colors. Floors were made of highly polished wood, and some of the most beautifully designed flooring examples will carry on the style of choice that defined a particular specimen of this architectural design approach.
What are the typical Georgian style moldings?
The typical Georgian style moldings are the accents that defined the walls of the time. Even though paneling was frequently chosen, the rooms were of spectacular height and the upper walls would showcase highly detailed moldings. Typical style designs were the urn and also acanthus leaves, but other bits and pieces were also depicted.
It is fascinating to consider that typical Georgian moldings are at once simplistic by their very insistence on symmetry within itself while at the same time having a whimsical air borne from the choice of design. Even as classical depictions at times might have given a room a distinctly neoclassical look and perhaps also forbidding feel, the pairing of this very style element with the solidly painted walls brought the ambiance of the room into a pleasing harmony without getting top-heavy.
For those wishing to keep the look and feel of the room simple yet authentic, dentils are the best options. These rectangular teeth make for perfect candidates in the fight for symmetry and there is a wide variety of these forms of moldings currently on the market. A bit harder to find but a favorite at the time are the egg-and-tongue moldings that focus on the oval structure that appears to rest in a rounded egg-shaped elliptical.
Where can you find them?
Georgian style moldings are strictly decorative and thus you will do well to direct your gaze either toward the upper walls and sometimes even the ceilings or toward the lower portion of the wall, although this is a rarer occurrence.
Those shopping today will find the basic indoor dentils and related motifs at most big box hardware stores. Outdoor moldings of appropriate sizes will most likely need to be custom made to truly reflect the size you require. Beware the temptation to buy the faux plaster imitations of the real style molding; yes, they are cheaper and readily available, but to the true Georgian connoisseur they also beckon like the proverbial peppercorn in the salt shaker! Spend the extra money for the authentic ambiance.
Custom design by local artisans is a great alternative for those who want to add a contemporary twist to their Georgian masterpiece.
What qualities should you look for when selecting a Georgian style molding?
It is interesting to note that the typical Georgian style moldings may be tinted with startling accent colors such as mauve, teal, rose and also slate blue. Daring homeowners who are not afraid to reflect their comfort level not only with the color palette but who are seeking to bring a late Georgian presentation into their architectural design will instead most likely choose more vibrant colors such as vermilion, red or indigo.
Since the mantra of Georgian architecture is symmetry, the molding you choose must continue this feel. Check for perfectly balanced ornamentation that in itself appears to be harmonious. Prior to purchasing a few lengths of the molding, consider the effect it will have on the room as a whole. Will it serve to create or preserve equilibrium or will it detract from the accord of the room?
Be very careful when choosing between the molding designs – the swags, which look great on the cathedral ceiling, will be overkill in your formal sitting room. As moldings come in a plethora of sizes and styles, the novice decorator may sometimes be tempted to introduce style elements that clash with the existing dÃ?©cor. Professional assistance of a trained interior decorator is often money well spent!
