A home’s entryway makes a crucial first impression, and the ways in which we choose to accent it can make all the difference between an unforgettable welcoming and altogether dismal salutation.
But what about what lies beyond the threshold, the other side of the real and proverbial door? What stands between the stately enclave and regrettably forgettable abode?
Interior door trimming all but gives a nod to the sentiments of our ancestors, who for thousands of years took great pains to craft the most ornately appealing doors, inside and out. From intricate casings to grandiose wood and inlaid paneling, as well as turn-of-the-century inspired jams featuring elegant scrollwork and cast iron resilience, the spectrum of interior door trimming options proves that the domestic devil is indeed in the details.
Stepping over the threshold into one’s home is an experience worth savoring, with no detail or accent too trivial to afford a second look. You and your guests deserve to pass through your home’s entryway in pleasure and style, day after day, year after year.
Decadent casings and bespoke-inspired reveal beads may not seem like home-altering upgrades, but time has proven many an interior novice wrong. If you’re looking to apply subtle, budget-conscious improvements to your deserving space, look no further than the very doors you pass through year round with these top 50 best interior door trim ideas below.
Door Casing Styles
Colonial Style Door Casing
This kind of design is often found in Colonial homes in the United States. It is a basic one-piece baseboard with a back band that creates a casing between the two decorated edges. To install this kind of molding, you can use rosettes or miters at the top and against the floor at the bottom. A plinth block is also a common finish for this look and provide you with a much neater and smoother transition to the floor and baseboard.
Cove and Bead Casing
This is another traditional casing design that uses a one-piece profile for the sides and four pieces to make up the header. So, there is a one-piece case, bead molding on the top and bottom, cove molding underneath the bead molding on top and then a 1 x 4 under that. Again, a plinth block can be used to create a much more traditional look.
Victorian Casing Design
This design is much more elaborate than the other two more traditional designs we have already mentioned. It is a design that is often found in Victorian style homes across the country. It has a half round molding and back band molding with 1 by lumber. To build this casing, you take the 1 by and the half-round – already preassembled. The sides and the header are joined using rosette blocks.
Combination Casing Design
This design doesn’t fit into any one particular style. It involves a one-piece baseboard and a back band combination. The header features a bed crown profile and bead molding. The headers are cut at the ends and the sides and this design can be built using wider finish boards. This is good for homes that have high ceilings or larger rooms.
Ripple Effect
This door casing has mitered corners and several layers of different sizes for a more attractive and complex design and style. It is a great choice for a Victorian style home or a new Colonial Revival inspired home.
Elegance and Simplicity
If you want something simple but also elegant, a butted door casing with flat side casings features a defined header casing and crown. You can also customize the colors for this design choice as you see fit.
Mitered vs. Butted Door Casings
Mitered casings have three parts including the side pieces and header casing. The mitered joints are also angled. The casings can be flat or more elaborate with wider options that offer you more intricate details for the design.
Butted casings, on the other hand, combine two side casings with a wider head casing on the top. This draws the eye upwards, so if you have high ceilings in the home, then this is definitely the style choice you will want to explore.
Interior Door Trim FAQ
How do you install interior door trim?
It is a lot easier than you may have originally thought and is a good way to spruce up the home without breaking the bank or having to spend a lot of time on a project. To install door trim, you may need a miter saw, a pencil, tape measure, and claw hammer in addition to the wood filler, molding, and finishing products you are going to use.
First, you need to prepare to install the door trim. You then need to calculate the side length and the head length, and then make the cuts.
Should the baseboards match the door trim?
This is a design choice that is entirely up to you. Classically and more traditionally speaking, white is most often used for ceiling and trim including the base molding, window casings, and door casings. The walls are then painted a different color of your choosing. However, you can match everything as well if that is what you want or choose other contrasting colors.
How do you measure and trim a door trim?
Door trim should be mitered at a 45-degree angle at the top. So, you would measure form the floor to the top of the door and then make a mark on the trim piece and set the miter saw at 45-degrees. You then measure across the top of the door jamb.
What is the molding around a door called?
The base molding around a door is called the baseboard. This is what is installed on the lower part of the walls in the home and along a finished floor. It is also often referred to as the wall base. The casing is what surrounds the interior doors and windows.
Do Craftsman style homes have crown molding?
Craftsman style homes don’t typically have crown molding. Instead, you can see baseboards and shoe molds throughout the house.
What is the most popular baseboard trim?
Rounded or stepped trip is considered the most common type of baseboard. It is the trim that is typically used in new construction projects. This trim usually measures around 5/8 inch to 7/8 of an inch wide and will be approximately three to three and a half inches tall.
Does having crown molding increase the value of a home?
Whatever you can do to a home to give it a more stylish appearance is going to be good when it comes to raising the appraised value of the home. These small and inexpensive additions can add a lot of value, even if it is just adding in some crown molding, a chair rail, new window trim, or base molding- as long as it is done properly.
