Modern wooden architraves for contemporary interiors

It might be the main features of a room that are the exciting elements of your renovation project, but it’s the small detailing that can make all the difference. If you’re looking for a simple and stylish way of adding character to your home, but don’t want to spend too much, wooden architraves are just the ticket. Not installed architraves before? In this blog, we explain what you need to know about these fixtures. What are architraves? Also known as door surrounds, architraves may have their roots in classical architecture, but that doesn’t mean they will make your home look outdated or stuffy. More decorative than simple skirting, these fixtures can be fitted where your walls meet the ceiling, around doorways and windows, and over arches, for an elegant and distinctive look. Softwoods such aspineor spruce can make beautiful architraves for your interiors, giving a distinctive feel to your home. What’s more, they are also available in a range of styles so you can choose one that suits your own tastes. What style should I go for? For your wooden architraves to match your contemporary furnishings, they should have a simple design. By keeping them simple they can be cut a little thinner than normal so they won’t project out too much, making them look discrete yet attractive. Traditionally, wooden architraves and skirting boards are painted in white. If you have an idea about the main colour in your planned room design, you could look for a shade of white to best complement this and use on your wooden architraves. However there’s no reason why you can’t go against the grain. If you have a smaller room to work with, then darker mouldings can draw the eye to the straight lines in the room, helping to create the illusion of greater space. Darker colours are also of course better at hiding scuff-marks and nicks that can appear over time, than white painted wooden architraves. Alternatively, paint your wooden architraves the same colour as your main colour. This can also make a room look bigger as there is no defined contrasting colours to distract the eye. Tips for putting up architraves Focus on getting the mitred ends right, rather than the margin. A badly-fixed mitre will be far more visible than a margin that is slightly out. To be sure the sides of your wooden architrave are straight and plumb, use a spirit level You may need to construct a wooden architrave around an angled door. If so, use an angle finder to work out the angles you need for the architrave, to ensure the mitres are accurate. If you are putting in wooden floors, do this before installing the architrave. If you are planning a carpet, fit the architrave first. Find out if the architrave has been finished, or if you need to treat it before installing. Paint the walls before painting the architraves. Wooden architraves will likely need two layers of paint – an undercoat and a top coat. It’s up to you if you’d like gloss or a shinier eggshell or satin. Whether you’re renovating or building a new house, wooden architrave can help to make a real statement. And whether you opt for bold or understated, you’ll find everything you need at Champion Timber. Find a wooden architrave style that suits you from our range here

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