Know Your Moldings: 10 Popular Trim Styles to Spiff Up Any Space

Moldings exist in myriad forms. Each is designed for a specific purpose—framing a door, for example, or providing a visual transition at the junction of walls and flooring. So many types of molding decorate our homes today, it's often difficult to distinguish them. But here's the good news: You never again have to be confused between batten and baseboard. Click through to know your molding styles, once and for all!

Casing is designed to cover the unfinished gap between walls and door or window frames. Though different variations of door casing styles are readily found, the width of casing usually spans two or three inches.

Used to trim walls where they join flooring, baseboards usually measure three to five inches. Baseboard styles are usually simple, and accented with a small piece of quarter-round (semi-circular) trim.

This molding is the "crowning" architectural feature of a room, as it decorates the transition between walls and the ceiling. Crown moldings, also known as cornice moldings, typically boast intricate silhouettes – although many types of crown molding exist.

Picture railing allows artwork frames to be hung without nails having to be driven directly into the wall. Often combined with crown molding, this type of molding is one or two inches tall and appears seven to nine feet off the floor.

Mostly seen together with crown or chair railing, egg-and-dart molding includes oval egg shapes (modeled after ancient Greek template ornament) alternating with V-like darts.

Batten, also called board-and-batten, is a wall trim piece used to hide the joint between two pieces of paneling.

Bead and pearl moldings are two different, though very similar, types of trim. Both feature a row of small, symmetrical spheres. Paired often with other designs—leaves, darts, or spindles—this variety of molding typically accompanies crown or chair railing.

If you are interested in more about walls and ceilings, consider:

5 Ways to Give a New House Architectural Charm

Character Building: A Case for Moldings

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