It's all in the details

If it's time to give your home a new look, or restore an older home - on a small budget - a fresh coat of paint or new window treatments can go a long way. Another affordable option is to add some architectural interest to the rooms in your home with cornice, crown moulding and trim.

 

Many older homes and buildings in South Africa are still adorned with the most beautiful decorative ceilings and cornices. In recent years, the elegance of the past has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in the field of interior design. Using 21st century materials, decorative pressed ceilings are becoming a feature of our more traditional homes.

So the next time you’re soaking in the tub - with the lighting low and flickering candle light to relax the mood - think about how nice that dancing candlelight would look on pressed ceiling panels. It takes less than a weekend to transform a blank ceiling into an architectural showpiece - with plenty of time left for a Sunday soak. And installation is simple enough for the " Do it yourself Enthusiast ". The polymer-based panels are lightweight and easily painted with any type of paint. Plus, they can be fitted directly onto all types of existing ceilings or for new applications onto any type of board. So, if your 'popcorn' ceiling is screaming for more - think about decorative ceiling panels.

 

When it comes down to architectural details, crown moulding is the king of style, with an impressive range of profiles, elegant curves and distinguished angles. It's used to transform an ordinary room into an extraordinary space.

Adding crown moulding elevates the height of any room, drawing the eye up to the ceiling and echoing other design elements - such as a chandelier - to create a cohesive and polished look for the space.

 

 

ABOVE: The wall panelling, crown mouldings and chandelier all work together to give this master suite a high-end look, which compliment the luxurious furnishings. An empty room is cold and uninviting but dress it up and buyers can make the emotional connection needed to fall in love with it!

ABOVE: The ceiling can have a real impact on your entry. If the ceiling has cosmetic defects or design flaws, you can use a number of inexpensive packaging improvements to correct it, and one of the most affordable options - aside from paint - is to use architectural products to transform a conventional ceiling into a feature.

The history of crown moulding dates back to the ancient Greeks, who created the profiles and the rules of proportion that we still use some 2,500 years later. Only the materials have changed. Rather than the original heavy stone, we now use gypsum (lightweight plaster) and polyurethane to recreate the historical designs, transforming what was originally a labour-intensive craft into a DIY dream, with mouldings being installed with greater ease than the Greeks, or even our grandfathers, could have ever imagined - no chisel, trowel, or nails required.

 

And while we are still on the subject of moulding, it's not just crown moulding and cornice that makes a dramatic interest, there's still door moulding and skirtings to consider.

With most homes fitted with standard metal door frames, door mouldings offer homeowners the opportunity to transform steel to custom architraves manufactured in polyurethane or wood.

The humble fireplace has come a long way. Once merely a means of cooking up grub and keeping rooms warm, it's now a ceremonial focal point that symbolizes the cosy comforts of winter - and a fireplace surround creates a dynamic focal point, and there's no shortage of pre-made mantels on the market.

BELOW: In many homes, the fireplace has been installed to provide heat, and not to be important focal point of a room. The result - a lackluster fireplace that doesn't really command attention nor have a presence needed to be a feature. There are countless ways to transform existing mantels, as long as you respect your architecture and the scale of the room the fireplace occupies. One of the easiest ways to create a fireplace that demands attention is to install a fireplace surround.

Install one and you'll love how it frames your favourite gathering spot.

For more information on the range of products displayed on this page contact www.parklanedecor.co.za.