HGTV's Scott McGillivray's Tiny Reno Detail That Adds So Much Personality

Sometimes, the things that make a home beautiful are small, intricate details that may not be completely noticeable at first glance. But they often have a whole lot of impact on how a space feels. Decorative molding, which has long been the standard of grand vintage homes, with beautifully intricate carved details, is one of these small touches that can transform a room instantly. This element has been slowly and steadily making a comeback in the past couple of decades, even in more modern and contemporary design schemes. HGTV's Scott McGillivray says decorative molding is one of the first things you should think about adding when renovating your home to add value. In a recent interview with Modern Wellness Guide, McGillivray says, "They really elevate the look of a house and add a sense of luxury."

Adding molding, whether it is glorious crown molding along the ceiling or slender frame molding to the walls, can be a great way to give texture and architectural interest to a room. It can warm up boring, blank walls and draw the eye upward, key for smaller spaces you want to appear larger. Crown molding is also a project that is very DIY friendly and can vary in cost depending on the materials you use, making it a great place to start if you are working with a limited budget.

Ceiling molding is one of the most popular additions being added to homes now, from the more traditional fluted crown molding found in antique buildings and homes to more modern takes with fewer curves and more geometric lines that echo the Art Deco era. Another popular high molding element having a moment is slender picture railing, designed to discreetly hang artwork or photos in older homes. Picture rails often serve, along with more traditional wood paneling and wainscoting, as a separation between wallpapered areas above and solid surfaces below. Thin frame molding, sometimes called millwork or box trim, is an oft-coveted hallmark of Paris apartments from previous centuries. Even painted in stark white to match the walls, it instantly brings a sense of history and grandness.

Molding also refers to other accents, usually wood or plaster, that serve to add interest to a room's architecture. This includes corner-only moldings, which can be a great solution if you're looking for a simpler and less expensive project than all-over molding. Ceiling medallions are also another variety of molding that is making a comeback, usually used to highlight a hanging light fixture overhead.

Installing frame molding, which comes in a variety of widths and levels of decorative details, is a perfect weekend reno project, with some available already pre-measured and ready to install. For apartment dwellers, you can also purchase a peel-and-stock variety that is removable when you move. Try adding a ceiling medallion around an overhead light fixture or fan, or just as a way to add a central focal point on an otherwise blank ceiling. A simple picture rail makes a great way to add wallpaper along the top of the wall by providing separation from the solid wall below.

The effect of beautifully appointed molding, whether painted or left white gives a sense of classic architectural style that immediately makes a home seem grander and more expensive, as well as older and more historic than it actually may be in years. If you are looking for ways to add value to a potential home sale, or just looking to add charm to the space you live in, molding is definitely an element to invest in.