There are many different wood trim finishes. Growing up in Glendale and visiting so many of my friend’s home’s, I never noticed or appreciated the beauty of different wood finishes. As a new agent, I would ask other real estate agents to explain the architectural terminology when I viewed their listings. I soon learned the terminology for all of the different wood finishes.
Chair railing – a more common type of wood finish found in modest-character homes. It’s molding on a wall attached horizontally around a room’s perimeter. Originally designed to prevent chairs from marking the walls. Crown molding is the wood trim abutting the ceiling, and baseboard is the molding along the floor.
A common wood trim finish found in more upscale homes is wainscoting. Wainscoting is a decorative wood finish that covers the lower three or four feet of the wall. The above example is from a home I sold in La Canada. Similar but a bit different is beadboard. A row of narrow wood planks lines up vertically on the wall, with a slight indentation known as a “bead” between each plank. In addition, strips of horizontal molding cap off the vertical boards which finish off the seams.
There are many unique architectural features in Los Angeles homes. Many of our neighborhoods established in the 1920s through the 1940s boast abundant character features.
Related Post: What is a coffered ceiling?
.
