Q: We're about to build a house in the tradition of formal 19th-century American styling. Since our budget is somewhat limited, we need help in deciding what to include during the construction phase and what to add later.
A: When building a house with a limited budget, it's wise to defer certain details rather than trying to complete everything at once. This way, you won't have to make major sacrifices in the overall design.
But the later additions do need to be planned from the outset so that they don't end up resembling haphazard afterthoughts.
In 19th-century homes, most of the interior architectural detailing falls into the category of millwork and decorative plaster. Some features, such as moldings, mantels and baseboards, are not necessary for completion of the structure. Others, like window and door frames, cannot be omitted. Their styling should be chosen with a view to the type of decorative detailing that is to be included later.
Simple is thus safest. Remember, it's always possible to embellish a molding after it has been installed. This can be done by adding one or more strips to form a multipart molding. Alternately, you can create a painted stencil or a wallpaper border around a single-strip molding.
Chair rails, ceiling rosettes and other applied details can wait until the basics are all in place.
The photo presents an example of a room containing various types of applied details. They helped transform a plain box-like space into an English-style sitting room.
A three-part crown molding was installed with its upper part on the outer edge of the ceiling and with the bottom forming a cornice at the window openings. It was further embellished by a wallpaper border in a fringe-like design. The color and motif of the border are repeated in the swag-and-jabot window treatment and in the chair coverings and pillows.
Decorative detailing should not be introduced solely for the purpose of making a room more interesting. It has to be a carefully integrated part of a coherent design, or else it will look like mere self-indulgence.