Text size:

Decorative Touches

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

March 30, 2000

SOMEWHERE ON YOUR spring to-do list is that room you'd like to remodel. You know, the one that needs just a little more than paint or wallpaper.

If you're determined to make this a successful minor makeover but don't have a large budget, consider adding premolded architectural enhancements such as ceiling medallions, wall niches and chair rails. You also can add decorative covers for switch plates, outlets and heating vents that provide a finishing touch.

These generally are inexpensive and easy to install, and they can eliminate that "spare bedroom" look of your newly planned study or computer room.

Most do-it-yourselfers are aware of crown moldings-those decorative milled pieces that link the ceiling and wall-and over the past several years there's been more than enough written about installing and finishing them. However, many of the companies that make these moldings also manufacture premolded medallions and wall niches out of the same polyurethane foam.

House Doctor Recent columns

"I'm a fan of these architectural features; I guess I'm a traditionalist at heart," says Jacquelyn Ennis Wind, an interior designer with Gaddis Wind Associates Ltd. in Brightwaters. "They start warming up a room and creating an architectural interest without a lot of money."

Ennis Wind says that a medallion with a light fixture should not be larger than the fixture, but beyond that, the only rule for such features is personal preference. She suggests looking through magazines and displays for ideas.

Installation of medallions and chair railing usually is nothing more than some minor measuring, predrilling holes for nailing and using a caulk gun to apply an adhesive. Even installing a wall niche is a rather easy task.

To make the job even easier, consider painting all items before installation. It's a lot easier to apply paint, especially on the edges, before installation, plus you won't risk slopping paint. Just be sure to allow the piece to dry completely before beginning installation.

With that in mind, here are some more tips:

Medallions. If you're not using one that has a center hole for a light fixture, using a tape measure to find the center of the ceiling might be the most difficult job. Once you've found the desired location, mark three or four points on the ceiling along the edge of the medallion with the point of a pencil. This will make it easier to reposition the medallion once you've predrilled holes for nailing and applied the adhesive.

Use long, slender finishing nails at a slight angle (don't pound them all the way in), and avoid using too much adhesive. These medallions are lightweight, just a few ounces, so you probably won't have to nail into a ceiling joist to fasten them securely. Finish the job by caulking around the edge with a paintable latex caulk, pounding the nails beneath the medallion surface with a nail set, then hiding the holes with spackling. You then can use a small brush to cover the spackling and touch up any dings or smudges.

Companies that make medallions include Fypon, Focal Point and Style-Mark. Sizes usually run from as small as 12 and 18 inches in diameter to up to 32 inches. Expect to pay between $25 and $85 at lumberyards and home centers.

Chair railings. Use the same advice on nailing and adhesive application as mentioned above. Railings generally are applied 36 inches from the floor.

A small level, a chalk line and a coping saw will come in handy, and molding installation is easy when you first make a level line to follow along the wall. Once you make a level guideline to follow, attach the molding.

Although the premolded polyurethane foam moldings are available, you might find regular wood moldings are easier and less expensive to buy. Shop around at home centers and lumberyards. You have to paint the polyurethane moldings, and you'll have to prime as well as paint the wood. But because the wood is machine milled you probably won't have to do much fine sanding. If you're worried about miter cuts and that coping saw I mentioned, some companies make corner pieces and divider blocks that allow installers to avoid having to make every type of cut but one -trimming the molding to length.

"When adding a chair rail, you can paint below the rail and wallpaper above and -voila!-you've given the room a different look without a lot of extensive work," Ennis Wind says.

Niches. These are perfect for drawing attention to a sculpture or a vase, but installation is a bit more labor-intensive because they are recessed and designed to fit between studs. A sharp utility knife, a wallboard saw and an electric stud finder will come in handy.

Most niches come in kits and feature detailed installation instructions, including templates. (Really, they're a snap.) The smaller kits run from about $ 100 and are built to fit standard walls (2-by-4 studs with centers 16 inches apart).

Covers for switch plates, outlets and heating vents. The selection here almost is limitless. You can choose from plastic, ceramic, all types of brass and prefinished and unfinished wood.

If you plan to replace the grilles on your hot air heating vents with something more decorative, bring an old one to the store with you when you shop to be sure about the size. Brass and wood seem to be most popular for grilles, so if you use the same materials and styles on switch plates and outlets the room will have a unified appearance.