Panel mouldings are those raised squares and rectangles that
you see placed strategically on walls in order to provide some
variety to an otherwise flat and undecorated wall. Panel mouldings
have been a tradition in western architecture; you will see
them in many fine old homes and in public buildings. There
are even panel moulding styles that are described as being
characteristic of some architectural eras.
Georgian style panel mouldings, for instance, consist of
six pieces. Each piece has a raised flat central area and
edges that taper to the wall. The Georgian model has two
vertical rows of three pieces each. The top piece is a square
and is the smallest piece. A few inches beneath it the second
piece is a rectangle with its narrow side identical in dimension
to the side of the square. This rectangle has the same finishing
to its sides and stretches downward where it aligns with
another rectangle of the same size.
The Victorian version consists of four pieces, similarly
aligned in two vertical rows. The upper panel is the larger
rectangle, the lower one about half the size of its upper
neighbor. Like the Georgian panel mouldings, the edges of
these raised pieces are simple and taper to the wall’s
surface. The result in both styles is an addition that adds
symmetrical depth and a geometric image to a wall.
• Modern panels have different moulding profiles:
the edges can be decorative or simply mitred.
• Today’s wall panels come in precut kits that
need only be aligned and installed.
• Panel depth can also vary. You can opt for a slender
panel with simple edging or a thicker panel with more ornate
panel moulding.
• In contemporary homes, the panels are often painted
a different color than the wall to provide additional decorative
impact.
• Some homeowners merely paint the edges of the panel,
giving the moulding an outline of alternative color.
• Panels today may also have additional channels cut
in the surface, providing an inner rectangle that can be
highlighted as well.
|
