Your Life! Magazine All rights reserved. Copyright 2004, 2005, 2006 Your Life! Media
Summer, 2006
A New Dimension in Home Elegance
The trend in decorating rooms today is to add architectural details that give a new dimension to any space. Crown moulding, chandelier medallions, chair rails and wall niches are just a few examples of the types of details today's homeowners are adding to their rooms to differentiate them from the ordinary.
As more and more condos, apartments, town homes and single-family homes with standardized floor plans are built in mass, less and less differentiation between units is occurring in the building phase, leading homeowners to seek interior design expertise or to initiate do-it-yourself (DIY) remodeling projects to give their rooms new architectural dimensions.
Crown moulding, probably the most popular architectural addition to rooms today, does for a room what accessories do for an outfit - it adds style, personality and detail. From the kitchen to the dining room to the bathroom, any room can be dressed up with the simplest addition of customized moulding.
"Crown moulding adds a certain class to a room - an architectural elegance," says Chele Benjamin, owner of Chele Benjamin Interior Design in Chicago. "There's just a certain added dimension to a room with crown moulding that homeowners want."
One way to integrate moulding into a room is to drop the moulding from the ceiling and add lighting behind it. Benjamin says this option adds flavor to both the ceiling and the walls. Or another idea is to utilize extra wall space by creating two rows of moulding and varying your color palette above and below each row for a crisp look.
And who says installing moulding can't be a simple DIY project for any homeowner? To make crown moulding installation easier and less time-intensive, Focal Point Architectural Products developed the new Quick Clips moulding installation system that allows amateur DIYers and professionals alike to install designer-quality moulding with only amateur-grade tools, less caulking and no priming. With Quick Clips, installers no longer have to patch holes, find studs or miter corners, which means a "weekend project" will no longer require a weekend's worth of time.
Focal Point offers two sizes of mouldings for the Quick Clips system: 4 1/8 inches and 5 7/8 inches. Eight decorative patterns are available, allowing homeowners to choose a design that captures the unique style of the room.
"The 4 1/8-inch profiles are most suitable for 7- to 8-foot ceilings or in smaller spaces, like powder rooms or small parlors," says Cristina Kreis, owner of Architectural Impressions in Chicago. "The 5 7/8-inch profiles work better in larger spaces with 8- to 9-foot ceilings."
"With Focal Point's comprehensive offering of decorative accents and moulding treatments, and now the Quick Clips system, adding value to any room in the home can be achieved stylishly and in significantly less time," says Sherrie Towne, marketing specialist for Focal Point.
For more information on how Focal Point can help you add value and unique style to your home with the easy-to-install Quick Clips moulding installation system, visit www.focalpointproducts.com, or call (800) 662-5550.
Courtesy of ARA Content
Now here's a smart idea! Hang a Healthy Shelf in your kitchen or bathroom. This attractive wall decoration also doubles as a paper towel and wet wipe dispenser. Quit passing germs around the family by using the same towels everytime you dry your mouth and hands. Healthy Shelf cuts down on the spread of bacteria, and helps keep you organized, too!
