This article first appeared in the CB March 2009
issue of Custom Builder.
You have to leave the plain old production-home-style stock pieces behind when it comes to dramatic interior trim work. Here is where the carpenter still reigns supreme; custom trim requires the kind of diligence, care and precision only a seasoned veteran can pull off.
Cherry on Top
You don't need a degree in furniture design and woodworking to pull off great trim jobs, but it doesn't hurt. Bill Stowe, principal of Worthington-Stowe, New Hope, Pa., liberally used cherry all over this Victorian-inspired library. Oscar Wilde himself would've felt right at home. The use of traditional joinery, in concert with dense wood species and a dramatic centerpiece, such as this mantle and fireplace, is a great blend of the traditional and contemporary. They also work closely with metalworkers and other craftsmen to get the details just right. Notice the custom glass tile and imported black marble with bronzed statuettes on either side.
Location: Bucks County, Pa.; Custom Carpentry: Worthington-Stowe, New Hope, Pa.
Historical Elements
You can feel the special emphasis placed on maintaining the regional feel of this home. The oval trim detail shown here in the coffered ceiling was created from a ¾-inch plywood template. It mimics the oval marble slab over the kitchen island. Consistency from the ground up is the name of the game with this project. Notice the blend from cabinet bevel to trim. The detail in the ceiling provides numerous shadow lines that make the room appear larger than the standard 8-foot ceiling that's there.
Location: Westchester County, N.Y.; Builder/Architect: Quaker Road Associates, Chappaqua, N.Y.
Reversing Minimalism The Southampton house features hand-carved molding in the living room with a built-up crown and dentil. According to the builder/architect, the living room and most of the other interior space has mostly poplar wood, with old growth Cyprus in the library. Both woods were chosen for dimensional stability and rot resistance. The close-grained wood was stained on all sides and finished off with 600-grit sandpaper so homeowners and guests won't notice the transitions. The coup de grace is the mantle over the fireplace; wood becomes expertly carved stone with a nautical-inspired theme. Exterior moldings (not shown) were crafted from Spanish cedar.
Art and Science Combine
Mark Steensma, lead carpenter with Insignia Homes in Grand Rapids, Mich., dove into this Ada, Mich., whole-house renovation project, which included two additions, one being the library. Steensma, with help of fellow carpenter Brian Meidema, project architect Mark Firmadig and the rest of the Insignia team, created a traditional theme inside and out. Here in the library the rich wood tones of the shelves carry up into the ceiling beams. The parallel details help create a New-England-inspired, classically shaped ceiling that was stained along with a glaze left in the corners to give it a timeless look.
Location: Ada, Mich.; Builder: Insignia Homes, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Carpenters: Mark Steensma and Brian Meidema
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You don't need a degree in furniture design and woodworking to pull off great trim jobs, but it doesn't hurt. Bill Stowe, principal of Worthington-Stowe, New Hope, Pa., liberally used cherry all over this Victorian-inspired library. Oscar Wilde himself would've felt right at home. The use of traditional joinery, in concert with dense wood species and a dramatic centerpiece, such as this mantle and fireplace, is a great blend of the traditional and contemporary. They also work closely with metalworkers and other craftsmen to get the details just right. Notice the custom glass tile and imported black marble with bronzed statuettes on either side.
Location: Bucks County, Pa.; Custom Carpentry: Worthington-Stowe, New Hope, Pa.
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You can feel the special emphasis placed on maintaining the regional feel of this home. The oval trim detail shown here in the coffered ceiling was created from a ¾-inch plywood template. It mimics the oval marble slab over the kitchen island. Consistency from the ground up is the name of the game with this project. Notice the blend from cabinet bevel to trim. The detail in the ceiling provides numerous shadow lines that make the room appear larger than the standard 8-foot ceiling that's there.
Location: Westchester County, N.Y.; Builder/Architect: Quaker Road Associates, Chappaqua, N.Y.
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Reversing Minimalism The Southampton house features hand-carved molding in the living room with a built-up crown and dentil. According to the builder/architect, the living room and most of the other interior space has mostly poplar wood, with old growth Cyprus in the library. Both woods were chosen for dimensional stability and rot resistance. The close-grained wood was stained on all sides and finished off with 600-grit sandpaper so homeowners and guests won't notice the transitions. The coup de grace is the mantle over the fireplace; wood becomes expertly carved stone with a nautical-inspired theme. Exterior moldings (not shown) were crafted from Spanish cedar.
Location: Southampton, N.Y.; Builder/Architect: Telemark, Wainscott, N.Y.; Hamptons Luxury Homes, Bridgehampton, N.Y.
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Art and Science Combine
Mark Steensma, lead carpenter with Insignia Homes in Grand Rapids, Mich., dove into this Ada, Mich., whole-house renovation project, which included two additions, one being the library. Steensma, with help of fellow carpenter Brian Meidema, project architect Mark Firmadig and the rest of the Insignia team, created a traditional theme inside and out. Here in the library the rich wood tones of the shelves carry up into the ceiling beams. The parallel details help create a New-England-inspired, classically shaped ceiling that was stained along with a glaze left in the corners to give it a timeless look.
Location: Ada, Mich.; Builder: Insignia Homes, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Carpenters: Mark Steensma and Brian Meidema
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