61 Wall Trim Ideas

Today’s homeowners are clearly disenchanted with bare walls. For proof, just look at the accent wall trend of a few years ago or the resurgence of wallpaper we’re seeing right now.

Color isn’t the only way to jazz up the walls of your home. In fact, one of the moment’s most stylish trends — decorative wall trim — doesn’t rely on color at all. Moulding adds shape and texture to your interior design entirely on its own.

Check out the interior trim ideas below to learn about this exciting trend and how to unlock its full potential within your own home.

1. Accent Wall

The accent wall is one of the key elements in popular contemporary home design. But designing an accent wall doesn’t always mean painting one wall a different color.

Applying wall trim to one wall in a room is a great way to give your home’s interior a professional, trend-forward look. There’s no need to introduce a new color to the space. Instead, the accent wall is created with a three-dimensional pattern.

Accent wall molding can be extremely simple or incredibly complex. Neutral colors are best for this project, especially if you want your decorative wall trim to be the star of the show.

2. Bathroom

Plain bathroom walls are boring. While decorative tiles are an option, you can also transform your bathroom design with subtle wall molding.

Wainscoting is the perfect complement to patterned wallpaper. Lining the bottom half of your bathroom walls with panel molding can help tone down your chosen paint color or wallpaper pattern. This is especially important in a small space like a bathroom.

You can also go big with floor-to-ceiling wall trim that adds dimension to your otherwise simple bathroom design. Go with a light, neutral-toned paint color that accents your wall trim pattern.

3. Board and Batten

Board and batten is a classic wall finishing technique that features alternating wide and narrow wood panels.

Like many types of molding, board and batten is a basic pattern that can be altered or combined with other wall trim ideas to suit your specific needs. This style of molding can be used in both exterior and interior projects.

Board and batten wall trim can be applied along the entire length of your walls or as a type of wainscoting. While the latter application allows for using a different color for the upper wall, board and batten is traditionally painted all one color.

4. Decorative

Today’s wall trim designs are nothing compared to the intricate patterns seen in some historical homes. Decorative crown molding is the closest example seen in contemporary decor.

Wall paneling inspired by floral motifs isn’t for everyone. Yet there’s no better way to give your home an elegant, eclectic look than with this over-the-top wall trim. For a modern take on this idea, stick with neutral colors and minimal decor throughout the rest of the room.

If you’re enchanted by the idea of floral- or filigree-style wall molding, there’s a good chance you’ll be investing in premade panels. However, seemingly complex geometric patterns can often be recreated with regular baseboard trim.

5. Door and Window

You can’t install long-lasting doors or windows without sturdy frames. These frames also offer a great opportunity to add style to your home with interior trim.

Door and window trim can be as simple or as intricate as you like. Use ornate trim instead of heavy drapes to visually frame your windows. Be sure your window and door frame trim coordinates with the rest of the molding throughout your home.

Traditional door frames aren’t the only place you can install elegant wood molding. Adorn open entryways with accent molding or faux archways to take your home design to the next level.

6. Fireplace

How do you finish a fireplace without the use of stone or brick? If your home decor leans toward the contemporary, then decorative molding might be the ideal solution.

Wall trim can be used to frame the fireplace opening itself. This finishing style is especially popular with modern fireplaces. But you can also use wall trim around a wood-burning hearth, as well.

For a more dramatic look, you can install crown molding at the joint between your fireplace chimney and the room’s ceiling. Or use wainscoting-inspired paneling to decorate your entire fireplace surround.

Read more: 60 Fireplace Wall Ideas

7. Floor to Ceiling

Tall ceilings are almost always considered a good thing in residential architecture. But leaving all of that vertical wall space completely blank can be a waste.

Floor-to-ceiling molding adds texture and dimension to the entire wall without interfering with the bright, airy appearance of lofted ceilings.

However, you don’t need to use the same trim option throughout. Feel free to combine different styles like chair rail trim and board and batten for a custom design.

You can also use floor-to-ceiling trim to create the illusion of a greater ceiling height. Thin, vertical molding is the best choice for this design strategy.

8. Modern

We don’t often associate molding with modern home design. Yet there’s really no easier way to add architectural lines to an existing room.

Modern-inspired wall trim revolves around angular lines and geometric shapes. Some of the most stylish modern molding ideas are made up entirely of straight, uniform lines.

For a sleek look, your trim should match the wall color behind it. Metallic trim contrasts beautifully against dark, neutral shades. Or you can adopt a Scandinavian-style aesthetic by mounting natural wood trim against a white wall.

9. Picture Frame

Picture frame molding is exactly what it sounds like: Wall trim applied in a square or rectangular shape reminiscent of a frame.

Picture frame molding comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. You can apply this style of trim as wainscoting underneath a chair rail or extend the shape to reach from floor to ceiling.

This type of molding is almost always painted the same color as the backing wall — white trim may be applied over neutral paint colors. Be sure to hang wall-mounted elements like sconce lighting or artwork in the center of these “frames” for a polished look.

10. Stairs

It’s hard to build a functional staircase without swaths of empty wall space. Decorative moulding is an excellent solution to this design woe.

Large picture frame moulding or shiplap panels are just a few great options. Don’t get carried away with intricate carving or highly detailed trim patterns. Remember — your stairway wall trim will still need dusting!

Stairway trim isn’t always about covering as much of the wall as possible. If the various floors of your home feature wainscoting or another type of molding, installing coordinating trim along your stairs may be necessary for a finished look.

11. Unique

It doesn’t matter if you’re decorating a dining room or a master bedroom. Even the simplest spaces can be turned into architectural marvels with the use of creative wall trim.

Experiment with unique chair rail or wainscoting patterns to infuse personality into your living space.

Maintaining symmetry in your design will give even the most eclectic wall molding a polished look.

Trim designs don’t need to stop at the ceiling (we’re not talking about crown molding, either). Extending your wall paneling or trim pattern onto the ceiling is visually interesting and can even make your ceiling look taller than it is.

12. Wainscoting

Wainscoting once served as a protective covering for interior walls. Today, this molding style is almost exclusively used for its appearance.

Wainscoting refers to any paneling that covers the bottom half of a wall. It can be made of decorative wood panels, shiplap, and even tile (commonly seen in bathrooms).

Aside from adding dimension and variety to your space, wainscoting also offers the chance to explore bold design choices without overwhelming the entire room. Neutral-colored wainscoting can be paired with maximalist wallpaper or vibrant paint colors for a more subdued result.