Architectural Ideas To Upgrade Home Interior

Hampton style home, inside with timber floors, white walls and cream lounge suit

Finishing touches such as cornices, skirting boards and architraves can add real character to a home. Here are some simple design ideas and how to get them right.

It's all in the details

For a new build or large renovation, adding architectural elements such as architraves, cornices, doors and windows infuse a home with extra charm. In addition, choosing the right trims throughout helps provide cohesion in style and design.

CSR Gyprock expert Therese Tarlinton says it’s important to start with the right proportions and detailing before adding in elements such as furniture and decoration.

“I think it’s about designing the envelope of the room,” she says. “A really great designer can make that room a beautiful place to spend time in even before the furniture has been placed in it.” Start by identifying the desired style of a home, and then choose the details to suit.

Creating the Hamptons style

This popular look tends to rely on timber details painted crisp white, so they provide a base for a classic decorating look. Wainscoting (decorative panelling positioned on the lower third of walls) in hallways and formal living areas creates an elegant look.

Shaker-style cabinetry is another way of evoking the Hamptons style, while panelled interior doors can inject character without fussy detailing. Other additions include tongue-and-groove timber panels on walls or even ceilings for texture and interest.

Interior skirting boards and ceiling painted in a deep blue

Top picks for period homes

Interior designer Jillian Dinkel specialises in adapting period homes, often designing extensions for clients, or returning character to a home that has had detailing stripped out.

“My first tip would be to refer to original details that still exist,” she says. “Look at any cornicing, doors and windows that are still original, and use that as a clue to choose other elements.”

Undoing previous renovation work may also uncover useful detail, such as ornate plasterwork, so tread carefully when starting a renovation. Jillian suggests bringing a piece of architrave or photos of existing doors in-store to help source a match.

Adding architectural features can also add a sense of heritage to newly-built homes. “Bringing in some lovely cornicing or decorative skirting makes a new build feel more homey,” says Jillian.

Heritage plasterwork on a interior wall

Cultivating contemporary details

The trick with modern aesthetic is to add interest without fussiness, says Jillian. Contemporary homes work well with a shadowline ceiling, which is a small recess between the ceiling and the wall made using a metal strip that is then plastered to a smooth finish.

A more budget-conscious option is a shadowline cornice, which also leaves a recess against the wall. It can incorporate the mechanism for full-length curtains or a gallery-style track to hang artwork.

Modern living room with a panelled feature wall and sheer curtains

Making a statement

Therese Tarlinton says it’s worth playing with colour on architectural elements to add drama and personality to a modern home. She also suggests paying attention to the trend of soft curves in contemporary interiors, especially with kitchen islands and staircases.

“Right now, curved walls are all the vogue:luxurious curved archways and doorframes, or a curve in a hallway that just rounds into the kitchen. It creates a much more natural feeling in homes because it removes hard corners.”